Hello! My name is Liz Gedge. I reside with my feline family in the Wolverhampton area in the West Midlands. I’m now retired after working 48 years in the NHS.
I was first introduced to the Birman breed of cat in the 1980’s, when my mother brought one home. She went on to breed and her registered prefix is ‘Kynobi’.
When I left home I was given a Birman of my own and I went on to breed these beautiful cats. ‘Airavata’ was my chosen prefix. Unusual, I know. I found inspiration for the name from reading a book about the Airavata Asiatic elephant; a special, white elephant. As Birman cats are also special and have gorgeous white fur, I felt this prefix suited perfectly.
To read more about the Airavata elephant, please click here.
During my first 3 years of breeding my cats had 2 litters. I decided to keep a blue point boy from the second litter and called him Dylan, I then got Barney to keep him company. With two male neuters, I decided to temporarily stop breeding. After losing both of my Birmans, I had a black and white moggy and called her Guinness.
In 2008, my mother gave up breeding her own Birman cats (Kynobi prefix) and she gave me a kitten out of her last litter, Kynobi Masquerade. Known as Poppy to her friends. I started showing Poppy and she now has the title of Grand Champion. Out of her litters I have kept a chocolate point female, Bizzie Lizzie from her first litter and Basil and Logan out of her second.
As my feline family was growing, I moved from a flat to a house so that my cats would have more room. They have even taken over the conservatory! They are all content living here now, with me as their servant, while I continue to breed my beloved Birmans.