Cosima Underwater

Look who is out on parole…

I kept him inside the house for the first two weeks, and he was bored as hell. His favorite spot was the chair next to the window. Mealtimes were the highlights of his days.

Last week I let him out for the first time. Wow… happiness is a cat that can smell, explore, eat grass, disappear for a few hours into the unknown. I stalked him. He explored our garden, went around the neighbor’s house, smelled their cats, then went for a pee near the fence, then disappeared into the unknown. A few hours later he was back, looking happy and exhausted.

I know that the four month in quarantine weren’t easy for M., but the good thing is that he learnt to use the cat loo. He peed on the sofa and crapped on a pile of laundry in our house in Dubai. Baby nappies smell like roses in comparison to cat pee. I had to call in the professionals to clean the sofa. Now he goes to the cat loo or pees in the neighbor’s garden… good cat.

Friends told me that there is a dog in our village that kills cats to defend his territory, so my preference would have been for M. to become an indoor cat, but he was looking too miserable. The killer dog is at the other end of the village, and should they ever cross paths I am hoping that M. will know how to defend himself. After all, he was the undisputed king of Umm Suqueim. Doggy run if you can.

Today I bought him a Harley Davidson collar for good measure. It says “Bad to the bone” and has printed fish bones for decoration. I hope the village dogs know what’s good for them.