Katalogus

Vra enige klasmaat van universiteit, en hulle sal my obsessie met katte kan beaam. Ek het op een of ander wyse katte as tema in bykans elke projek ingesmokkel. Die kans was altyd groot dat ek ’n crazy cat lady gaan word, maar gelukkig het ek ’n man gekry vir wie ek liewer is as katte. En dit sê baie.

Ek het my eerste kat gekry toe ek sewe jaar oud was. Hy was grys en sy naam was Simba – Lion King was toe baie gewild. Hy was effe wild en het slange en muisvoëls en halwe muise in die huis ingedra. Hy het sy nege lewens almal spandeer toe hy deur ’n kar raakgery is. Een minder oog en ’n pen in sy femur later, was hy weer sy ou self. Ek weet nie hoe my arme ouers die veearts-rekening betaal het nie maar my liefde vir die skepsel het hulle seker genoop. Ek kan nie presies onthou hoe lank hy geleef het nie maar ek dink op die ou end is hy dood aan katgriep.

My volgende liefde was Spica*. Ek was toevallig by die winkel toe daar ’n boks met klein katjies was wat verniet weggee word. Ek was omtrent 13. Sy was gemmer en ek het haar daar en dan gevat en met haar al die pad huis toe geloop. Sy was oortrek van omlope en ek ons moes haar met ’n spesiale seep bad, wat sy waarskynlik vir die res van haar lewe teen my gehou het. Want sy het so permanente nors uitdrukking gehad. 

Sy was die inspirasie vir vele kunswerke, sketse en stories en een van die ‘gemmers’ in my lewe waarvoor ek so lief is.

Ons het deurentyd ander katte saam met haar gehad, maar sy was my lady. Sy het saam met my getrek toe ek getroud is en haarself in haar ouer jare soos ’n regte ou tannie gedra. Sy het 15 jaar oud geword, en die dag toe sy dood is moes ek verlof by die werk vat omdat ek ontroosbaar was.

Net voor Ralph gebore is het ’n grys katjie gehad, Gustav. Iemand het hom op Facebook geadverteer. Hy het daarvan gehou om op my pens te lê en spin. Ek is oortuig dat dit Ralph se liefde vir katjies gevestig het. Hy het egter, na Ralph ’n paar maande oud was, sy goedjies gevat en geloop. Na Albert se geboorte het ’n vriendin vir my ’n foto aangestuur van ‘n gemmerkatjie wat sy by haar werksplek in ’n fabriek gekry het. My man se voorwaarde vir nog ’n kat, was dat hy die naam mag kies. So die kat het Hendrik geheet. Die arme ding was seker so ses maande oud, toe Callie hom stokstyf onder ons bed gekry het. Ons vermoed hy is dalk vergiftig. Ek was te ontsteld om te kyk, so Callie het hom in die agterplaas gaan begrawe terwyl ek in die sitkamer geskuil het.

Ons was sedertdien katloos, tot amper twee maande gelede. Ek, en Ralph, wou bitter graag ’n katjie hê en ek het Furever Friends Cat Rescue in die dorp gekontak die oomblik toe ons vir ’n troeteldier gekwalifiseer het. Dit is ’n ellelange proses om ’n kat deur hulle aan te neem – bladsye se vorms, onderhoude met vriende en ’n huisbesoek. Ons kon tussen vyf katte kies, wat volgens ons aansoek by ons behoeftes sou pas, en Kip was die wenner. Dit was eers sy naam, maar ons het nie daarvan gehou nie, so nou is hy Moscow. Soos die stad. Ralph weier egter om hom op sy naam te noem – hy sê vir almal die kat se naam is “Mr Cuddles”. Ek het nooit gedink ek sal ’n swart kat hê nie maar die meneer het so diep in my hart gekruip.

Sy herkoms is ’n hartseer storie en hy was in ’n baie slegte toestand toe die Rescue hom ingeneem het. Hy pas wel baie goed by ons in en het homself reeds tuis gemaak. 

Ek het nog nooit van te vore so ’n liefdevolle kat gehad nie. Hy laat my toe om hom soos ’n baba rond te dra en die kinders mag hom papdruk en rondjaag.

Hy lê in sy bed, op die tafel, by my en slaap wanneer ek werk. Hy hou van gesels en kerm vir kos en is ’n regte vraat. Ons moet seker maak ons bêre alles kos-verwante items buite sy bereik, want hy is ’n dief. Die eerste aand by ons het hy ’n brood beet gekry en die vloer daarmee bestrooi. Hy het die komposdrommetjie beetgekry, die sakkie flenters geskeur en homself aan ou oorskiet gehelp. Hy het net vanoggend ’n bak beskuit van die tafel af gestoot sodat die deksel afval. So uitgeslape is hy. Moenie dink jy bedek die kospot met ’n bord nie – o nee. Hy stamp dit eenvoudig af.

Goeie geselskap tydens werksure.

In ons dorp mag katte nie buite wees, tensy hulle aan ’n leiband is. In Suid-Afrika was al my katte buitediere en ’n permanente sandbak in die huis was vir my ’n nuwe uitdaging. Ek moes mooi oplees en planne beraam om dit in toom te hou. Die ooreenkoms met Furever Friends is dat hy hoofsaaklik graanvrye, nat kos moet eet en dit brand nogal ’n gat ons ons sakke. Hulle reken dat die hoogste gehalte kos hom van die veearts af sal weghou, wat sin maak. Hy kry brokkies net vir peuselhappies en hy probeer my gedurig oortuig dat hy een verdien. Hy het wel die mooiste blink pels, te danke aan sy fênsie dieet.

Moscow sit buite met sy leiband. Hy hou nie daarvan nie.

Hy gee ons soveel vreugde! Ons het dik bordkryt hier in Kanada waarmee die kinders op sement kan teken. Hy hou daarvan om daarmee te speel, tot sy wit pote pienk of blou is. Hy roep my wanneer dit slaaptyd is sodat hy my voete deur die duvet kan aanval. Wanneer ons skool toe stap, sit hy by die venster vir ons en wag. En wanneer Ralph ’n slegte dag gehad het of raas gekry het, reken hy om die kat te liefies al is wat hom sal laat beter voel. Albert sê net: “I like dogs, not cats.” Maar ek glo hy is diep binne ook lief vir Moscow.

Ons tweede winter in Kanada is op pad – die koue is reeds hier.  Ek sien uit daarna om saam met hom op die sitkamer se vloer in die son te lê en bak. En natuurlik om te sien wat hy alles gaan inspireer!

 

* Spica is die helderste ster in die konstellasie Virgo. Op daardie stadium was ek geïnteresseer in sterrekunde en mitologie, dus die volksvreemde naam.

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Catalogue

Ask any of my classmates from university and they will confirm my obsession with cats. One way or another, I snuck cats (as a topic or inspiration) into many of my projects. It was always very probable for me to become a crazy cat lady, but luckily, I found a husband who I love more than cats. And that is saying a lot.

I got my first cat when I was seven. He was grey and his name was Simba – Lion King was all the rage back then. He was more than a little wild and brought snakes, birds and half-eaten mice into the house regularly. He cashed in all his nine lives when he got hit by a car on a rainy night. One less eye and a pin in his femur later, he was back to his old self. I have no idea how my parents afforded all the vet bills, but my love for the poor creature must have been persuasive enough. I can’t remember exactly how long he lived for, but I believe he died from cat flu.

My next great love was Spica*. I happened to walk past a shop with a box of kittens (for free) out front. I was about thirteen. She was a ginger tabby and I picked her up there and then and walked home with her. She was covered in mange, and I had to bathe her with a special soap. She probably held that against me for the rest of her life because she had a permanent scowl. 

She was the inspiration for many art pieces, sketches, and stories. One of the ‘gingers’ in my life that I was so fond of.

We had a few other cats during her lifetime, but she was my lady. She moved with me after I got married and became even more of a grouch in her older days. She was fifteen years old when she died. I had to take leave from work that day because I was inconsolable.

Shortly before Ralph was born, I had a grey kitten called Gustav. Someone advertised him on Facebook. He enjoyed lying on my huge belly purring, and I am convinced that this is where Ralph’s love for cats came from. Unfortunately, a few months after Ralph was born, he disappeared one day. After Albert was born two years later, a friend of mine sent me a picture of a little ginger kitten she found in a factory at work. My husband’s condition for getting another cat was that he gets to name it. Thus, the cat was called Hendrik. The poor thing was probably about six months old when Carl found him, stiff and cold, under our bed. We suspect that he was poisoned. I was too upset to look, so Carl buried him in our backyard while I hid in the living room.

We didn’t have another cat, until almost two months ago. Ralph and I both really wanted one and I contacted Furever Friends Cat Rescue in town, the moment we were eligible. Adopting a cat is a lengthy process, involving pages of forms, interviews with friends and a (virtual) home visit. They sent us profiles of five cats that matched our application to choose from. Kip was the winner. That used to be his name, but we changed it to Moscow. Like the city. Ralph refuses to call him that, though, and tells everyone that the cat's name is ‘Mr Cuddles’. I never thought I would have a black cat, but this mister won me over right away.

He has a tragic backstory and was in bad shape when the Rescue took him in. He adjusted quickly to his new surroundings though and seems very much at home. 

I’ve never had such a loveable cat before. He lets me carry him like a baby and the kids squish him and chase him around the house. 

When I’m working, he sleeps in his bed on the table next to me. He likes to chat and whine for food and is a real glutton. We have to make sure we never leave any food items out – because he is a thief. The first night in our house, he got hold of a loaf of bread and the floor was covered in pieces of bread and plastic the next morning. He got hold of the compost bin, ripped the bag to shreds and helped himself to old leftovers. Just this morning, he pushed a container of rusks from the table so the lid came off. That is the extent of his cunningness. Don’t think you can cover a pot with a lid or even a plate – oh no. He simply knocks it off.

Good company during work hours.

In our town, cats aren’t allowed outside unless they are on a leash. On the contrary, cats roam free in South Africa during all seasons. Having a permanent litter box in the house was a new challenge for me and I had to do lots of research and extra planning to make it work. The agreement with Furever Friends is that he only gets grain-free, wet food as a staple. Kibble is for snacks only and he is always begging for some. Although his fancy diet is expensive, he has the shiniest healthy fur, and it should keep the vet visits to a minimum.

Moscow outside, on his leash. He doesn't care for it.

He gives us so much joy! Thick sidewalk chalk is very popular here in Canada, and he loves playing with a piece until his paws are pink instead of white. He calls me when it is bedtime, so he can attack my feet through the duvet. When the boys and I walk to school, he sits by the window until we return. And when Ralph had a hard day or gets into trouble, he reckons the only thing that will make him feel better is to cuddle with the cat. Albert just says: “I love dogs, not cats.” But I know deep down he loves Moscow as much as the rest of us do.

Our second winter is on the way. The chill and frost arrived this week. I look forward to lying on the floor in the living room with Moscow, basking in the sun. And, of course, to see all the things is yet to inspire!

 

* Spica is the brightest star in the Virgo constellation. At the time I was into astronomy and mythology, hence the unique name.