If you have come here for information about Tonkinese because you have seen an advert and you're not sure it is genuine, please visit this independent information page: tonkinese.org.uk
Rameses cats are bred for temperament and their very special friendship: a healthy happy cat is at the top of my list, with no compromise to get 'show' quality. You can find out more about my kittens on the ‘Kittens’ page and sub-pages. I've been very lucky and have found that my Tonkinese and Burmese have also proved themselves on the show bench as excellent examples of their breed, as well as enjoying the activity as well-balanced, confident cats. They are to be found all over the British Isles, and as far afield as Switzerland and Germany. One of the most important aspects of their breeding is that all Rameses cats come from carefully selected outcrosses, so that the parents are as genetically dissimilar as possible. I also take elaborate care to ensure that neither the breeding queens nor their kittens carry any genetic defect, no matter how slight. The result is big healthy litters of large kittens, who grow into strong, long-lived cats with stable relaxed temperaments, good with children and sensitive enough for invalids. All the cats and kittens live in the house and are my family (kittens are born in my bedroom, where they live for at least their first three weeks), and the cats sleep with me.
The environment is very important: the cats have plenty of space in the house, generous runs attached outside to which they have constant access, and the garden has been fenced to keep them in so that they can also run around naturally (sadly we lost the huge willow tree that they used to climb in Spring 2017 to Honey Fungus. When the ground has recovered I'm hoping to put in a new tree for them). I like to think that my cats are happy inside and out, and I feel their physical health and relaxed temperaments is proof that I've got it just about right!
Apart from my stud boys who have to live out in runs because of their spraying, my cats all live in the house with me. My kittens are lovingly reared in my home, getting constant contact and love from me and visitors so that they never become nervous or neurotic. I breed very few litters because I do this for love and for fun, and not as a business. The happiness of the cats is always foremost in decisions about their welfare, and they are sold only to carefully-vetted homes where they will receive the best of care and understanding. Rameses kittens or cats must be returned to me if it is necessary to re-home them for any reason. Owners who are not prepared to have their cats become a very important part of their lives should not consider owning a Burmese, Siamese or Tonkinese, as these breeds are well known for their need for attention and interaction with humans. For many people, this intelligence, loyalty and affection is their main attraction.
I breed all classic colours of Tonkinese (brown, blue, chocolate and lilac, with the occasional caramel) in both solid and tabby patterns. Although I have met many lovely Tortie Tonkinese, I can't really get my head around the splodginess of the pattern, so at the moment I don't breed red/cream or Torties. Rameses has been well-known also for the support and breeding of Old-style Siamese, though at present I am not breeding Siamese. I have also in the past bred Burmese, partly to build new lines for my Tonkinese along with my Siamese.
I work at the computer all day, so the computer for me is work, not play: this means that I avoid the horrible machine as much as possible when I'm not working. I live on my own, so all the housework, gardening, shopping, and other usual business of running a house (paying bills, organising mortgage transfer, getting car serviced etc.) has to be done by me. I'm also involved in things that take me out of the house like choirs, judging at cat shows, working for the GCCF, and other activities, and it has been years since I had time to sit down in front of the television, though I like to read in bed if I can stay awake long enough.
Any spare moment is spent enjoying my cats, and making sure my kittens are well loved and properly handled so that they're friendly and well-adjusted. I hope you'll understand that this leaves very little time for updating my website or downloading pictures from a camera and emailing them out to enthusiastic new owners. I do what I can with my website, but ultimately it's the real world where I (and the cats) live, and that's where my attention is concentrated.
I am a full GCCF judge of the Tonkinese and Suffolk breeds, and Pupil Judge of the Australian Mist.
I am a member of the following GCCF affiliated clubs and associations:
Burmese Cat Club
Old-style Siamese Club
Tonkinese Breed Club
Tonkinese Cat Club
Along with a small group of enthusiasts I founded the Old-style Siamese Club, an organisation that I'm glad to say is now big enough, and well enough established to manage very happily without me on the committee! Thanks to this club the survival of the old-style Siamese and of its beautiful bloodlines in the UK is assured.
Rehoming:
I don't like to rehome any of my cats, but acknowledge that relationships in a breeding household can be volatile, and I have rehomed if a cat is unhappy or stressed. I never rehome for my own convenience. The long-term stress of living in a tense environment can be more harmful to a cat than the transitory stress of rehoming. If cats are fighting then I believe forcing them to live together either with the fighting, or in some sort of confinement is simply selfishness. I have rehomed cats I have loved dearly because I had to place their well-being above my love for them and enjoyment of their presence. They have always gone to personal friends close by, and have always been far happier in their new home.