TORTOLA CATS

Bi-eyed resident of Blue Water Divers, Soper’s Hole, Tortola. He had a nearly look-alike sibling without the bi-eyes.

We returned Friday night from a 12-day trip to our favorite vacation spot: Tortola, British Virgin Islands. We were greeted immediately by five of the brood and the others showed up soon after. Our salty and sandy luggage was thoroughly investigated. Six joined us in bed. Lisbeth and Giulietta were the only holdouts. The others took turns sleeping on top of me with no less than four with me at all times, and Misty May, of course, was on my head. She has been the neediest since our return, demanding too many kisses on the head to count and giving dozens and dozens of head butts and cheek rubs. (She and Calista are trying to help me now!)

Marina kitty gets a good butt scratch and gives me my kitty fix for the day.

 

Even though Maggie and Jeanmarie, our previous vet and frequent caregiver who was in town for a few days, checked-in on them twice each day, they were still pleased to see the resident humans home again. That was especially true this morning when they were allowed to go outside. We even decided that Callie Jo is big enough to go out on the screened deck. She has been in and out constantly for the past two days.

We first visited Tortola on a cruise in 1995. We returned in 1998 and have been going back since then. It has developed quite a bit in that amount of time, but it still remains unspoiled by fast-food restaurants or cookie-cutter anything!

Flora and fauna abound on the island as you might expect. Plumeria, bougainvillea—in every imaginable color—oleander, hibiscus and so many more, whose names I don’t know, grow everywhere. Chickens and goats can be seen in every yard and in the road! And we have always seen a few dogs and cats as well as lots of lizards, pelicans and, of course, fish.

Soper’s Hole restaurant cat waiting for his next handout.

Whenever we leave home, we have kitty withdrawal symptoms and are on the lookout for some felines to fondle. We saw more than usual this year. The car rental company we use had a mom, dad and two kittens—one even looked a lot like Calista. Several frequented the small marina at the west end, Soper’s Hole, and its restaurant. Many others were seen at residences, including another mom with several kittens. Even the beach where we spend most of our time had a kitty roaming around. The most we saw in a day were 10. On two days we didn’t see any. So sad! But we always know where we can find eight felines eager and ready for attention.

There’s nothing like a warm computer on a cool fall day.

P.S. As I was finishing this post, Tom asked me to do him a favor. I got up and left the computer on the counter with this page on the screen. The picture of Giulietta shows what I returned to at the end of the quick chore. Thankfully I had remembered to save the post. Another cat-perpetrated disaster averted!