The explosive rise of pedigree-cat breeding in Hong Kong
A growing band of hobbyists in Hong Kong are breeding pedigree cats to enter into shows. Despite the big investment of time and money, it's really a labour of love
When insurance agent Phebe Low Yin-ling turns the keys to open her apartment door, several black shapes immediately hurtle, ninja-like, towards her. But although they are nimble and stealthy, they're not spies or assassins. They're black cats - and Low lives with 10 of them.
Low is a cat lover and hobbyist breeder who specialises in raising Burmese and Bombay cats (the two are related breeds, the latter being the result of breeding black American Shorthair cats with Burmese, a copper-haired domestic cat from Southeast Asia).
She's among a band of enthusiasts in Hong Kong who breed pedigree felines in home "catteries" and enter them into cat shows.
Cat fanciers are usually captivated by particular types of felines, and build their breeding programmes and cat show entries around their favourite variety. And where Low is concerned, Bombays are the cat's whiskers: she loves their playful nature and sleek, dark fur.
"I think of them as my children," she says. "[As a breeder] you're essentially helping to continue their lineage. If nobody controls the breeding, then the specific profile and traits of that breed won't be passed down."
There are now 514 catteries in Hong Kong registered with the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), a US-based global registry for pedigree cats.