Macan. (Little Boy) TIGER!

When my cat Raden Jinjibu Kartini died from apparent rat poison a few months ago, I decided that I understood why so many people here won't get really attached to their pets like we do in America. It's a rough life here for animals. Too many things can kill them. The stories abound of dogs being poisoned, cats eating poisoned rats or poisonous frogs and dying...

Macan (front) with Kartini not too long before she died...they finally would get close to each other, though no love yet...

Today Macan died. It seemed to be poison, as well. I tried a new approach with him. Kartini had been fixed and was a bit spoiled - I tried to let Macan go natural...and spoil him as much as I could, but I thought maybe he'd have a little more immunity if I didn't tamper with his natural ways much. Oh well.

Macan came to me much as did Kartini. I wasn't looking for cats, but they found me when they were maybe 5 weeks old...Macan may have been a bit older than Kartini when he found me, but not by much. My friends and I had gone to eat and when we got out of the car, a little cat was basically screaming at me to come talk to him. I did, then left him to go eat. After I finished dinner, he was at my feet, meowing again. My friend said that I should take him home - the owner of the place handed him to me and that was that. He was a good boy, sweet and loved to be held. His little feet would just dangle and he'd nuzzle into me. Very sweet boy!

Macan had two homes - here and with my neighbors. He was well-loved and well taken care of. My neighbor, with whom I had already chatted about his sudden illness, had been nursing him with coconut water and milk. She seemed to think he was improving, but not. This evening she called me to tell me he had passed. I quickly went over and we buried him soon after.

I am very blessed with the love of my neighbors and with the sweet cats who came into my life. I think that I'll be careful about getting attached to any more animals...I hope no more want to come home with me, but if they do, I'll give them the best life I can because they deserve it, no matter how long they're here.

RIP Macan.