More about Cats

Cats living on the streets, every day more or less fighting for survival, age quicker. We would too. There are several really beautiful cats here, unfortunately not much protected or appreciated. Kassimir, a big, strong tomcat with soft golden coloured fur, loved to cuddle with me. And so did his son, Sunnyboy. I could do with a big garden, space for all cats that want to come, but that is just a dream and therefore I have to accept that I can only help within limits. Anyhow, both cats seemed to age over night, Kassimir appears to be dead, suddenly no longer around, sad. Esperanza, a chinchilla gentle cat, that used to live mainly underneath my Yucca tree, was poisoned by disturbed people and died close to my house two days ago. She never harmed anybody. Even some of the children here loved her, but were not allowed to take her home. There was a time when cats were regarded as precious as gold, a present from heaven, protecting folks' cereals and doing their part for vermin control. With our new life style no longer required? If you walk with your eyes open, you won't say so. Besides, why not just enjoy their beauty, inside and outside. Many famous people loved /love cats. A woman was prepared to take one of my cats, providing I have the cat examined and vaccinated by a vet. I can't provide such a service, I am a one-person organisation, with a little bit of none-financial help from time to time. Well meaning people/children some times drop cardboard boxes with kittens in front of my door. This depresses me, if separated from their mother too young, they can't survive, Until lately it was impossible to buy milk for baby cats. Doubtlessly several folks consider this an absolute luxury, not cheap the milk powder, 75 Dinar, includes a milk bottle, which my 2 kittens just love! I have to fight with them to get it back. Strangely the 3. kitten (arrived later with another one, badly wounded on head & neck, one leg crushed, died the next day) doesn't want the bottle. My vet advised me that cow's milk needs to be mixed with mineral water, 1: 2 if fed to baby cats. They seem to do well, a lot of work for me. Don't know how to teach them one day everything a cat needs to know. How to catch mice? Filou, my tomcat in Germany, one day brought a field mouse upstairs to my flat in order to teach me to do just that. He was successful, I caught the frightened little mouse with my hand, but didn't eat it. I put the mouse back where it belonged, when Filou wasn't watching. Didn't want to disappoint my "teacher". I would think a similar scene is highly unlikely in Tunisia. The kittens are now approx. 4 weeks old. I wondered how to train them to use a toilet - a square plastic bowl filled with some sand - surprise, surprise, they understood immediately, without words! Cats are individuals, not all alike. While some are happy to live in a team, others would prefer to be the "only child".  Bad experiences makes them shy and mistrust children here. Quite different in Europe. The company of a cat is relaxing, stroking it helps to lower ones blood pressure. I noted cats sometimes have eye problems, one eye closed, as if sealed. At the pharmacy's are 2 products available at low costs that work wonders, Physiol Chlorure de Sodium and Orecyline Pommade Ophtalmique. If nothing is done & with perhaps pus in the eye, the poor cat can loose her eye. Another big problem are ear mites, Oridermyl Vetoquinol Pommade Auriculaire helps, but needs to be applied more than ones. As the cat is very sensitive reference her eyes and ears & doesn't understand what you are up to, the treatment is not all that easy and it is helpful to wrap her in a towel so she can't use her claws. Jasmina, a beautiful street cat, was just about to give birth, right in front of the entrance door of my house. I very quickly created a bed for her, minutes before she gave birth to 5 lovely kittens. One died weeks later for unknown reasons, seemed to be healthy. So far Jasmina doesn't seem to be keen to look for another shelter for her family, prefers this "hotel"; I guess as a street cat she never had it so good before, waitress and toilet woman inclusive. Jasmina is a great Mummy, I noticed before that cats are very loving mothers with the effect of gentle relaxed kittens. We can learn from cats the importance of good parents. I know, as a rule the cat fathers are not on the scene, but some tomcats also care for kittens.In Germany I encountered an adult street cat with 4 little ones. Everybody thought, mother with her young ones, but no, it was a caring father.