Head Pointed Toward the Sun, Feet Moving Forward: The Cats That Came and Went… And Came Back Again!

"Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind." -Albert Schweitzer

Some may know that I had been looking for cats for a while to help with the mouse problem. Even though many people promised me cats, what I ended up with were pigeons. But then they flew away. And I still had mice. And cockroaches. And toads. But I already told that story.

However, suddenly, everyone had a cat for me and I had to start saying no to cats!

My first cat came from my friend’s neighbor. He is scrappy and adorable… and was living three hours away! But the woman was so excited to give him to me, so I accepted and traveled with him in a box for two hours on motorcycle and an hour in a silent bus. The entire time we were on the moto he tried to jump out of the box and the entire time on the bus he meowed and meowed! I was so embarrassed! But we made it. And we had quite the bond by the time we got back to Libertad.

His name is Pichi, because he comes from Pichilin.

Pichi!

Then another friend told me that she had a cat for me and she was going to hand her over to me at the office… That meant another long bus and moto ride for me with a cat! Libertad thinks I’m crazy because I kept riding into town with boxes of kittens.

Her name is Carmita, because she comes from El Carmen.

Carmita!

This kitten was the complete opposite… she trembled the entire way and didn’t make a sound. When we got to the house, she hid in the corner while Pichi helped me unpack.

The difference between Pichi and Carmita at the beginning: notice Carmita hiding in the corner while Pichi helps me unpack.

The first night together they climbed up on my bed in the night and slept on my face. After waking up with swollen eyes and sneezing all morning long, I decided that that was not going to happen again. I remembered that when we had a cat while I was growing up, we would splash him with water when he did something we didn’t want him to do, so I decided to try that method. The next night I went to bed with my cup of water at my side and every time they tried to get on the bed, I splashed them. But, man, those cats are resilient! I just ended up with a soaking wet bed and an awful night’s sleep. The third night, I kicked them out all together.

Not only do they chase away mice, but they kill lizards too...

In the morning, I could not find them. I called for them and I put out food, but nothing!

Then my neighbor opened his door and the little buddies ran out! “Vecina!” he said, “Your cats slept on my head all night!”

However, unlike me, he loves it. So now every night, Pichi and Carmita go over to spend the night at my neighbor’s house and everyone is happy.

Carmita loves TIME and Popular Science.

Unfortunately, I travel a lot for my work and that makes it difficult to care for the cats. One time when I came back from a trip to Mampuján, the kittens were nowhere to be found. I’d only had them for a week or so, but it was very sad to lose my companions.

Carmita gets a little more daring!

They were missing for about a week when, one day as I was walking down the street to find some mangos, Pichi came running up to me meowing! I scooped him up and he was purring like crazy! So I brought him back to my house and my neighbor said that he had seen Carmita down the street too. He thinks that the neighbors stole them. So he went down to get her back and when I returned home, both the kittens were there safe and sound.

Now when I travel, my neighbor keeps his eye on them… and lets them sleep on his head.

And I have no more mice.

;)