Sucker!

*Editor's note: I mention below that cat's tails are crooked because of human intervention. However, one of my reader's pointed me in the right direction. Street cats are too quick for someone to catch them and break their tails (I've found this out personally). Most Taiwan street cats have crooked, short or kinked tails because most have some Japanese Bobtail blood in them. It's the hallmark of that breed to have an irregular tail. Japan left their mark on Taiwan during their occupation in the early part of the 20th century that is still evident today. I guess they left their mark on the Taiwanese cats, too.

I was sufficiently warned before I left the states about the problem Taiwan has with stray animals...particularly dogs. You will see them everywhere you go but they're nothing like strays in the states. These dogs are friendly and docile. Furthermore, the WHO has declared Taiwan a rabies free country which means you don't need to worry about that disease.

These dogs will wander in and out of stores and restaurants and no one pays them any mind. Many times foreign friends and I laugh about this. A dog in a restaurant would shut it down immediately in the States. The Taiwanese do have dogs for pets but I've noticed they prefer the smaller dogs that they can carry around. I have always referred to those as "rat dogs". I'm not a dog person but if I were, I'd want something that wouldn't fit in my purse.

Taiwan also has stray cats wandering around. You won't see as many of these as dogs. I believe there's a number of reasons why. Cats are considered lazy and bad luck by the Taiwanese. At least, that's what my students tell me. Most street cats have mangled and deformed tails. I was told this is because people break their tails to stop the bad luck (I haven't had this reason verified so I don't know that it's true). I also imagine many of the street cats lose battles with the dogs and become dinner. I suppose it's survival of the fittest at work.

Everyone warned me to not rescue one of these animals. It's difficult to find English speaking vets and sometimes it's difficult to take them home when your time is finished in Taiwan. I was resolved to follow this advice.

That is until I saw a kitten almost get pulverized by a car on my way home from school. Another foreign English teacher gave the kitten and I a ride to a vet in my neighborhood. I struck gold and he spoke English. He informed me the kitten was a one-month-old girl. She was healthy but dehydrated and malnourished. I said I would foster her until I could find her a home and he didn't charge me for the visit. I left the office resolved to find her a home and started by refusing to name her.

However, I'm a sucker and have been yearning for a new cat since shortly after I put my cat, Squirt, to sleep nearly four years ago. By Sunday, I had an e-mail from someone interested in her and my heart dropped to my stomach. She followed me everywhere around my apartment and loved sleeping on my lap. She even cried when I wouldn't let her sleep on my bed. She had made me hers. By Monday, she had the name Xiao Hu (little tiger in Chinese).

I have no worries about adopting Xiao Hu. There's a wonderful organization in Kaohsiung called BARK. They rescue street animals and find them homes. They will give me kitty litter and will spay and microchip her for free. I'm only responsible for her vaccinations. They know that the stray population is too big to find homes for every animal here so they have a CNR program (catch and release). There are strays that they catch, de-sex and release back onto the streets so they cannot contribute to increasing the stray population. BARK will also send pets to the States at their expense to anyone who wants to provide them a home. Check out their web site at www.bark-taiwan.org (Hint...hint...they accept PayPal donations).

Now, I'd like to introduce you to Xiao Hu. Who couldn't love a kitten this cute?