[Leica] Cat story

[lrzeitlin at gmail.com (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

Mark writes:

"The best purveyor of cat humor was B Kiilban who died in 1990.

I had his cat calendar.

Which looks like Jim's cat."

http://www.tcj.com/blog/unwitting-empire-b-klibans-cat/


--------------------


If we are still discussing cats, I have a cat story.


As some of you may know, I am an avid boater and spend much of my
recreational time on the water. Some time ago I was asked about what makes a
better boat pet, a cat or a dog. I posted my answer on a boating site.
Immediately after the short passage appeared I was contacted by a publisher
asking if I would expand my comments into a comic illustrated book. This was
during the height of the funny cat book craze. Does anyone remember "100
Uses for a Dead Cat." He asked me for proposed book titles. The best I could
come up with was "Raising Cats for Fur and Food." That seemed to dampen his
interest. Too bad I couldn't get B. Kilban to do the drawings. We might have
had a best seller.


Here is my answer about boat cats and dogs, posted on a boating web site:


- - - -


Many of us have boat dogs but since most boats have limited living space,

a cat might make a more reasonable boat pet. Cats are generally quiet, self

tending, chase away rats and roosting gulls, and, if you are lucky, are warm
and

cosy. We have had dogs and cats aboard. While I admit that dogs are
admirable

creatures and certainly more intelligent than cats, they can't be trained to
use

a litter box. Better for a house and yard than a boat.


We have fond memories of our Norwegian Fishing Cat. It loved to swim and
was

hard to keep out of the water. These cats were bred in Norway and Iceland
and

were trained to help fishermen capture the "one that got away." When a fish

slipped off the hook, the cat would leap off the boat and with its webbed
feet,

"pounce" on the escaped cod or mackerel and bring it back. As a reward, the

cat would get to eat an occasional fish.


Olaf, our Norwegian Fishing Cat, spent his younger years aboard a cod
fishing

smack, diving in to retrieve the one that "almost" got away. In a typical
day he

would catch a dozen or more fish, bringing them back to the boat. He more

than earned his keep. But the cold water takes its toll.


Olaf was retired after ten years of honorable service. Cat fishing is a

young feline's game. My wife's uncle sent Olaf to us to live out his
remaining

years. He had developed arthritis and was retired to the balmy climes of

upstate New York. Most of the fish he ate came out of cans. Olaf spent his
summers

paddling around our pond with an occasional jump into the Hudson River from
our

boat. Every few days we would throw him a couple of herring so he would
feel

at home.


Olaf passed away quietly in has sleep, aged 21, after consuming 3 cans of

brisling sardines. He had a smile on his whiskers and his breath smelled
like a

cannery. I can picture him today in Feline Valhalla attended by 70 nubile

female kitties gorging on smoked salmon with a cream cheese chaser. It would
be

hard to find a more suitable boat pet.


-----------------------


For those that doubt the story of the Norwegian Fishing Cat, here is a

passage from the Encyclopedia of Cats. Lumpkin, Susan and Seidensticker,
John. 1991.

Great Cats Majestic Creatures of the Wild. Rodale Press, Pa. Pgs 40, 172,
and

173.



THE   FISHING   CAT:   A   MOST   UNUSUAL   FELINE


APPEARANCE / SIZE:

This cat has a deep-chested body and comparatively short legs.

The front toes are partially webbed and the claws protrude slightly, even

when fully retracted. Small rounded ears are set well back on the large,
broad

head. The fur is short and course with gray or olive-brown background,
covered

with small black spots. A male weighs 24 to 27 pounds, while the females
are

smaller and weigh 13 to 16 pounds. The tail is unusually thick and muscular
near

the base, and is less then one-third of the animal's head and body length.


HABITAT / DISTRIBUTION:

This cat is usually associated with areas of thick cover near water, in

marshes, mangroves, and densely vegetated areas along rivers and streams. It
has a

discontinuous distribution in Asia. It is found in Southwest India, Sri
Lanka,

countries of the southern Himalayas, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma,

China, and the islands of Sumatra and Java. Despite this broad range, the
real

distribution of this animal is quite limited as the species is strongly tied
to

areas of suitable wetland habitat.


DIET:

In the wild these cars crouch on rocks and sand banks using

a paw to scoop out fish. They have also been observed seizing fish with
their

mouths. Sometimes they dive deeply for prey. Their powerful

build and strong swimming ability enable it to take a wide range of prey.
They

are said to be able to kill calves, dogs, birds, small mammals, snakes,

snails, and of course fish.


The Fishing Cat belongs to the Panthera lineage within the Feline Felidae

family. It is classified under the scientific name Felis Viverrina.


http://www.arkive.org/fishing-cat/prionailurus-viverrinus/image-G17843.html


--------------------------


Here is a quote from the Norsk Skovkattering, Danmark, a Danish cat
fanciers

magazine.


"There are many similarities between the Forest Cat and the Norwegian lynx.

The most apparent of these is that they are both big, long-legged cats with

large ruffs, and tufts at the tips of their ears. Moreover they both like
water,

and the stories of swimming Forest cats who catch their own fish in lakes
and

rivers are innumerable. Locals often refer to them as "Water Cats" or
"Fishing

Cats." The Forest cat evidently utilizes the same methods as the Norwegian

lynx when it goes fishing."


---------------------------


So there are two theories about the origin of the Norwegian Fishing Cat.
The

first is that some cat loving Norwegian sailors brought a few breeding
pairs

of the fishing cats home from trips to Asia during the 1800s. Over the
years

the cats acclimated themselves to Norwegian weather but retained their
fishing

instincts. Although Norway is quite far north, the West coast is washed by
the

Gulf Stream and the winter weather is surprisingly mild. This is especially

true of the Lofoten Islands, the prime fishing area. The second theory is
that

the Fishing Cat is simply a variation of the Norwegian Forest Cat or
Norwegian

Lynx who adapted to a more marine environment. Or perhaps they are both the

same species. I'm sure DNA testing could tell.


Larry Z