UN GATO POR UNA MASCOTA ? (A CAT FOR A PET?)

There are probably more stray cats in Vallarta than stray dogs.  It might be hard to notice that at first for most Mexicans and "expats" own at least one dog.  Many are not on a leash, in spite of the law (of course Mexicans tend to ignore most laws anyway).  Also you have to take into consideration that cats are much more secretive.  While the dogs are running all over the streets, the cats are hiding somewhere.  There are many organizations to take care of dogs,  There are adoption centers and one group will neuter any stray dog that is brought to them, so there is some control over the dog population.  There may be some organizations for cats, but I am not aware of them.  When I first moved to this apartment there were at least a dozen stray cats living in the acreage behind me.  They were not all one family for some were all white, some all black, and a few looked pure Siamese.  Then there were those that were a mixture of all of the above.  They all seemed to get along and I was hoping they were keeping the rodent population under control.

My "fix it" guy Saul has an office in one corner of the property with a back door that opens into the vast lot.  Otherwise the acreage is surrounded by eight foot brick walls with chained wrought iron gates.  He would occasionally emerge into the property to clean up something or collect the mangoes, avocados  and coconuts from the trees that abound there.  He has always been a sort of care taker to the woman who owns my entire block.  Then he moved his family to an apartment across the street from his shop.  His kids loved it for they now had their own playground to run around in.  Then he bought them some little baby chicks.  Well they grew up into roosters that crow, and hens that lay eggs.  My bedroom in on the front, so I am never bothered by the crowing.  It was not long before I saw tiny chicks running all over the place.  That was when I noticed that there were no longer any cats.  I asked Saul about the cats and he just laughed (that is what Mexicans do when they do not want to answer you)  I figured I was better off not knowing so I let it drop.

There were always cats in the street in front of me, mostly around the two taco stands.  One "alpha male" got my attention as  he slowly saunters across the street paying no attention of people or cars..  He acted like he owned the street and was afraid of nothing and no one.  He will lie down in the street totally unafraid of anyone stepping on him or a car running over him.  Once when a car passed too close to him, he leaned to one side and hissed, as if to say "how dare you invade my space"  When a hapless dog approaches him, he will maybe raise his head off the pavement along with one paw and hiss.  The dog backs away and the cat goes back to sleep.  I used to see him climb the wrought iron gates to the church and go inside late at night.  I assumed that is where he slept.  But the church replaced the wrought iron gates with sold wood doors, so I do not know where he sleeps.  Nor do I know if he was the reason for the new doors.

One morning while sipping my coffee (and smoking) a cat dropped down on my balcony.  She was obviously a daughter of the alpha male for she has the some coloring and the same blue eyes, but she is much smaller.  She seemed surprised to see a human sharing the balcony with her, but after deciding I was not an immediate threat, she curled up in a corner and went to sleep (you can never tell when cats are actually asleep).  I am still not sure how she got to the balcony next door which is about three feet above mine for the apartment has been empty since I have lived here.  She must climb up a tree next to it.  Most mornings she would make an appearance.  I tried speaking to her, but she ignored me (maybe she never learned English)  Always a little wary of me, she would occasionally cautiously cross the balcony railing in front of where I sat.  Finally I decided to try feeding her.  I was making a tuna salad and gave her some.  Next I decided to buy her some cat food.  She would stare at it for a while, then creep toward the food.  She still would not let me near her, so I started moving the dish closer and closer to where I sat.  Eventually I could reach down and stroke her back, but if she saw my hand coming down, she would leap back.  (makes you wonder what her childhood must have been like)

Now every morning when I get up, there she is.  Usually sitting in front of the sliding glass door but sometimes on the balcony railing. I wondered how does she know when I get up?   Sometimes I am up before it is totally light outside and even before I switch on a light, there she is.  Then one night I got up about 2:00 am to pee and saw her outside curled up on my door mat.   In time she began to walk back and forth in front of me, allowing her tail to swipe across my legs.  I began to pet her and she seemed okay with that (as long as I fed her right afterward).  Sometimes she comes inside, but merely sits in the middle of the room staring at me.  She occasionally meows but it is a tiny soft voice I can barely here.  She eats more and more,  I remember cats sniffing their food and delicately eating just some of it.  She gobbles up the food very quickly.  There is nothing dainty about the ways she eats or laps up milk,  When she is through eating (or decided she isn't going to get any more)  she will sit on the door mat and wash herself.  She also uses it as a scratching post.  Then she will move into one corner, curl up and go to sleep.  I think she feels safe there from other cats or predators.

By the time the late afternoon sun hits the balcony, she is gone for the day.  Maybe she has another home somewhere.  But then, I am not stupid enough to sit on the balcony with the sun beating down either.  By then I will be up on my terrace under the cabana (usually with a cocktail).  She has yet to discover the upper terrace.  Since living alone, I have often thought I should get a pet for companionship.  I remember my grey hound Mauii when I came home from a long day, he would jump up and down and wag his tail (actually his whole rear end).  It was so nice to have someone happy to see me when I got home.  But I always had a house with a yard in the States.  The idea of walking a dog two or three times a day does not appeal to me for I am very lazy (and OLD!)  Then I thought about adopting a cat but you have to mess with the kitty liter box and what would I do with her when I went away?  My friend Richard has canaries, but they do not give me that "warm fuzzy feeling".  So now I have a sometimes pet cat.  I have yet to try to pick her up, but she is quite happy with my petting her now.  She will probably never jump up and down and wag her tail, but she is there each morning to greet me.  Yes, she is probably only interested in the food.  After all she is a cat, but having someone (or thing) that needs and depends on you is still a nice feeling.


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