[Leica] Cat story revisited

[lrzeitlin at gmail.com (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

I apologize for the bizarre formatting of my fishing cat story. Somehow the
original html format got massacred by G-mail and a number of extra line
feeds were inserted. Here is a (hopefully) more readable version.
- - - -
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