Mr Chow

Mr Chow is an exquisite chocolate Burmese with pale green eyes, the swagger of a gangster and a sweet, gentle nature.

From the moment Chow arrives he is perfectly comfortable. He darts around the front room, occasionally pausing to stop and sniff at something new. When he arrives at the floor length window he props his feet on the ledge and stares. Before long he is pulling his body up the cat steps to the platform bed that overlooks the window. Mr Chow stares down at me, satisfied from the top. Not sure if he’ll be able to manage the tricky descent I stand below the steps and bribe him with treats. He puts two paws on the ladder and attempts to slide down but tumbles straight into my arms.

This doesn't stop him climbing up to the platform at every opportunity. His step climbing technique improves significantly but unfortunately, he never masters the descent. When Mr Chow needs to come down he sits on the top step and yells his raspy meow in my direction. By way of a thank you he rubs his face against mine before stepping into my arms to be lifted down to the floor.

As mischievous as he is affectionate when Mr Chow’s not putting his two front paws on my shoulders and licking my nose with his tiny sandpaper tongue he is knocking the heavy cat treat tin off of the kitchen counter to the floor. It lands with a bang and much to Chows delight, the lid pops off. There are treats everywhere and he dives in to devour as many as possible before I can stop him.

At night, he snuggles up underneath the quilt next to me and sleeps soundly.

One morning when I wake I find Mr Chow fast asleep, trilling like a bird as he snoozes, his head popped out from beneath the quilt and his paw resting on the pillow beside me.

How sweet I think, before noticing the frayed cable that is connected to my iPad. I give it a tug and it pops out easily from behind the cabinet, Mr Chow having gnawed right through it.

The cable next to it has also been chewed through. I was warned Mr Chow likes to chew thin cables and I kick myself for forgetting to protect these two. As I curse myself under my breath a little trilling sound comes from the mischievous cat sleeping beside me. I smile to myself and lay down next to him to catch another 40 winks.