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Monday, June 18, 2007

Mis Gatos

My cats. While I have often talked about Lupo, my adorable boy, I haven't introduced you properly to my cats, Toffee and Sai-loh. Jac asked me if I had cats and that has prompted this post. So, without further ado, let me introduce mis gatos:

Toffee




Also known as 'no-fang cat' as he has lost all his teeth. Nothing to do with lack of care from our point of view, when I adopted him from the shelter in Hong Kong he was about three years old and his previous owner (who called him 'Lucky') hadn't properly treated a tooth infection and the vet told me that in time, his teeth would all break off at the gumline. And so they have, but he manages still to eat his hard food using only his gums.

Toffee is particularly close to Lupo and can often be found with his entire head buried deep into Lupo's ears, giving them a good clean out. I can only imagine what that raspy tongue feels like on such a sensitive area, but I've yet to hear a complaint!

He's an incredibly soft, gentle boy. I had him for about a year before I got his brother, again from the shelter. The vet warned me that we'd need to introduce them slowly, perhaps keep a door between them for a day or two. Yeah, right. In walks Sai-loh and before we know it, Toffee has him asleep in his arms in his bed. It was as though they were brothers, they just took to each other from the first minute.

Sai-loh




Sai-loh means little brother in Cantonese. So named when I saw how Toffee took to him. His nickname is 'psycho sai' as he still has that cat thing going on of a mad half-hour every night running like crazy around the apartment He uses the living room for his 'wall-of-death' impersonation, literally running around the room approximately mid-way from floor to ceiling. His original name was 'Bess' when I adopted him and I had to point out to the vet that ummmm I think he's a boy not a girl. At which point he was snatched back and they wouldn't give him to me until they'd relieved him of his sperm sacks!

Sai-loh was fresh off the streets when I got him, at about a year old. Every night, he'd seek out the highest spot in the bedroom and sleep there. His street instincts were, and are, very strong, even though he did settle in so well as a domesticated cat. To this day he will not drink standing water, it has to be running out of the tap.

He's a bit of a daredevil. When I was in Hong Kong, he found his way out onto the washing line on the 34th floor, which is basically a frame extending outwards from the building wall, within which are four nylon lines. He was at the outermost point doing a balancing act on two of the lines. I managed to persuade him to return to safe ground without incident. In Tenerife, however, he fell five storeys from the apartment I was renting then. I ran downstairs expecting to find a splattered cat, only to be greeted by miaows and leg rubs.

I took them both with me when I moved to Tenerife. NOT a journey I'd put any animal through again, hence they stay with my sister instead of returning here with me. It was a journey of over 30 hours (via Frankfurt) and approximately 20 hours of that was spent in a cargo hold.

11 comments:

Jac said...

Hey Fiona, Thanks for the family pictures. They are beautiful. It runs in your family. Dereke Bruce was right when writing: "In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him."

Fiona said...

I do have such beautiful animals :)

I love that quote and I certainly do have a dog who worships me and one cat who ignores me. Toffee, however, worships me too, as soon as I walk through the door, he climbs up my body and rests on my shoulder with his little head tucked into my neck. Sai-loh, takes a bit more encouraging but loves it when I speak to him in Cantonese!

Such precious beings they are.

Fusion said...

how sad you can't have them with you though...

I'll have to intro everyone to my cat one of these days, and you'll smile at his name...

Jonas said...

I'm a sucker for animal portraits. I simply melt...

Sunny Delight said...

They are both beautiful animals, and your stories of them are wonderful.

Sai-loh most definitely has a twin in America! I do miss him.

Fiona said...

Fusion - it IS sad, but I can't put them through that journey again and plus, they are in healthier air there. Toffee had constantly running eyes here (that first pic of him was taken just after we got to Tenerife and you can see they're still a bit wet, but have cleared up completely now) and Sai-loh was a constant sneezer, which stopped as soon as we got there.

Jonas - I agree. I love that close-up of Sai-loh that my sister took.

Sunny - I miss them too, I miss all three of them.

freebird said...

Just a flying visit here for now.... but I just had to say - I used to have a ginger cat called Toffee!

Fiona said...

Oh wow FB, what a coincidence!!! As I said, when I got him he was called 'Lucky', which is like calling your dog 'Fido' in these parts. I just took one look at him and decided he was the colour of toffee. :)

Brenda Starr said...

Sweet, sweet babies you have, Fi. Beautiful....

anna said...

They are all beautiful creatures. I'm not terribly fond of cats, but if I had to choose a cat I would definitely choose an orange one.

Lupo, on the other hand, would have my heart. Just look at that lovable face!

Fiona said...

Laurie Anne - thank you, though my heart feels more like they have me :)

Anna - I do adore my Lupo...the cats are wonderful but Lupo has my heart, he's one of those really special dogs that is loved by all, beautiful inside and out :)

 

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