Possum

It was late June, I think, not long after our weekend away for our wedding anniversary, when a little black cat wheedled her way into our busy lives. We'd noticed her a few times in the neighbourhood. There are lots of cats around here, but this one stood out, not because she was quite black. What we noticed was the magnificent tail, bobbing up and down jauntily amongst the rubbish tins. A full, long tail on a cat is rare enough around here, but a long, fluffy tail is a sight to behold. At least half of the cats have inherited some genetic disposition to a pitiful, stunted tail, and all around Malaysia cats with half-tails, bob-tails, bent tails, and even no tail, can be seen.

We have to admit to being both fascinated and a little drawn to the little cat whose movements you could follow by watching the end of the fluffy, black tail, held high. When she made it to our door looking for food, we gave her something. She saw no reason to move on, and was again waiting the next day, hoping for some more kindness. We guessed from her scrawny little frame she was only a few months old, and she weakly picked at the kitten kibbles we gave her. We arrived home late that evening and as I picked up the hose to water my ailing pot plants, I noticed the movement in one of the pots as she stirred from her slumber on the warm potting mix, safely hidden behind the leaves. Overcome with totally illogical compassion, we took her inside and she became a part of the family. We named her Possum, a reference to her magnificent tail, the name borrowed from Dame Edna.

If I look cute, can I stay? Please?

After a few weeks at our home, Possum went into heat, and we realised that not only was she not a male, as we'd thought, but she was probably quite a bit older than we had originally believed. Her constant yowling, urinating and unhappy prowling around the house led us to finally make the planned trip to the vet's, who preferred to treat her many other ailments before doing the surgery to relieve her of the hormonal urges that ravaged her tiny body. We returned home with a yowling cat, antibiotics and flu medication, ear mite drops and multivitamins. The lice were treated with a single injection. Because she was on heat almost continually, we pushed the vet to do the surgery a little too soon- though Possum had stopped sneezing and had put on a little weight, the bones were still visible under the thin coat. She succumbed to flu again while still recovering from the spaying, and was quite sick over the four-day Hari Raya long weekend. The only vets in Kampar are a Moslem couple, and they were closed for the entire weekend and then some.

The fur that was shaved for surgery has nearly grown back now.

She's had more antibiotics, multivitamins, drops and other tablets since then, and lots of food. She's put on quite a bit of weight, and though she's still small, she looks healthy now as she prowls around in her thick, soft coat and sleek, muscular body. As her coat thickened, we noticed that she is only black until her shoulders- from a definite line below the shoulders, she is dark brown. Her “feather duster” is still quite magnificent, and is either held high, or bent in such a low arc, it almost touches her head! With her new-found energy, she eats her food enthusiastically and plays for hours. She has become quite devoted to both of us, and keeps us company in whatever part of the house we are in.

A great place to nap, or play with tassels...

Having a cat creates complications when we go away, but we have tried a few options and Possum seemed happy with the arrangements. We are pleased to have found a “Pet Cottage” in Kampar, and while the owners are “dog people”, they got on well with Possum and seemed to enjoy the challenge of looking after a cat for the weekend. She had a room to herself!When we are both in Australia in late October, hopefully Keenan will look after her, as he is already living with us while he is working with Tony at the lab.

Possum's favourite game is fetch, though she only brings the toy back when we play the game in the bedroom. She always plays with the toy spider for a minute or two, tossing it, biting and kicking it playfully, before she returns it to be thrown again. She'll play this game for an hour or more, though unlike a dog, she gets a little distracted at times, stopping for a scratch, a lick, or a sniff at an interesting smell. She is a funny little feline. 

We didn't ever think that adopting a weak, lice-ridden, sick little cat could bring us such joy, but Possum has made herself a place in our hearts.

The cat that got the cream...

Brown from the shoulders down. Strange.

Sleeping kitties are so cute. Playful ones are exhausting.