Photos Of The Week - Black Cats & Awnings

I have been trying to get photos of the black cats who are staying on top of our awnings. Here are some shots. I still could not figure out why people build houses with awnings like these?

Raining & Cats (But No Dogs)

October is the start of the rainy season in Palembang. For the past few weeks it has been wet, wet, wet. By mid-day we usually have heavy downpour and followed by mid-night rain.

Our factory has been leaking profusely. Although roofing replacement plans have been submitted for approval, it takes time to get through the approval loop and also need to consider the leadtime for ordering roofing sheets. During hari raya, I had to sweep away the accumulated rain water from the warehouse together with my security guard.

Our house's roof is also affected by the heavy downpour. Despite being fixed up twice by the same contractor, the roof on top of our room's ceiling board still leaks.

I have no idea how that guy did up the roof but supposedly he cemented the creases between the roof tiles. But I had to call him back again tomorrow before I swim in my dreams!

The rain also forced the kittens (yes, there were 2 of them from the black mama cat!) from the awning area to the hole behind our fish pond. They have been making lots of noises at night. Still have no idea how to get rid of these stray kittens!! Any tips??

Black Cats On My Awning

For the past week, I have been hearing stomping noises at night and my maid has been complaining about noises during the day time as well. It seems like a black cat and a black kitten are living on top of our awning. I have been trying to get my driver to get rid of them but his excuse is that we do not have a tall enough ladder. My maid said she was afraid to get scratched by the mother cat.

In Indonesia & muslim culture, if you killed a cat you need to have a proper burial for it. I was told that if you do not, it would come back and haunt you or it will bring you bad luck. Perhaps this is why Indonesians prefer not to mess with cats. Here are some other "cat supertitions" from other countries:

1. To kill a cat brings seventeen years of bad luck -Irish superstition
2. A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. - Scottish superstition
3. A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition
4. If a cat washes behind its ears, rain is coming. - English superstition
5. A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means old weather ahead. - English superstition
6. It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. ~French superstition

This afternoon before I left for my basketball game, I used a hose to shoot water up to the awning trying to shoo away the cats. The mother cat was not around and the kitten fell down from the awning while trying to escape the water. It did not move for awhile and I thought it died! After a few seconds, it moved its head but still laid on the ground. I was baffled and just left the kitten there and went for my basketball game. Throughout the game, I kept thinking whether the kitten was severely injured, or will it die?

When I came back, I saw the black mama cat with the kitten on top of the awning again. I was a bit relieved to see that the kitten was ok (i guess the kitten has 8 more lives to go then). The mother cat also gave me an angry purr (as if she knew what I have done) and stared straight into my eyes.

I am sure the black mother cat gave birth on our awning and treated our awning as their "house". It is only now that the kitten has grown up and started to make noises (started to get active). They are the opposite to "cats on a hot tin roof"!.... more like cats on a comfy cool and wooden haven (roof/awning).

Throw me some ideas if you know how I can get rid of those "tenants who did not pay any rent"?