Pussies galore! Woman who spends over £700 a MONTH on her FORTY beloved Persians, split from husband after 'he said it's me or the cats'

Retired Marlene Howes, 67, has spent nearly 50 years breeding and showing cats and has become world famous for her prize-winning felines.
But producing prize-winning cats comes at a price: She spends over £700 every month on her 40 Persian pets.
Marlene, from Whitecroft, Gloucestershire, said: 'Everything I do is for the cats. They get fed the best food and sleep in the best beds. They get free rein of the house and garden and the fields at the back.
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'They're purrfect': Marlene Howes, pictured here with cats Merry and Jingles, spends over £700 a month caring for her 40 cats, including food and grooming costs as well as vet bills

'They have the run of the house': Marlene prides herself on the level of luxury and care she provides for her kitties and admits there is nothing she wouldn't do for them

A first place feline: Grand champion Honeymist White Snowgrace is one of Marlene's prize-winning cats

'I’ll admit I’m a slave to my cats - I would do anything for them and they’re very pampered.
'They have the lifestyle that most cats wish they had.'

Prize-winning: Imperial Grand Champ and Premier honeymist Edana

Cat breeding runs in the family for Marlene as her mother Barbara Patch was also one of the leading breeders of Persian cats.
When Barbara passed away in 2004, Marlene took on her cats as well, taking her total to a whopping 40 felines.
Marlene said: 'My mother and I went all over the world showing our cats.
'When she died I took on all hers as well. Forty cats is a lot but it’s worth it.
'We had a verbal agreement that I would use the money she left me to look after the cats. I use it to pay for the cats’ living costs - vets bills, food, litter, that kind of thing.
'I also had a small conservatory built at the back of my house for the cats to use. It’s got a couple of sofas and some other bits in there for them to climb on and play with.
'My mother would have wanted her cats to continue living a life of luxury.'
Marlene received her first cat as a gift from her mother when she was seven and her obsession with her feline friends has stemmed from there.
She said: 'I’ve had them all my life so to me they’re not difficult to look after.

'I know them all by name, and they all have their own personality.
'There’s nothing better than it.'
Marlene has dedicated her whole life to breeding Persian cats and prides herself on the high standards she maintains.

Record-breaking: Marlene Howes with her cat Sugar and Spice who is Supreme UK Olympian Gold Imperial Grand Mastercat- the only cat to ever win so many titles

Purrfectly pampered: Marlene gives her beloved cats the very best and they sleep in total luxury

She said: 'A lot of breeders let standards slip. Their Persians developed a flat face, whereas I keep mine with a small snout.
'It’s paid off as my cats have won more prizes than any other breeder.
Marlene has won a total of hundreds prizes all across Europe and the UK.

Countless cats: The number of cats Marlene cares for went up considerably when she took in all of her mothers cast after her death - taking the total number up to 40

'Mum would have wanted it': Marlene used some of the inheritance she received when her mother died to build her cats their own living quarters

But her obsession with her cats eventually led to the breakdown of her marriage.
Marlene said: 'It got to the point where my husband more or less said ‘It’s me or the cats’ and I chose the cats.
'He felt I was spending too much time and money on them.
'He didn’t like me going to shows or meeting other cat people.
'So when the time came to choose between them it wasn’t a hard choice - cats are my whole life.'
Marlene has become so attached to her cats that in recent years she has refused to part company with them, worrying that people won’t treat her cats in the way they deserve.

'It's me or the cats!': Marlene's husband felt she devoted too much of her time and money to her cats, and eventually left

She said: 'A decade ago owning a Persian was something to be proud of and people loved to care for them.
'Persians are so understanding and loving. They are a different animal altogether, but people don’t see that now.
'Some of the ones I have sold weren’t kept as they should. They just weren’t loved.

Worth it: Marlene has won hundreds of awards for her cats

'I went to a rescue one of my Persians from a centre in Birmingham. I was so sad that someone had given her up.
'But while I was there a lady walked in with a little box. The RSPCA could not take them because they were full. They would have had to put them down.
'When I looked in the box I saw the most delightful little animals.
'I took them home and one of those kittens is now a record-breaking winner.
'Sugar and Spice is now Supreme UK Olympian Gold Imperial Grand Mastercat - the only cat to ever win so many titles. She is absolutely amazing.'