Taro

In April 2000 - a new little cat joined our family. His name was Kumar Khan and although Cherie and Clive said he was my young brother I still took my time about getting to know him. However we soon became good friends and as he was only a year younger than me we had a lot of fun and went everywhere together.

In March 2001 I lost Kumar I couldn't find him in any of his special hideaways. He was very young and playful but one evening he disappeared. We used to do lots and lots of things together - eat, sleep, play and wash each other - and we shared a pen at cat shows up and down the country. Clive and Cherie tried to keep me company but I missed him a lot at first because Saree kept herself to herself and I didn't have a companion anymore.

Soon after my young brother disappeared a new little boy moved in. Although he was very small he was very fierce and the first time I went in to the lounge after he arrived I found he'd taken it over. I gave him a hiss and he arched his back and growled at me so I ran off to the bedroom and moved in with Saree at the bottom of the wardrobe. [ps. I'm not really a coward] After a few days both Saree and I moved back out - I was the first one of course because I'm big and brave. Kanati - that's his name - became much less aggressive and wanted to plays a lot, particularly with Clive and Cherie. I started playing games with him and eventually we started to wash each other - it was also very nice to have a friend again although he was much younger than Kumar. Saree and Taro in their 'temporary' home

at the bottom of the wardrobe when Kanati first arrived - April 2001

Early in 2002 to my total surprise, two new little kittens arrived. Clive said they are also, like Kumar, my younger brother and sister. They are called Rafiq and Rana. I kept myself to myself for the first four or five days but after that we became friends - particularly Rana - who liked to come and sit with me and sometimes we would wash each other.

Now, of course, they have grown up. Kanati is very friendly with Rafiq and the two of them often play chase with each other - usually ending with a rough and tumble, but only in fun. They know I'm head of the family and don't take too many chances of upsetting me. Rana is totally devoted to Kanati, she follows him everywhere and if he's asleep she talks long and loud until he wakes up and goes off with her for food. Sometimes, if he's asleep she gets on to the chair with him and curls up to sleep next to him.

Returning to my show career, at Chessington in August 2000 I became a 'Premier' [Neutered Champion] by winning my class and getting my third CAP. I also gained a 'Best In Variety' [BIV]. To celebrate my new status I went to the Garden of England show at Tonbridge in September and had a super time, winning my class and with it my first CAPIB, moving on to win another BIV and then securing a Nomination to the final stages where I won two lovely cups, one for Best Neuter in Group and the other for Best Neuter in Show. Then, at the Stratford Upon Avon show in October there was a cat in a pen near me that kept sneezing all day and a few days after I got home I developed cat flu and was quite ill for a couple of weeks.

In October 2001 we all went to a show in Fleet, Hampshire where I won my fifth CAPIB Certificate, becoming an 'International Premier'. After that I won seven CAGPIB Certificates to achieve my 'Grand International Premier' title at Tonbridge in September 2002 Following that success I went to three more shows where each time I won my class and gained a certificate towards a European Premier title. At Stevenage I also gained a BIV, Nomination and Best Opposite Sex-Neuter and at Maidstone a Nomination. Then, just as things were going well, disaster struck and as I said a little earlier I was very ill and took six months to recover.

My first show back was at Worthing in August where I gained another CAPE and a BIV - beating my young brother Rafiq and then in September we all went to Bognor Regis where I won my fifth CAPE together with a BIV and a Nomination. In early October Clive took me to two shows on consecutive days at Sittingbourne where I gained my sixth and seventh CAPE's - Cherie was away on holiday so all the others stayed at home then, and at the end of the year in December, I went with Clive to a show at Milton Keynes where I gained my eighth CAPE . This time all the others stayed at home with Cherie because she thought it was too far for them to travel. In February 2004, I went to two shows at Maidstone where each day I won CAPE certificates - [my ninth and tenth] - and became a 'European Premier'. In March I went to a show in Haywards Heath where I was awarded a Prize of Honour [POH] and in August to the All Winners Show at Worthing where, in the morning, I won a second POH followed by a BIV and Nomination and in the afternoon, won the Coonawarra Trophy for Best Maine Coon Neuter in show. Following that Clive said that after 38 shows and 30 wins including 7 Nominations, 7 BIV’s, 1each BIS Neuter, BIS Neuter Opposite Sex and BIS Maine Coon, I could retire gracefully and stay at home with Saree when any of the others went off to shows.

My awards :
Two cups : Best Neuter in Group and Best Neuter in Show [Tonbridge] 2000 .

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[2] : At home with the Coonawarra Trophy "What's all the fuss about?" - Nov 2004
[3] : With Coonawarra Trophy [Worthing] 15 Aug 2004 - Best Maine Coon Neuter in Show
[ Photos 1 & 3 above, 4 below courtesy Robert Fox - photographer http://www.photopaws.co.uk ]

[4] : With European Premier rosette [Maidstone] 29 Feb 2004

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3. Junior: Three Ex1's and one Nomination, Adult: Three CAP's and one BIV, FIFe Premier
4. Five CAPIB's, one BIV and Nomination, FIFe International Premier, Best Neuter in Group and Best Neuter in Show
5. Seven CAGPIB's, one BIV and Nomination, FIFe Grand International Premier
6. Ten CAPE's, three BIV's and two Nominations, FIFe European Premier, Best Opposite Sex Neuter in Show and Prize of Honour
7. Prize of Honour, BIV and Nomination, Coonawarra Trophy: Best Neuter Maine Coon in All Winners Show [Worthing]

For details of my famous mother ‘International Champion Kittycoonz Bitsalena' and outstanding brother 'Grand International Premier Feathers McGraw' - 'Cat of the Year 2000', together with my exalted grandfather 'European Champion Guldfakse's Phoenix' - 'Cat of the Year 1999' and cousin 'Kittycoonz Chewbacca' - 'Cat of the Year 2001' and information on our breeder Dawn 'Kittycoonz' Talman - Breeder of the Year 2000 and 2001 see: www.kittycoonz.com and www.btinternet.com/~kittycoonz

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Bitsalena [mum], Phoenix [grand-dad] and Feathers McGraw [twin brother] all three photos by Robert Fox

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Hi, I'm European Premier Kittycoonz Taro Moonshadow - Taro for short - that's a Japanese word meaning 'First born' or 'Big Boy'. I'm a blue classic tabby and I was born on 6 January 1999 Now I match my name 'Big Boy', I'm over one metre long from my nose to the tip of my tail and weigh just over 2 stone [12kg]. I never understand women, that Saree she is so retiring. Always hiding when visitors arrive. I don't bother, after all it's my home so they have to be inspected by me before they are allowed in.

Some evenings I get up on the chair with dad [Clive] and curl up for a sleep while he makes a fuss of me - he tickles my chin and neck which is very nice and makes me purr a lot. Sometimes however, when I've had a really hectic day - eating and drinking and looking after all the others and possibly chasing Saree - if I sit and stare at him, he gets up and sits on the floor so that I can have the chair all to myself. He's even taken some 'photos of me which he says show just what a terribly tiring life it is to be a cat !!!

In 2003 I was very ill. It started on 25 Feb when I didn't feel very well and decided not to eat or drink, the next day I felt worse and was sick so Clive took me to see the vet. That night I was sick again and the next day went back to the vet where I stayed most of the day and had an X ray. That night I was very sick and felt really ill so next morning Clive took me back to the vet who took another X ray. At lunch time he said I needed to go to the local hospital so Clive and Cherie took me there for the weekend. Once there the staff shaved part of my left leg and put me on a drip and also gave me a barium meal [not very nice] after which they took a lot more X rays. On the Sunday night I was sick again and when Clive and Cherie came to see me on Monday morning the hospital told them they must take me to another hospital in Caterham. When we got there they took me in and shaved part of my right leg for another drip. They also shaved part of my neck for some blood tests. Next day they shaved my tummy and did something they called an ultrasound scan. Then, the following day, they gave me something and I went to sleep. After I woke up Clive and Cherie came to collect me and take me home and said I'd had an endoscope put down into my tummy and had some biopsies taken. I’d lost a lot of weight very quickly and slept at home for most of the next three days and then tried to eat. The first day I was a little bit sick in the evening but after a good night's sleep felt better and started eating and drinking again. At first Clive said I might retire and not go to any more shows but eventually I started to feel much better and even hungry. Then I started to put a lot more weight on - after 6 months Clive said I was heavier [and fatter] than ever - and my coat grew back so I was able to start going to shows again.