Cat Spectacular

Well, it has been quite a journey down the East Coast from Cairns. Over 1000 miles travelled in Greyhound buses, countless kilometers walked, innumerable beaches visited, 18 days and no more than two nights spent in any one place. Unsurprisingly the pace was starting to tire me out, so it's a good thing that I've now put my foot on the brakes and have begun another helpx work-for-food-and-accommodation exchange. It's always nice to get out of hostels and into a home - having your own room, better food, and getting to know people well through living with them. You also get some fun and wacky experiences on these help exchanges. So far on this trip I've milked 140 cows, been encircled by 1000 sheep, and now I've found myself surrounded by around 70 cats!

From my last destination, Noosa (where I enjoyed a brilliant walk and saw a wild koala!), I travelled two hours by bus and train to the inland town of Caboolture, around 30 miles north of Brisbane. Walking into the house, I was immediately greeted by ten or so cats darting around the main room. This was just the beginning though, as there were more cats in many other rooms around the house and even more in a large shed outside. There are cats of all ages here, from a few days old to a few weeks old to 'teenagers' to adults to Widget, an elderly animal with one eye. The smallest are of course absolutely adorable, fitting in one hand they are so tiny it is hard to believe they are real. Most of the cats are the Devon Rex breed and thus look unlike any cats I have encountered before. When fully grown they don't appear to be that unusual, fairly slender with big ears, but during the various stages of growing up they can be utterly bizarre looking. The babies' heads are huge in comparison to their minute bodies, while the 'teenagers' are scrawny animals in possession of a head that seems too big for their super thin necks and ears that seem too large for their heads. Meanwhile, some of these creatures barely have any fur giving them a strange appearance that is probably best described as 'alien'. My work here includes the morning routine of sorting out the cats' rooms and runs. This involves topping up their food and water, cleaning out and replacing their litter trays, and sweeping and mopping out the floors. As you might imagine, it doesn't take long to get comfortable dealing with cat poo!
My host has a neighbour who could also be labelled as a 'catwoman'. However, her cats couldn't be more different. Maine Coon cats, they are the biggest domesticated breed and  their fur is incredibly thick and soft, the tails reminding me of dusters. These Maine Coons really are stunning animals.

It's going to be a fun week amongst this feline frenzy. I will surely learn a great deal about cats and there is certainly no danger of getting bored with so many purring pets to play with!



Some of the 'teenage' Devon Rex cats