The notion of cats and dogs being eaten is in the news again – falsely this time, in the United States.
The shortest piece in my Malaysian food collection, Malaysia on Yer Plate, is about cats cooking, and could fit perfectly well into a children’s collection. What follows it is in my view the best way to protect your cats as well as to nurture loving relationships with them.
Street Café
Cats cook their own Lo Shu Fun daily, in the ceramic drain that comes right off the storm drain at the end of our street.
They use real rat’s tails, of course, and work the midday sun’s heat to wok it into shape. I’m not sure they catch any anchovies down there in the drain though. They don’t have eggs either, I’ll bet; it’s not haute cuisine, but they do like their own simple cooking.
Even street cats have class, and it shows through their French food cattitude.
As I access my community I look out for them: the flash of fur, a trailing tail. By restaurants, under cars, down drainage channels; cats are fruits of the gutter, and not just for those that eat them. You have breeds such as Burmese and Siamese which in the West are considered pedigree; they have status, in price and prestige. Here, they grace the gutters. OK, they’re not thoroughbreds, but let me have my cat moment.
Amid all the mould on buildings, the brutalist concrete and functional decor, cats help to transform our environment. A poet would insist they bring uplift; pulling gently on our leg at mamaks, lounging around or chasing the wind, they’re a vital reminder that life is ludic – playful, not just productive. Far from being a pest, we need them.
I’ve seen them eating rats; it still happens, despite one hawker’s denial. Using that openly as his excuse to poison cats, I’m not sure he believed his own non-hunting claim.
Malaysian cats avoid eye contact, many of them; they flinch or scarper. You can’t possibly want to befriend them, as they’re so lowly and unworthy in their own eyes. Who gave them that reality?
I hear of people going away to visit relatives for holidays or religious festivals and not getting anyone in to feed their pets, as they just don’t trust anyone enough. Unable to afford boarding, they abandon them on the streets. I met several who were detached about it: “If they want to go, that’s their own life; what can I do?”
I imagine this attitude could stem partly from people not having so much cuddly contact with their cats. The absence in Malaysia of one particular item – I’ve never seen one here – could have a lot to do with this.
I’d like to call – here – for a catflap revolution for Malaysia. A catflap is a low, perspex door that swings vertically; they can be installed in windows or wooden doors, and they start at below RM33 online. The cheap availability of labour is a boon.
Your cats won’t spend hours outside, vulnerable, waiting for your return, or crossing furry legs against your anger at them peeing in the house. The litter tray won’t fill up too quickly. They’ll love you!
I need to dispel the fear that your place will be full of unwanted cats; each cat has its own unique magnet to put on its collar. No need to worry about children climbing though; these flaps are only as big as a cat’s head, an adult male fist.
There may only be 2 or 3 magnets with each product, but with each cat living longer, you may not need to have ten-twenty cats to hedge against roaming or roadkill; with fewer feline frenemies to chase them out, they’ll actually be able to see your house as their home to return to. Perhaps manufacturers will start supplying ten or more magnets with each flap, for the Malaysian market.
Does anyone need to get rich? As the proverbial catflap swings closed for one cat, it swings open for you and your cat’s fortunes. So go ogle (Google) some catflap companies and become an agent; why not? It’s hard to imagine any manufacturer or importer of said tool of liberation failing to make a fortune from them.
For the record, I’m not writing for any catflap manufacturers. To me, MLM stands for My Loving Moggy. For sure, they’ll love you if you allow them their self-respect and autonomy.
As long as cats are shoved out forever for holidays or other reasons, they’ll be vulnerable to being eaten. Viva la revolucion! Cats’ liberation! Miniaow for catflaps!
Kwailo Lumpur is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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