Animals

It was inevitable. As we have mentioned before, there are almost no cats in Ecuador. The pet shops have to special order them and can only get two breeds Siamese and Persians. The vets rarely have them. You can advertise in the newspaper and see if someone with a new liter will read your ad.  Or, you can do what Loretta did and go to the huge indigenous market where they sell almost every kind of live animal to see what might be there. While I sat in our parked car to guard it from any problem, Loretta and Jonny went into the huge live animal market. They wandered down rows of cages packed with live chickens, roosters, rabbits, dogs, guine pigs, and finally found one with kittens. Though there were only a few available – a mixed breed female for $5, a semi-Siamese for a little more and, Alex (instantly named by Jonny) a Siamese for $20. The next thing I knew was Loretta carrying, back to the car, a tiny bundle in her arms. She had bought the Siamese.

We raced off to the vet who gave him a shot for parasites, an anti flea lotion on his back, and cut his nails and then pronounced him a healthy cat.  A quick visit to Supermaxi for cat food and litter which we found is very expensive in Ecuador.

Though terrified b y the car ride and Jonny’s need to hold it, Alex survived and is now sleeping under the bed.  It seems Ecuador is just one adventure after another. Now, we have a cat.