TANYA’S TALE
Tanya obviously began life as a happy, loved and well-cared for kitten who grew into a beautiful cat. When we first saw her, in 1991, however, her life had changed dramatically. Following the arrival of a baby in the household she had been unceremoniously dumped into the nearest cat rescue where, bereft of all she had known for the four years of her life, she quite simply curled up and prepared to die.
We had visited the rescue with a young friend who wanted a kitten and made the, as it turned out, fateful “mistake” of going in with her instead of waiting outside in the car. Not for us the cute, hopeful kittens crying at us, no, they would soon find new homes, but Pat was instantly attracted to the curled up bundle of white fur at the back of the communal pen. Upon hearing the story Pat would hear no argument and soon we were on our way home with our pathetic bundle.
For months Tanya was like a zombie, where she was put, she stayed; her eyes had a fixed focus, the pupils never altered in size; she ate, used a litter tray and slept, but little more. We knew she had turned the corner the day she began to take refuge on top of the ‘fridge. From then she never looked back.
Tanya gradually regained both her beauty and her character, so much so, that in May 1994 we entered her in our local CPL cat show. To our astonishment she not only won her Open Class but also Best in Show!! Thus began our new hobby—cat shows! Over a 3 year show career Tanya won the majority of the Open Classes in which she was entered, more than 50% of the total number of all Classes in which she competed and in three appearances at the Supreme Cat Show (the feline equivalent of Crufts) won her Open Class all three times and was voted Best of Group over the male in her last two appearances.
Tanya was instrumental, therefore, in the eventual setting up of the South Ribble Pet Cat Club, being, so to speak, one of the founder members, probably the only cat ever to have helped to found a cat club! She now lives in happy and healthy retirement, carrying out the duties of Official Club Mascot and basking in the admiration of her many admirers when she appears on exhibition each year at our annual show.
