My Minchi

I have a new love: a cat, ("minchi" in Ngabere, the native language).

Her name is Mechi, a woman's name. She's about 7 weeks old now and is the daughter of another Peace Corps Volunteer's cat. I can babble on like a parent about her sleeping, eating, pooping, and playing habits. She's brought some spice to my life in the last few weeks. We like to cuddle, something I hadn't realized was missing in my life. During the day, the neighbor kids and the cat entertain each other. That's a very good thing for me, because they both have a lot of energy. Mechi likes playing with my shoes: she likes my sandals and flip flops for their straps, my shoes for their laces, and my boots for the cavernous space inside.

Cats and dogs are popular companions for both the locals and other Peace Corps volunteers.  They vary widely in their health and eating habits. Dogs are valued for barking at visitors and at night, while cats are valued for hunting mice.  I know some of the dogs on a first name basis: when I see them, I know their owner should be just around the corner! Other pets people have include rabbits, parrots, and parakeets, and one family has a "conejo pintado" or painted rabbit (similar to a nutria).

Mechi is the first pet  for which I'm solely responsible- a big step for me. And as with everything here in Panama, there's a cross cultural dimension. How much will I treat her like an American cat and how much like a Panamanian? How will that affect her future? A spoiled Volunteer's pet has a hard time in the Comarca once the volunteer goes home and leaves it behind. And for volunteers that choose to bring a pet home to the States, the pet has a stressful adaptation to a very different lifestyle.  At this point, I plan on leaving Mechi with my friendly neighbor Beni when I depart for the States. I can't say that I'll have a cat-friendly home or lifestyle when I return.

It's a bit of a fight to encourage Mechi to eat a varied diet: cat chow as well as  people food such as rice, beans, and pasta. It's essential for her to be a flexible eater. In the future, she'll have to eat people food, and whatever she can hunt up in the bush.

Some volunteers decide to neuter their animals, following the prevailing ethic in the States, but others don't, reasoning that one intervention doesn't matter much. Besides, future owners of female pets can sell the puppies or kittens. At this point I'd like to spay Mechi - I don't want to deal with kittens- and am looking into options in the next few months.  I am reminded of this story on NPR about a neutering culture-clash in Iraq.

Bath time with flea shampoo! It's for your own good, really...