[Leica] Cat story

[r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard Taylor)]

Ah, Kliban - and the folk singing cat sitting on a tall stool with his 
guitar:

"Love them little mousies, 
Mousies that I love to eat, 
bite their little heads off, 
nibble on their tiny feet... 

Why do I remember this stuff????  

Regards, 

Dick



On Aug 18, 2010, at 6:19 PM, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:

> 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
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information