If you happened to be in Eastbourne last summer, you might well have spotted a woman walking a lilac Birman tabby on a lead along the seafront. Or perhaps you were staying in the same hotel, and met her making friends with other guests – enjoying the weather and the change of scene, as if all cats were accustomed to taking holidays on the south coast.
Daisy May and her owner, Clare d’Adhemar, are an inseparable pair. They share a home in London and, as well as the holidays and day trips they make together, they can often be seen perusing the aisles of their local Waitrose.
Daisy May’s nonchalant approach to travel is partly characteristic of her breed, but also down to her own distinctive personality (unlike most cats, she has no problem being walked on a lead, for instance). “Birmans aren’t territorial,” says Clare. “They can live indoors or outdoors, but even for a Birman she is exceptional – she’s so chilled!”
It was precisely this relaxed demeanour that convinced Clare that Daisy May might make a good candidate for a Pets As Therapy (PAT) visiting pet.
PAT is a charity that arranges for volunteers and their pets to visit people in residential homes, hospitals, hospices, schools and prisons, spending time with those who may be in need of companionship.
Clare was keen to volunteer at a local hospice. “I work as a childcarer, so Daisy May’s familiar with children,” she says. “I thought it was time for her – and for me – to do something with older people.”
Daisy May was 10 months old when she qualified for her PAT certificate and, since then, has been a volunteer at Trinity Hospice in Wimbledon. A typical visit will see the pair going from room to room to meet the residents. She is a tremendously soothing presence. “She’s very loving and incredibly laid back,” says Clare. “She just lies on people’s laps – I notice she puts her head down and just lets them stroke her. It’s as if she can sense what they need. I talk to them about pets they had as children and their eyes light up.”
In 2015, Daisy May was the runner-up in the Birman Cat Club’s Pet Birman of the Year award, receiving a certificate and a silver plate thanking her “for becoming a PAT cat and bringing joy to others”.
Off-duty, Daisy May makes for a perfect housemate. She enjoys being combed, drinking from a tumbler glass, and sleeping on top of her cat tree. And she enjoys her food.
“Daisy May was so greedy when I first got her! I didn’t know what to do, so I asked the owner of the local pet shop and he recommended Royal Canin – and she’s been fine ever since,” says Clare.
They make regular trips out to see friends – a process that can take a little longer when one has to stop to speak to one’s adoring fans. “Everybody wants to pet her on the way,” says Clare proudly. “People don’t even believe she’s a real cat.”
