Fat Fury Felines



Toshka, my sister's cat



I like animals in general. Growing up, my dad used to buy us hamsters, guinea pigs, yellow chicks and green/yellow ducklings as pets. We had a puppy that ended up biting me on my neck. My fault, really. I squeezed him too tight out of sheer joy. Trips to the hospital for my rabies shot was the price I had to pay. My brother and I used to even adopt cats from the streets and put “necklaces” around their necks. These supposed necklaces were actually sewing threads or strings with Christmas trinkets as pendants. We never got them to stay in the house like the pet cats we saw on tv. They only came home when they couldn’t find food outside.

Our first real pet cat was when we were living in a hotel. Yes, we lived in a hotel for 5 years. The hotel’s name was College Hotel. The street cat, Mimi, we adopted got pregnant. We kept two of her kittens – Chubby and Pee Wee. Not sure how my brother and I came up with the names. We had them for such a long time and I’m not even sure if the hotel knew or pretended they didn’t. Nobody complained. My brother would change the litter box late at night when no one would see him throwing and getting new soil from the garden. Did the hotel gardener ever wonder why all of a sudden there’s a pile of stinky soil with poops? Every time the house keeping head, Mrs. Kabulwa, had to conduct these room inspections, we’d hide them in the top drawer of the closet. They were very good sports. They kept still as if they knew what was going on.

Sigh. Such fond memories of our cats. Too bad I don't have any pictures of them.



This is our current cat, Vodka

 Obviously, I’m a cat person. Cats are fascinating pets. Unlike dogs who look up to their owners, ready to please and display strong loyalty, cats are simply the opposite. Often times I feel they look down on humans. They make demands when they want to be fed, petted and loved. When they want your attention, they will head butt you (push their head against you), brush themselves against your legs, walk in front of you until you literally trip. They will not stop until they get what they want. And once they’ve had enough of your attention, they nip or bite. Their way of telling you, “Buzz off. You’re no longer needed. Or, you’re bothering me.” They have such personalities and it’s YOU that needs to adjust, especially to their moods. Unbelievable! Yet, I love and hate their behavior just the same.

Nevertheless, they are so adorable. They make great companions and are low maintenance.  Just be sure you have a litter box and a scratching post :o) I recommend cats as great pets. Though they are pretty useless most times - sleep, eat, poop, asked to be brushed - and feel extremely superior. But, they're such loveable fur balls!