Moments with Paka

Intro

This post is a collection of moments we had with Paka, ranging from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam to the flight to New York. It is a series of moments, in loose chronological order.

A Decision to Adopt

She made a strong impression with how trusting she was of us, and how she immediately adopted us as her parents several days before we adopted her. The kitten clearly wanted parents, when she found us then she latched on. We had to decide what we would do.

After the other couple left and as the cat was drying in my armpit, Tim and I discussed whether to adopt her.

The night before, I had been dehydrated and we left dinner early to go back to the hotel and rest. To raise my spirits, Tim brought the kitten into our room to hang out. It was the first time she was in our bed and really cuddling with us closely. Our hearts both melted, and I looked at him with the “can we have her?” look. He said that while he wanted to take her home, it was totally unfeasible. I agreed that it would be challenging - but more importantly that a decision like this would need to be both of us aligned on taking her home if we were to do that.

When it came time to sleep, Tim started to put the kitten in the bathroom next to our bedroom. I immediately said “Tim, you should only put her in there if we are taking her home. Otherwise, I won’t be able to leave her.” He moved the kitten outside, at which point she whined at the front door loudly. Ten minutes later she was in the bathroom.

The next morning, after we gave her a bath and cleaned her, Tim and I were hanging out in the room just soaking up time with this random cat. At some point, Tim randomly said “so what do you think is involved in taking her home?” I was incredibly surprised and clarified that he was thinking about it. He sheepishly admitted he was considering it. At this point, I was the “this isn’t feasible and it would be crazy and we are traveling and someone else would raise her in her kitten year” opinion in the conversation. Over the next hour, we did end up deciding that it would be incredible to take her home. Furthermore, we agreed that if we could get a flight home and extend our trip by a week or so, then we would take her home.

After lots of research, between airlines and US regulations and vets, we realized we could take her home if a vet confirmed her age (or lied about it and made her at least 10 weeks old) and that we got her some of the initial kitten vaccines. I called several different vets, chatting with the first one that picked up. They had us take photos of her teeth and estimated that she was 9-11 weeks old - thus agreeing to give her the paperwork we needed.

The next day we took her to Dar es Salaam to get her looked at. She was healthy besides worms, and with food and nutrition would grow back to a more normal size. It was incredible news

Sleeping in the Bathroom

Paka slept in the bathroom at night, next to our bedroom. She was so obedient and quiet there. The first night we did this was in Zanzibar, and it felt just like she knew we were taking care of her. Giving her a home and a space. For that reason, she was totally content to stay in the bathroom, knowing we were nearby.

At first we did this because she was so small that we were nervous we might crush her. She’d curl up and was still pretty weak in moving around and jumping. If she got stuck somewhere, we wanted to make sure we would wake up.

Later, when we started letting her sleep with us, she would eventually end up in the bathroom because she was so hyper at 3 am, after 4-5 hours of sleep. Still wanting to sleep ourselves, she’d go back into the bathroom.

In the morning, when we opened the door, she’d come running out and around the bedroom - meowing and bothering us for food. We made a small pile of pillows on the floor so that she could independently get onto the bed, as she wasn’t big enough to jump up on the bed. Over the 10 days in Dar es Salaam, she developed amazing climbing skills. Using her claws and body to get up onto the bed and the backs of chairs.

Paka’s Bath & Drying Out in an Armpit

When we were in Zanzibar, the cat was quite dirty. Her back legs had no hair and were covered in dirt and poop, smelling pretty gross. We towel blotted some of the dirt and poop away during the first two days. It was decided on day 3 that we, the two couples (us and Anete and Edvard), needed to give Paka a bath. Tim and Anete did most of the bath component. We realized she had several ticks on her, so Tim held her and Edvard went for the ticks with tweezers. I would cut the fur nearby so that we were only pulling the ticks out, not her hair. Anete pet her while this was happening. We pulled 3-4 large ticks off of her, with her meowing and clearly uncomfortable. Directly after pulling the ticks off and her soaking wet, she just stayed put in Tim’s lap and started cuddling, getting a sense that she knew we were taking care of her and appreciating that.

Afterward, we wanted her to groom herself to dry her off - which is what cats normally do if they get wet. Cats use their tongues to clean themselves and dry their fur, so we were hoping she’d do that. We had seen small indicators of her cleaning herself. However, after the bath, she just wanted to cuddle - meowing at us when we put her down. She was clearly shivering and unable to control her body temperature. The other couple left for their next hotel, and we took the kitten to our room to help her calm down, as she was cold and still in a little bit of shock from the bath.

I laid down on the bed with her coming over to me. I put her inside my shirt next to my body to help her be warm. Paka immediately crawled up into my armpit, in my t-shirt, and just sat there for an hour drying off. After she was dry, she was substantially more soft to touch and no longer smelled. She seemed to know that she was a bit better off - her cleaner and unmatted fur creating more warmth. Within a couple of hours, she also had more energy - which we think came from removing the ticks. It was incredible to see her happy and moving around so quickly.

Books & Cuddles

During many days in Dar es Salaam, I wanted quiet time and solo time - not only on a computer. I bought two books from a local store and would lay in bed reading. Paka would snuggle up into my stomach or armpit and sleep there for 1-2 hours while I read. She quickly learned and specifically sought out the warmest parts of my body to nestle against. She would be playing on the bed with me. One of us would slow down - either her getting tired or me getting bored. When she gets tired, she sits on me and attempts to continue playing from my lap but not actually getting up to chase the toy. When I got bored, I’d start setting up to read, with her following me around. Then I’d sit down and put her on my lap, playing with the toy from there. She’d slowly go into chilling-mode, and then sleep there.

Walking, Cooking & The Cat Carrier

In prep for a 30-hour journey to the United States in the cat carrier, I read a lot of online posts about how to help prep a cat for flying. Paka would be in the carrier the whole time on the flight. At the airport, you need to take cats out of the carrier and hold them while walking through a metal detector. Both of these elements need some training to help prep your cat for this crazy experience.

We had chosen an Airbnb within a 15-minute walk to the veterinarian (Pet Care House), which is located in a wealthy part of Dar es Salaam. To get to the vet, we would walk there with her in the carrier, getting used to being in a carrier, outside and in new surroundings. We got a better carrier, with mesh on most sides that allowed her to see out. When we would walk, she would sit at the front of the carrier, curious to watch the world as we moved forward. She was so small that she could sit upright in the carrier, facing out. The people who noticed we had a pet carrier were in two groups: foreigners driving by who immediately realized we had a pet with us, and locals who were staring at us and realized we had a live animal. Both were equally surprised.

On those walks, it got her more comfortable with going with us in the carrier to random places. She didn’t love being in it,\ but knew she could see where she was going and what was happening. And it made her trust us a bit.

We needed to practice the in-and-out of the pet carrier. Put her in it for a period of time, then take her out and pick her up in my shirt and walk with her randomly (without putting her down), then back in the carrier. That was the process for security, and the internet said to practice it.

If we were home, Paka wanted constant attention and to be near us and watching what we were doing literally 100% of the time. If we were exercising, she joined us and watched us. If we were chatting, she wanted to be played with. When eating at the dining room table, I trained her to sit in my lap and (somewhat) not jump on the table. She just wanted to know everything. She is literally a curious cat.

Cooking time was hard for her. We were focused on the counter, well above her eye level, moving around and doing random things that did not include her. One night, when she was really going after my feet, I grabbed her carrier and put her in it. Then I put the carrier on the kitchen counter. She complained a little about the carrier but was very curious about what was happening on the counter. Even better if we specifically spoke to her about what we were doing, which she loved to listen to us talking to her directly.

We did this every night for 5 days. When one of us was cooking, we would put her in the car carrier and put it on the kitchen counter next to us, explaining to her what we were doing. Paka would listen intently. At some point, with my loose grey t-shirt she knew well, I would take her out and hold her within the t-shirt. We would do a round of walking through the apartment and I would pet and praise her. Then she goes back into the carrier for some more time. The whole routine lasted about 15-20 minutes. It worked well.

Once we were at the airport, several days later, she somewhat knew the routine. Except it was going through a customs and security scan. And we were walking through a metal detector. But she knew what to do, and to calm down.

Designing the Cat Carrier

When flying for 24 hours, creating a 30-hour journey, we both thought a lot about what type of cat carrier would ensure that Paka was most comfortable. I thought about what we needed when traveling: a toilet, entertainment, a spot to nap, and some food. We also know when to pop our ears and when to stretch our legs. Thinking about all of these elements, we brainstormed how to create a cat carrier with a mini litter box, a sleeping area, and what toys to bring with us. The idea came to get Tupperware to create different sections in the cat carrier for her to move around. Given her size, the cat carrier was large enough to have areas.

We went to a home goods store with the cat carrier and found some drawer organizers that fit together inside. We used part of a cereal box to create a separation between her sleeping area and the makeshift litter box, ensuring she did not kick some of the cat litter into her sleeping / hang-out area. We lined the litter box with two inside-out gallon ziplock bags so that her urine didn’t soak through and we could change the cat litter as needed. The front had a blanket for her to sleep on, along with some of her toys.

We started having her cat carrier in the bathroom at night, and she opted to sleep in it - a small space that she found comfort in. We also had her in the cat carrier walking to the vet and back, and periodically when cooking. She came to know it as both familiar and frustrating (when it was zipped up).

Paka & Playing in Tanzania

Tim created a cardboard scratch pad from a pizza box. However, the cat didn’t really understand it as a scratchpad. When she tried, the cardboard strips would move. She would chase those around - jumping on it as it moved. We turned it into a toy where one of us would move the cardboard strips around and she would just jump on them - attacking them! It was her favorite toy when she was tiny, as it wasn’t intimidating and was her size and somewhat predictable.

The first “cat toys” we bought were two balls - which she found too overwhelming. She was disinterested in them, as they were very close to her size. The second was a small leather bracelet with leather colored red, white, and brown. She loved playing with that bracelet, as it was more predictable and we would be holding it. The third toy was a small octopus on a red string and a stick. She was really scared of it, as it was so big for her. The toy immediately broke and she liked playing with the stick and string more. We tied folded paper receipts to the string, allowing her the ability to go after something relatively small compared to her.

Within a couple of days, as she continued to grow, she started to play with (and love) the larger toys she initially was intimidated by.

We travel with a foam roller for our back health, which is hollow in the middle. It was just laying on the ground in the bedroom one way, and she ran through the middle - a small tunnel for her. She was almost startled, and then turned around and ran back through it the other way. We would leave it out for her to run through.

We would play with her in the bedroom, then both the bedroom and the living room. As she expanded her comfort zone, her play area expanded. This expanded by the rooms she choose to play in, as well as how far from one of us she wanted to be, and how for from our hands she should play. Over time, as she gained energy, it was also exhausting to play with her as much as she wanted to be played with. We were starting to prep for leaving, Tim had a cold, and I got food poisoning one day. It was a lot.

We also noticed something - she would randomly have a new way to play that we didn’t teach her. At first, she directly went for our hands with the toys in them. Then she hid behind our knee or foot to jump at the thing. A couple of days later she was hiding behind the bedpost to jump over our foot and finally attack the toy. Essentially, she was setting up more complex obstacle courses for herself. Paka made this playing more complex and elaborate for a variety of jumping and talking when playing with us and tops. It was incredible to watch.

One night we set up an obstacle course in the hallway. Tim on the bedroom side and me on the kitchen side. It included my foam roller, the cardboard scratcher, two balls, several crumpled-up paper receipts (which she loved), and a string with a paper tied to the end. One of us held the string and the other held the bracelet. She spent the next 20 minutes running back and forth, setting up her own obstacle course through the middle of it. She would back up behind one of us beyond the door frame, staying there for 10-15 seconds quietly stalking forward to the edge to see us, then spring into action. It was incredible to watch her play grow into this elaborate, self-created exploration of play. We just sat there, playing with her and soaking in the moment.

Turkish Airlines, U.S. Customs & Our Kitten

If you want an extremely cat-friendly airline, fly Turkish Air. Turkey, and Istanbul, have lots of cats. People feed them and regularly interact with them. “Strays” are regularly fed and cared for by everyone around them. What this means is that every single flight attendant literally loves cats. And they love kittens. It was so incredibly welcoming to fly with them, as they fawned over Paka as much as we do. It was a refreshing change from Tanzania, where people do not have pets and understand it.

They let us take Paka into the bathroom on the flight and let her out for 5-15 minutes, running around the floor and playing with her. In the main bathroom in the back, there’s a floor-length mirror. She was playing and very confused about the other kitten playing, just staring. She also would run around a little bit, and really just curl into me to cuddle and sleep against someone. She was definitely stressed and just wanted some reassurance. I let her sleep and cuddle with me for as long as it felt polite to sit in the bathroom. We did this every 1.5-3 hours. We would take her into the bathroom to stretch her legs.

For take-off and landing, we fed her pieces of dried food so that she would chew. This helped her ears pop on the way up and down, adjusting for altitude. We would put our hands in the carrier and pet her, allowing her to know we were there. We generally just wanted her to know we cared about her, with her knowing she could trust us.

It was incredibly nerve-racking. Taking a kitten so far to a country with some of the most particular import/export laws. If she got rejected, she would be flown back - probably on her own in cargo. That would have literally killed her with the drastic changes in pressure and temperature. By transporting her, we were making a very real bet about what could happen.

I was very nervous and over-parenting her a bit, partly for my own comfort. Tim had organized getting the paperwork printed and finished with the vet. We were both just holding our breath to get to US customs in JFK. We researched the regulations, which are governed by 5 different agencies: CDC, USDA, CBP, DOT, and the State of New York. It was a mess to figure out what was needed - especially because they all referred to each other. With dogs, there are a lot of regulations and a current rabies outbreak abroad. With cats, they are somewhat referenced and just say “we don’t have direct regulations but you must follow regulations of all governing agencies”, in a game of purgatory.

We wait for 45-minutes in the customs line at JFK - more nervous than I’ve ever been. We get to the front, ready with our documents. The US customs agent sees we checked the animal-related things to declare.

“I see you are declaring animal products.”

“We have a live kitten with us” as I lift the carrier to show him.

“Okay, you are good to go.”

“Wait. Do you need to see any documents for her? Do we need to show anyone else?”

“No, we don’t check cats. You are good to go!”

We just looked at each other, in surprise and total glee. We now, officially, have a cat. This baby kitten we had grown to love but knew it wouldn’t be real until we were on the other side of JFK customs. And now we were. We were both so relieved. With the sense of relief, we were just incredibly teary-eyed.

We got our bags, took a Lyft home, and relaxed. With our kitten.