Yes, a ladron, a thief.

Last night she stole two washcloths from a bathroom, two dinner napkins from atop the microwave, a cleaning cloth from the laundry and ... Well, she steals a lot of things.

And brings them to us, even if it means carrying them up a flight of stairs, dragging them between her front paws. She succeeded once in hauling a complete sheepskin up a flight of stairs. When she arrives with the treasures she meows loud enough to wake us up so we can say "thank you".

She is Chica ("small"), our semi-Siamese, rescue cat.

When we got her from the San Miguel animal shelter she was the last of a litter of 10 tiny kittens abandoned by their mother. The shelter said they were Himalayan but her marks are Siamese-like. Except for her white tuxedo chest, so-called snow shoe feet (i.e. white). And a wide white "smile" permanently on her face.

Her sister cat Cana (means "white hair") is also a rescue cat, saved by a friend and adopted by us. We've had both almost three years now and Cana is not a thief. She much prefers to be busy sleeping on the second floor balcony wall in the sun. And hopefully she will not take another two-story fall into the palm below.

January 11, 2008