About Us
Hello my name is Amanda , and I live with my husband Steve, and youngest four children (I also have two older children that have now flown the nest) in Kingston Upon Hull .
I am a trained therapeutic counsellor, and worked predominantly with victims of sexual abuse, which was challenging but very rewarding. At present however, I am a full time mum, and at home all day with our son who has just turned four , and our cats.
I am a trained therapeutic counsellor, and worked predominantly with victims of sexual abuse, which was challenging but very rewarding. At present however, I am a full time mum, and at home all day with our son who has just turned four , and our cats.
I have always had pets of one kind or another since I was very young, growing up in the Lincolnshire countryside, but only in the last six or seven years have I come to really understand ,appreciate and fall head over heels in love with cats, and in particular the Siamese and Oriental breeds.The wonderful looks and personalities of these majestic creatures totally captured my heart, and now I can't imagine my life without them in it.
I love all Siamese and Oriental colours, but have a real soft spot for torties, and since discovering Bi colour Orientals and Siamese with white (also called pointed bicolours or seychellois)some years ago , became totally smitten . I think they are absolutely breath taking, and always hoped to introduce one or more into our family at some point in the future .This dream has now been realised, with the addition of Kinda and Flynn in 2008, and more recently with the arrival of our very own Empathica bicolour kittens in 2009.It has become our aim to specialise in these wonderful felines.
Our Prefix is Empathica , and is registered with both T.I.C.A and the G.C.C.F.It comes from the word empathy - the ability to not only know or detect what others are feeling, but to also experience that emotion yourself. I wanted a prefix that said a little about who I am,and what I do, but also about the unspoken bond ,depth of feeling and understanding I believe cats possess.
We can show empathy through a simple sign of affection such as hug or a touch. Though empathy is usually used in reference to sensing someone else's painful feelings, it can also apply to another beings positive feelings of happiness, success, accomplishment, pride, achievement etc.
Cats and Children
Our children take an active roll in caring for, and the socialisation of our kittens. Even our youngest child, who is only four , and been surrounded by cats all of his life, has been taught to treat animals with respect and gentleness.
Our six year old daughter will help prepare their food , and change bedding etc. She also helps me to record kittens' weights, and it is great having an extra pair of hands to assist me. She loves to sit and groom ,play with, and cuddle all of our cats and kittens ,and gets to recognise each individual baby at a glance, and know all of their individual names much faster than her everyone else, especially her dad!
Our youngest daughter has also requested to join a cat club, and hopes to have a kitten of her own and perhaps to show him/her one day. We are very pleased and proud that she has such aspirations, and hope that she continues to have the same levels of appreciation , enthusiasm and committment as shes gets older.
our daughter Megan with Caspur, one of our red point Siamese kittens early 2007
There is Evidence to suggest in studies made by Robert Poresky, the associate professor of Family Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University, that children who are involved with and attached to pets develop higher levels of empathy, learn responsibility earlier, and may even have higher IQ scores than children who don't have pets.
In one study, They found that 3- and 4-year-olds with pets were better able to understand the feelings of other children than those without pets, there are also life lessons to be learned from taking responsibility for a pet. "A dog or cat won't always do what the child wants them to do, and that can be very important," he says. "This helps kids learn that there are other perspectives and ways of looking at things."
It's not just having a pet in the home that benefits kids, Poresky says. It's the involvement and time the child spends with a pet. "The more they do together, the greater the positive impact on a child's life,"
It's not just having a pet in the home that benefits kids, Poresky says. It's the involvement and time the child spends with a pet. "The more they do together, the greater the positive impact on a child's life,"
