[Leica] Cat story revisited

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

I printed it so I can read it and will.
It was three pages. Plus.
Looking forward to it.

--------------------
Mark William Rabiner
Photography
mark at rabinergroup.com


> From: Lawrence Zeitlin <lrzeitlin at gmail.com>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:17:33 -0400
> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Subject: [Leica] Cat story revisited
> 
> 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
> 
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