Feline Meanderings

The Cats of the Barracks Museum, Sydney

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Spice.

Not many workplaces have pets. The Barracks Museum in Sydney is one that does. A couple of years ago a mother kitten who had recently given birth was found in the grounds. The staff were given permission to keep the mother and two of her kittens (the third kitten was adopted). The cats live in the grounds and brighten the day of many public servants, not only Barracks' staff but those from surrounding buildings. Tourists are fascinated to see them there.

Nutmeg.

Cinnamon.

Spice is the friendliest of the cats and acts as official greeter as people arrive for work. She spends her days in sunny spots around the yard or on the verandah of one of the old buildings in the courtyard.

Nutmeg is particularly shy and, if found at all, is in her box tucked away where she hopes noone will find her.

Last year it seemed as though the cats would have to be removed (a noncatperson was appointed as manager) and a colleague adopted Cinnamon. She is now spoilt rotten. Thankfully the manager relented and Spice and Nutmeg are still in residence at the Barracks. The following photos of Cinnamon in her new home are thanks to Peter.

As you can see, Cinnamon is very happy in her new home.

Kenya 2009

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This one was found at the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi.

Zambia, Lion Walk 2009

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This is something I never thought I would do.

For more information on the lion walk, conservation projects and volunteering please visit the African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) website.

Rundi and Rusha, 13 month old females.

Zambia 2009

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Bushfront Cabins in Livingstone came with an added extra.

Etosha National Park, Namibia 2009

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The only lion we managed to see.

Namibia 2009

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Can't remember where I found this beauty - a lunch stop somewhere.

Guest relations manager, Dunedin Star Guesthouse, Swakupmund.

Spotted in Swakupmund.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa 2009

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Female cheetah with her two cubs resting after a kill.

South Africa 2009

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Cheetah sculpture at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Cape Town.

Friendly black kitty in Calvinia.

Bangkok 2008

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Master of all he surveys.

Temple cat.

Market cat.

Mali 2008

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Dogon kitty with carved Dogon door.

This tiny kitten took a liking to me at one of the hotels we stayed in.

Big Cats, Kenya 2002

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Masai Mara:How do you find lions? Look for the cars. These two were getting frisky.
Lionesses with cubs in tow.

Samburu:
Lions by the river.
Leopard waiting near one of the upmarket lodges for the nightly feed. All a bit fake. Its still a wild animal but hanging around the lodge waiting to be fed isn't exactly wild behaviour.

Lamu 2005

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The beautiful island of Lamu lies off the north coast of Kenya. The first thing any cat lover will notice is that there are cats everywhere. Dozens and dozens of them. Most are feral. The cats are tolerated by the Muslim population, though not always by the tourists. They have lived in their colonies on the remote island for so long that they are thought to be genetically related to the cats of ancient Egypt.

The towns and ruins of Lamu were thriving trading centres more than a thousand years ago. Archaeological digs show that these people kept catst and traded with ports in the Red Sea from the very beginning. In Lamu the cats have been genetically isolated by their island environment. Their unique shape - long legs, slim body, whip tail, short hair, long neck and small head - presents a conformation identical to the sacred cats of Egypt. (from The Cats of Lamu, Jack Couffer)

Being predominately feral, the cats are extremely opportunistic, taking food and rest wherever they can.

This one tried to share my lunch.

This well cared for and quite tame individual was the only one I met that was "owned" and looked after.

Sharing the Donkey Sanctuary.

Many of the cats have clipped ears as a result of a spaying campaign carried out by the Lamu Animal Welfare Clinic.

A good place to relax and maybe he'll drop something.

Living in hope at the butchers.

Sicily 2005

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This stunner was performing a balancing act in Taormina.

Also in Taormina, this friendly little black kitty stood guard over my pack while I took photos in the main square.

The Alhambra, Granada, 2005

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The beautiful Alhambra in Granada has a colony of cats, all of which are obviously related.

Some frequent the interior of the palace.

However the most photogenic were just outside the Alcazaba, the fortress of the Alhambra.

Several joined me for breakfast.

Peru 2004

2008-11-09T14:48:00.003+11:00

Aguas Calientes, the jumping off point for Machu Picchu

This tiny kitten was in the place where we took refuge during a massive storm while waiting to get the boat to Manu in the Amazon. It took a particular liking to one of my travelling companions.

Another Amazon kitten, this one at Yine Lodge near Boca Manu.

Bolivia 2004

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Pretty hat shop kitty in the back streets of Sorata.

Hostal cat, Sorata. The dark thing on the wall in the distance is a snake skin.

The receptionist, La Cupula, Copacabana.

Even the very basic camp in the pampas out of Rurrenebarque had its resident scavengers.

Chile 2004

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Easter Island kitten.

Hostal resident, La Serena

Roadside stallholder en route to Valle de Elqui.

Pintados, population 1 plus cat.

Zanzibar 2002

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You see stray cats everywhere along the coast of east Africa and its islands. These were spotted on Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania.

Alley cats, Stonetown

Port cats, Stonetown

Contented cat in Stonetown's fish market.

Backstreet cats.

This one was taking a rest at the turtle sanctuary near the village of Nungwi in the north of the island.
Back to Stonetown and this little cutie was helping out a stallholder at the market.

Pakistan 2001

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Shop kitten, Gilgit.

China 1996, 1998

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Suzhou 1996

Zhenzhou 1996

Beijing 1996
Market, Muslim quarter, Xian 1998

Athens 1993

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The National Garden in the centre of Athens are (or were in the early 90s) full of stray cats, presumably dumped, as you can see from the sign.

If you are wondering what the "other" animals the sign mentioned could be, this goat was one.

The cats are regularly fed by locals.

The beautiful Plaka below the Acropolis was only improved by the addition of scattered cats.

Sicily 1993 and 2005

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This is my girlfriend's cat, Musti (short for Mustapha). He was a youngster when I first met him.

When I returned to Sicily in 2005 he was still going strong although older, slower and fatter, but aren't we all after 12 years. The tortoise was still alive as well.

Venice 1998

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Venetian cats doing what cats do best in the heat of the day on a quiet street leading to a bridge over a canal.

Rome 1993

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A small lion stalks at the Colosseum.

San Gimignano 1993

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These two locals decided to keep me company while I read my guidebook on a slow, hot afternoon.

Riomaggiore 1993

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Orvieto 1993

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The kitty below lived near my hotel and I would see him every time I left or returned. We became good friends.

Padua 1993

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Bantry 1993

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Stornaway 1993

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The keeper of Lews Castle in Stornaway on the islandof Lewis in the Hebrides.

Cornwall 1993

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Cambridge 1993

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London 1992/93

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Paignton 1992/93

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Meet Suki (the Burmese), and Katusi (the tabby). They lived with my English surrrogate parents in Paignton in Devon with whom I spent the Christmas of 1992 and visited again the following year.

For some reason Suki liked sleeping on top of the fridge.
Katusi was a rescue cat from, I think, Libya, which they brought back to England after a stint working in that country. They couldn't bear to leave her behind.

As you can see the whole family ended up adopting me.

Cape Breton 1992

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Another hostel cat, or kitten this time. This one in a rustic hostel along the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. There's that perm again.

Quebec City 1992

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This is Bouboule, 6 years old and very intelligent. His owner raised money for cat food by wheeling him along the Boardwalk in a small cart pulled by a bicycle.The fuzzy blobs below were the felines in residence at the hostel.

Whitehorse 1992

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A pair of lynx in a small zoo outside Whitehorse in the Yukon. The drawing below isn't mine (I'm not that talented) just a card that I bought at the time.

Littleton 1992

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This great sign was on a country road in Littleton, Massachusetts.

Bandon 1992

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Two more shop cats.

Skagway 1992

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These two beauties were the masters of the Skagway Home Hostel in Alaska. The white one was BK, the tabby was apparently called Bugger, at least that's what the scrawl on the back of the photo seems to say. What was I thinking with that perm!

Saint Augustine 1992

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St Augustine's shopkeepers seemed to like cats.

I picked up this card in the quirkily named Temple of Great Art No Spitting. Wonder if it still exists.

New Orleans 1992

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Market Cat

Truth or Consequences 1992

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This is Tripod. I don't know what his real name was but everyone called him Tripod. He was the feline in residence at the hostel in Truth or Consequences on the Rio Grande.

San Francisco 1992

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Looking back through my albums I seem to have started taking cat photos during my 1992/93 trip. This kitty was spotted in Golden Gate Park.