Patacón

(Alternate title: Look, Ma! It's on time!)
Week 5

As I am writing these words, there is sitting next to me an extraordinarily cute kitten looking for a new home. Her name is Patacón.

So small!

Patacón is one lucky little cat. Found on the street by an Equilibrio Azul volunteer when she was just a couple of weeks old, she would have died if it weren't for Rachele, who bottle-fed her every two hours and took her everywhere. And I mean everywhere: on patrol in La Playita, day trips to Montanita, hiking in a national park (where pets are not allowed and Patacón became completely covered in mud).

The bond between Rachele and Patacón is like that between mother and child—and little wonder, considering how close they are. Watching Rachele play with Patacón, you could easily think she was holding her own baby, as long as you didn't notice the fur. And Patacón clearly thinks Rachele is her mother. They are absolutely adorable together.

Like mother and child

Unfortunately, they are soon to separated. Rachele has to leave Ecuador, and her itinerary is long, convoluted, and does not include a permanent home. There is simply no way for Rachele to take Patacón with her. Leaving Patacón here is not a good option, though. I could probably spend a whole post writing about the way people treat animals here, but I'll summarize by saying it's not good. Even here at Equilibrio Azul the resident dog, Ruco, can go days without being fed and is often without left without water—and then of course there's the yelling, hitting, mixed (violent) messages and generally poor treatment he receives. As for cats... well, a couple weeks after I arrive we found a dismembered cat leg lying on the sidewalk, mostly eaten by the stray dogs.

This does not mean Patacón's life here would be miserable or dangerous. There is, for example, an extremely sleek and handsome cat who lives at one of the stores on the main street. But Rachele just isn't certain she could find an equally good home for Patacón, and she was miserable at the thought of leaving her beloved cat behind to an uncertain fate. Similarly concerned for Patacón's future, I offered to bring her back to the States.

The problem? My folks already have a houseful of cats, I can't have pets in my current living situation, and I plan to move in with a friend who is deathly allergic to felines. So I put the question to you, Dear Reader: do you, or does anyone you know, want a cat?

How can you resist?

When I first met her, Patacón was significantly smaller and had a bad case of conjunctivitis (a harmless disease of the eye) probably caused by missing out on the antibodies she should have got from her mother's milk. Since then she's grown a truly astonishing amount and is now quite healthy, aside from a few stubborn fleas. She is a friendly, outgoing, playful, and affectionate animal. At this age she loves to play rough, which is cute now because her claws are so small. However, she seems to be growing out of this, so I think she'll be over the rough-and-tumble stage before she's big enough to do any damage. She does this cute little thing where she attacks your ankles as you walk by, then runs away with this sort of sideways crab-like movement.

Basically, she's adorable. Between the two of us Rachele and I will take care of all her shots and getting her neutered, so all you (or your friend, or whoever) need is some food, a box of cat litter, and your love. Interested? Drop me a line! Tell your friends, tell your family! This amazing cat needs and amazing home.