1. What was your first cat?

In 1996, my father used to own a restaurant in Bangkok and we used to frequently travel. During one of those visits, we went to a pet store and instantly fell in love with an Orange Persian which we promptly bought. I named her Daisy and wasn’t aware of the procedures for travelling with a pet on-board, so I simply walked in to the airport with her in a basket.

To my utter dismay, I learned that there are some intricate procedures for bringing a cat back. Hence, I stayed back with my father while my mother went back. With the help of my father, I underwent the procedure and finally brought Daisy to the motherland. It wasn’t that complicated of a task then, we needed to get import permission, vaccination papers and a permit from the Livestock Ministry of Bangladesh.

After Daisy landed in Bangladesh, everyone became very curious about her. In a pre-social media age, I had my friends, cousins and their friends and cousins come over just to meet Daisy.

2. How did Cat Lovers of Bangladesh start?

In 2007, I adopted a pair of cats keeping the prospect of breeding in mind. I named them Snowy and Daisy, named after my first cat who left us in 2004. Back then, facebook just had one group for cats that had me banned. I was accused of showing off with my ‘foreign cats’. I was absolutely devastated.

In 2013, I started Cat Lovers of Bangladesh – not as a business but rather as an outlet to share photos of my cats. By then, I had two more local breed cats – Leo and Kimmy. I used to post photos of Leo, Kimmy, Snowy and Daisy in this group. I started looking at Cat Lovers of Bangladesh as a business when a close friend of mine wanted me to get her a cat that was a foreign breed. After I got her the cat she wanted, I posted a photo with her and the cat with the caption, ‘safely handed over’ to which was very well received by everybody in the group. Everyone started contacting me to import foreign breed cats for them.

3. Did you study on cats before you started Cat Lovers of Bangladesh?

I did study extensively on cats but not with the idea of starting a business in the long run. The best way to put it would be, I like cats.

4. Do your customers prefer you over the vets?

I used to follow similar pages from Bangkok and Russia that helped me educate myself better and enabled me to answer the diverse queries my clients had. Some wanted calm breeds whereas some wanted proactive breeds. Some had specifications on size and fur and we have managed to cater to all these demands for all these years, Alhamdullilah.

We’ve graced people with certified cats that have won fitness and grooming competitions all across the world and served cat owners that needed a cuteness refill in a budget.

Now more than ever, customers call me in the middle of the night to help them out with a condition their cats are going through. Besides, I’ve been able to form special bonds with most of my customers. For instance, one of the only two Bangladeshi Russian Blue cat got lost. The owner instantly contacted me crying for help, having had the experience with a similar situation, I explained that she is an indoor cat and it wouldn’t stray far from home. I told her that most odds are, the cat is hiding somewhere out of fear. I knew we had to find her and we did.

The client in question, is very attached to her cats. I get gratitude calls from her till date.

5. There are cat shows and exhibitions happening abroad, do you have any such plans for the future?

If we are to ever have cat shows and exhibitions like abroad, it needs to have a comprehensive strategy. We’ll need guidance, logistical support, and capable manpower. I hope the day comes sooner than expected.

6. Are you singlehandedly handling all the operations and logistics of this business? If yes, then how?

Logistically, yes.
I handle orders for importing cats, relocating cats and so on. Sometimes, people leave the country and want to take their cat with them in which case they contact us. Other times, they want to find a new home for their cat and we help them out. I also personally handle airport clearance, tax, customs and general communication with customers. It is a stressful task.

7. What challenges do you face?

A lot of people often say bad things about us, accuse us of being religiously inappropriate because of our business. What they fail to realize is that cats are often a huge source of stress relief and companionship.

Besides, customs are a huge hurdle for us. Cats from countries like Ukraine, Germany, and Poland directly land at customs. Sometimes, they come in the middle of the night but customs aren’t as cooperative. They will make us wait till 9 am, not feeding them and putting them in an open humid environment which is very inconvenient for them. Even if we are there on time, the process takes 3-4 hours and by then the cats become very anxious. To deal with these problems, we’ve networked efficiently and now we’re able to give them food and pet them but we still can’t take them out instantly. We prefer bringing these cats via passengers.

While most people adopt cats to keep them company, some have motives of breeding. In these cases, we conduct thorough background checks in order to ensure the safety of these cats. Besides, we also have a ‘no fake account’ policy. We don’t sell to ‘Chaya Manob’ or ‘Pother Pothik’ because we can’t verify their identity. The other day, someone named ‘Domkahar Jore Batashe Pori Uree’ lambasted CLB on a public platform for not selling to their fake account.

8. Could you please tell us some memorable experiences of yours with clients, both savoury and unsavory.

Generally speaking, we have amazing customers at Cat Lovers of Bangladesh. I want to tell you the story of Kaisar Uncle, the owner of Hotel Agrabad. He bought a Bengal from me and promptly his brother Mr. Fahad Ali contacted me. When he ordered the cat, my mother had just died and I was having a hard time adjusting to work. He told me that he would be in Bangkok and wanted to give me an advance transaction. We normally take 80% advance and but this man, without knowing what I was going through ended up paying me more than the normal amount.

They had a huge estate and created a small sanctuary for the pets. 8 months later, the cat got stung by a mosquito or some other insect and the got sick. Uncle called me with utmost affection and requested me to come. He gave me plane tickets, arranged accommodation and treated me like a VIP the entire time. He and his wife talked to me for hours after hours. He was that kind of person, the kind that would not only urge you to come and help him but rather enjoy your time. After we examined the cat, we found no solution and told Kaisar Uncle that we could take it to Bangkok for treatment if he wanted. Humbled by my offer, Kaisar Uncle arranged our flights, accommodation and sent us to the best veterinarian hospital in Bangkok. In the 15 days we were there, I realized that this man is doing this out of sheer love for the cat. The cat had to undergo blood transfusion and the doctors told us that he had to do this frequently because of how the insect had tainted his bloodstream. Travel would be very hard for the cat and Kaisar Uncle decided to put him in a sanctuary in Thailand which he frequently visits.

Kaisar uncle now has a new cat, Simba. He treats it like family. The cat gives him company after a hard day of work because his wife is in Singapore and his children are all working and busy. Similarly, I have many customers whose lives have been enriched because of cats. Celebrities, Public Officials and Ministers all contact me when they need a cat imported. Similarly, my customers are like my family. When my mother died, a few of my customers rushed to meet me before my relatives. They treat me well and I am grateful for them.

We also have many negative interactions. Once, a woman wanted to import two dogs worth 5 lakh 10 thousand. She paid me 1 lakh 40 thousand under the pretense that the reputation of her business had been tarnished somehow and the media attention is hurting her finances. I understood and after I imported the dogs, she didn’t answer my calls. I couldn’t keep these dogs at home due to their size restraints so I sent the dogs to her house without billing her for them. The woman took advantage of this and claimed to have undergone all procedures. With the help of my father, I managed to rescue one dog.

9. What is your spirit breed?

I’d say my spirit breed is the kind that’s very friendly and warm. The kind that wants to be played with like a baby. So, Maine Coon’s and Munchkin’s.

10. What are the cutest feature in cats according to you?

Definitely the nose, I’m very attached to my cats. I’m frequently abroad and I really miss them, I can’t sleep without seeing them at least once every night on a video call. When I finally meet them after a long time, it brings me immense pleasure to feel their delicate nose.

11. What are your future plans with Cat lovers of Bangladesh?

I plan on starting a cattery in Bangladesh. After many years in Business, I’ve concluded that people want to have cats but they simply don’t know how to raise one. I also want to start a cat café or a dog café, somewhere cats and dogs would roam around along with their human counterparts. It’s going to be hard to materialize this because of how most commercial places wouldn’t allow a business around animals. Even in residential areas, I would face a lot of opposition from locals.

Besides, Bangladesh has a sorry excuse for pet grooming. Personally, I’m trained in grooming but conventional groomers aren’t. They will simply come and give your cat a shower and charge you copious amounts of money. This isn’t how it should be done, a spa for cats and pets will do wonders in this regard. Grooming is ultimately very integral to making sure your cat is healthy.

Cat lovers of Bangladesh’s Instagram ID: catloversbd

Contact number: +8801675673699