2007.04.01: April 1, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Pets: Humor: Animals: fwdailynews.com: Philippines Peace corps Volunteer Tom Gaff writes: The Monkey and the Cat
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2007.04.01: April 1, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Pets: Humor: Animals: fwdailynews.com: Philippines Peace corps Volunteer Tom Gaff writes: The Monkey and the Cat
Philippines Peace corps Volunteer Tom Gaff writes: The Monkey and the Cat
"Sasquatch the monkey saw her underneath the porch and was smitten with her instantly. He watched her wander around until she was close enough that his leash would allow him to catch her. He hugged her tightly and refused to let go. He treated her like she was his baby, cuddling her, feeding her, and picking fleas out of her fur. I’m man enough to admit it was really cute. Unfortunately, Sasquatch did have some gaps in his maternal instincts. Expecting the kitten to have monkey-like grasping abilities, he would grab any appendage of hers that was available and climb up and down the posts. She was supposed to hold on, but more often ended up being dragged around by the leg, tail, fur or ear. He also did not understand claws or nipples. He assumed they were a result of lice or fleas and tried to remove them by picking, scratching, and biting."
Philippines Peace corps Volunteer Tom Gaff writes: The Monkey and the Cat
Island home’s heart quakes in wake of Katrina
[Excerpt]
A kitten, not a hurricane
Last month, I had yet another addition to the zoo that is my home. One evening, Fatso (my dog) was barking tenaciously at something about 20 yards behind my house. After becoming tired of the constant noise, I walked back there to see the cause of all the commotion.
I was surprised to find a very little white and gray kitten. Fatso was having a blast scaring her violently by barking, chasing, and generally being a jerk. I felt sorry for her, so I picked her up and placed her under my house’s porch. Fatso could not reach her there, and I figured she could run off when he wasn’t looking or when her mom came looking for her.
This thought was far from what actually unraveled.
Sasquatch the monkey saw her underneath the porch and was smitten with her instantly. He watched her wander around until she was close enough that his leash would allow him to catch her.
He hugged her tightly and refused to let go. He treated her like she was his baby, cuddling her, feeding her, and picking fleas out of her fur. I’m man enough to admit it was really cute.
Unfortunately, Sasquatch did have some gaps in his maternal instincts. Expecting the kitten to have monkey-like grasping abilities, he would grab any appendage of hers that was available and climb up and down the posts. She was supposed to hold on, but more often ended up being dragged around by the leg, tail, fur or ear. He also did not understand claws or nipples. He assumed they were a result of lice or fleas and tried to remove them by picking, scratching, and biting.
Despite some falls from high places, overzealous grooming, and being yanked around like a rag doll, the kitten did not want to leave. Maybe it was the consistent food, maybe it was the companionship, but either way the two were very close, especially during that first week.
To keep my sanity, I was forced to break the two up occasionally to end the kitten’s piteous cries from tough love. But at the end of each night, Sasquatch would pull his kitten up to a small ledge where he sleeps and wrap her up with his arms and feet. She would fall asleep purring with her head buried in the warmth of his fuzzy monkey belly. They seemed happy together.
I decided to wait a couple of weeks and see how things worked out. I refused to give her a name to avoid acceptance of attachment, but my former host family overruled and chose a name for me. They decided on Katrina because it had the word “cat” in it. I was fascinated by the irony that they chose a name in common with a storm that devastated an entire section of my country. Tropical storms destroy parts of the Philippines every year, so I assume they expected Americans to accept it and move forward, a common approach here. Thus, the kitten became known as Katrina and people came from far and wide to see the spectacle of the monkey with a pet kitten.
All was fine as the holidays approached. Despite repeatedly urinating on both of my backpacks and a fondness for jumping from the top of the wall on to my mosquito net during my slumber (scaring the crap out of me), Katrina was fitting in quite well. She developed the obstinacy and cunning required to be a member of my little household. She enjoyed her freedom around the yard and had fun foiling my attempts to keep her out of the house so she wouldn’t soil my possessions. I watched with hope as she developed the skills that could someday overcome the surges of the rats and mice that occasionally attempt to take over my domicile.
When I left to visit some other volunteers on the resort island of Boracay for New Year, everything appeared to be going swimmingly. Unfortunately, the future was not as bright as expected.
Upon returning from my trip, I was promptly informed by the surrogate who brought food to my pets that Katrina had gone missing the night before. A veritable lion when it came to eating, she was uncharacteristically absent from the evening feeding.
I spent that afternoon searching and meowing for her, but it was to no avail. I resolved to continue the hunt the next day, but it was as fruitless as the first. I asked neighbors and students if they had seen her and checked to see if anyone had drowned any cats in the river (the local animal shelter). I did not receive any info on her whereabouts.
While walking to my house with a drooping posture reminiscent of Charlie Brown, I was accosted by a waft of decay in the air. I tried to follow my nose like Toucan Sam says, but the wind kept changing directions, throwing me off course. I was able to get as far as the tall grass behind my house and lost the scent there. I searched the grass for what I expected to be Katrina’s decomposing body but never found anything.
While discussing it the next day with some co-teachers, we came to the agreement that Katrina was probably bitten by one of the cobras that live back there. She may have surprised it, which would explain why the cobra left her there rather than eating her. I guess it’s just an unfortunate circumstance of living where I live.
It’s sad that she’s gone, but she will be remembered through pictures and the good times we had together. She enjoyed eating and meowing. Her favorite song was “Strokin’” by Clarence Carter, and her favorite bands were Milli Vanilli, The Fat Boys, and (coincidently) Whitesnake. She preferred Letterman, believing Leno to be a buffoon. Her favorite holiday memory was taking a dump in my shoe for Christmas. She was a happy and industrious kitten. She will be missed.
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