KUANTAN: What’s spending a few thousand ringgit to get a furry friend of your desire?
That sums up Emmy Liza Shaharudin, 43, who thought nothing of forking out RM16,000 to buy a Persian cat, last year.
The cat named Isabella was bought from a famous cat breeder in Indonesia, and is now a family favourite.
“I’m passionate about cats, so I did not mind spending that much.
“Although I already have a cat of the same breed, Isabella is quite special because it was love at first sight when I set my eyes on her. I was determined to have her,” Emmy said at the Fun Cat Show competition at the Tanjung Lumpur Tunas Manja Group Mall, here, yesterday.
The tournament was organised by the Sookies Store cat shop and Darul Makmur Cat Club. A total of 100 cats nationwide took part.
Emmy said she had about 40 cats, all of which are imported breeds, including 10 Bengals from Indonesia, Thailand and Portugal.
She allocates about two hours to groom Isabella, including giving her a bath three times a week.
“She needs that kind of care to ensure that her fur is neat, attractive, not tangled and does not fall off easily. I use a special shampoo that costs RM1,000 a bottle to bathe her.
“I feed Isabella boiled meat and chicken every day, apart from her special meals.
“I allocate at least RM1,000 a month on food alone. “Isabella is also housed in a special room equipped with air conditioning,” she said in Ayer Keroh, Melaka.
Emmy said Isabella, which was crowned champion in the long-haired cat category, was taking part in the competition for the first time.
“I brought Isabella to the Fun Cat Show to expose and prepare her for other competitions.
“Almost every month, I take part in cat competitions at state, national and international levels.
“I have six Persian and Bengal breeds that are no strangers to competitions in various categories,” said Emmy, who receives much support from husband, Riduan Mohamed, 44.
