My name is Sun Lee and I am a feral cat.

Photo by Janice Boling

It's a beautiful day at the cat colony.

Welcome! They say I am a Thai cat, but my roots are right here in the USA.

If you corner me I will hiss, scratch, and bite, but stay back and I will pose for a picture. I was born here at the colony, and have never been inside a house. Everyone that sees me wants to adopt me. They say I am beautiful with Elizabeth Taylor eyes.

I don't want to leave my siblings and friends. It's a good thing I can run fast and squeeze behind boards. There is no way those humans are going to get me!

One time I did fall for a trick. They put some tuna in a wire contraption and I ran in there to eat since fish is a real treat. Well, let me tell you, I was trapped, taken away, knocked out, and returned to the colony with a sore belly.

That experience almost made me dislike the smell of tuna, but I will still eat it if I get the chance. I hope I never see another trap! If I do, I don't care if shrimp and lobster are in there, I will run the other way.

Every Thanksgiving, Jan and Tony cook turkey and share it with us! It is the best day of the year. I am so thankful for the farm and my feral cat colony manager. She doesn't own any of us, but she has taken responsibility for our well-being. Isn't that something?

I am going to turn this over to her for a while. She can tell you all about my Siam ancestors.

Westerners developed a keen interest in Siamese cats during the 1800's. This illustration, courtesy of Wiki Commons, is by Will Grefe.

Are Thai and Siamese cats special?

Yes, people that love these related breeds of cats will say they are definitely special. Many Thai and Siamese cat owners swear their cats talk to them. I am sure they do. Thai and Siamese cats also have colorings and markings that set them apart from other cats.

Thai and Siamese cats both originate in Siam (now known as Thailand ). They are two of the first recognized breeds of Asian cats and are very popular in Europe and the United States .

Exact linage can be confusing. Modern Siamese, selectively breed in the west to look sleek and statuesque, have a more triangular-shaped face than the old stock of Siam cats. The original Siamese cats had much wider faces and more rounded bodies. These rounder Siamese cats are now called Thai cats. Markings and colors are the same in both breeds.

Thai cats have also been called Old-Style Siamese, Traditional Siamese, Classic Siamese, Appleheads, and Wichien Maat (meaning Moon Diamond). Compared to the more fine-boned, western Siamese cat, original Thai cats have a heavier looking build. They are not as angular as the modern breed. I call them flat-faced cats!

Several breeds of cats are descended from Thai stock including the modern Siamese, the Himalayan, the Oricat, the Ragdoll, and the Havana Brown.

Most Thai cats (and related breeds) have blue eyes, off-white or beige-colored coats, and dark fur on their ears, face, paws, and tails. Their foreheads are flat and wide.

Thai cats share a point coloration gene and several personality traits. When socialized, they are friendly, very vocal, and give lots of affection to their human companions.

When feral, Thai and Siamese cats are skittish and not at all talkative. They are as quiet as all the other feral cats. Most feral cats do not meow or vocalize in any way unless distressed or injured. Usually, all feral cats are as silent as church mice.

Thai cats have wider faces than the new breeds of Siamese cats. Photos courtesy of Wiki Commons.

That's me, Sun Lee!

Like all the cats in my colony, I am quiet. I walk on my toes without making a sound which makes it easier to catch mice. I can run with the wind and leap over ditches with ease. I am strong, agile, and smart enough to know that I live a blessed life.

Since I was born here at the colony, I am one of the lucky ones. Many of my buddies were not so fortunate. They have horrible tales to tell.

I won't go into detail here, but Old Tom was abandoned miles away in the forest. He went through hell before finally finding the farm. He about lost an eye, was chased by a pack of dogs, and went without food for weeks. And wait until you hear from Brad and Doris because their pasts are even worse. You will have tears in your eyes when you read their stories, but the main thing is that they finally found a safe home.

Well, as I was saying, my life is the best. I patrol the pastures, keep an eye on the cows, and hang out with my friends. We like to wrestle, play, and groom one another.

Cats like to snuggle up.

I cozy up to my mom, my siblings, and others in the colony when it is cold or wet outside. We can sleep for 12 hours at a time!

Sleeping is more than a time to rest. I have the most amazing dreams. Sometimes they are about common things like chasing a mouse or sneaking up on a lizard. Other times, I dream about faraway lands where cats are supreme and we rule the world. The sky is golden instead of blue, and flowers taste like hamburgers!

Do cats really dream?

Illustration by Janice Boling

Sure we dream. We dream even more than humans! Scientists have recorded rapid eye movements in us, just like in humans.

We dream more than humans because we sleep a lot more. Sometimes I sleep 18 hours a day and sometimes I sleep ten, but I always have dreams.

I wonder if the dream world is real. If so, I need to change my name from Sun Lee to Supreme Leader Princess of the Island of Cod!

My dream world is called Planet Catnip. It rains catnip tea about three times a year! You should see us when the sky grows dark and clouds start to form. It is an exciting time for sure. Sometimes the parties last for weeks!.

We don't eat mice or rats in my dreamscape. Instead, the smartest rodents are our personal servants. They fluff up our pillows, bring our meals, and clean our living quarters.

In turn, we provide them with a nice place to live and a living salary. They are not slaves by any means!

As I mentioned before, the flowers in my dreams taste like hamburgers. We have plants that taste like grilled chicken, bushes with sardine-flavored berries, and trees that produce pork-chop like fruits. I've heard there is a river that flows with beef stew, but I haven't seen that yet.

On Planet Catnip, food is so plentiful that we don't have to hunt. We spend our leisure time napping, playing games, and catching up on gossip.

I guess I have told you enough about myself and my dreams so I will end it here for now.

Thanks for reading my post!

Now and forever,

Sun Lee, aka Supreme Leader Princess of the Island of Cod

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_cat

https://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/ncstate/cat.htm

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