Cats on Safari – The Beginning

Finally the big day dawned and no, true to form we didn’t leave at sparrow glow. Him Outdoors chose this day to complete many tasks he hadn’t got to during the week, most notably, buying forex. Needless to say, the bank five days before Christmas was exactly as you’d imagine – overflowing with people taking ages to complete their business. Serves him right, but needless to say, we both suffered!

Taking pets across international borders is not for the faint hearted, and if it wasn’t for the impassioned plea of our catsitter, and the indisputable evidence of feline pining and heartbreak, we’d have left them in the loving and capable hands of Joseph and Arlene. Anushka and Speckle had different ideas, though, and we bowed to their anguish and began the arduous process of admin and medical checks and interminable documentation. Headspinning and wallet emptying indeed, although we discovered a vet who home visits rather than have a surgery of his own, and a very friendly State Vet but still, government processes grind painstakingly slowly in a rather convoluted fashion.

Eventually, Henry the Campervan was loaded to the gills with indispensible household, personal items and cat travel accessories. Bags of catnip, homeopathic salmon flavoured calming gloop and pheromone spray were joined by favourite blankies, cat tray, food and water.

On a weight/size body to luggage ratio, they far surpassed us and looking at the pair of them, laden with their personal travel handluggage, it is easy to imagine that if George Orwell had written Animal Farm in the millenium, and included pop fiction in his prescient social imaginings, 50 Shades of Fur would feature similar bondage accoutrements. They each sagged beneath the weight of a bell and microchip medallion bearing collar, a pheromone infused calming collar and shiny, reflective harnesses ready to be attached to long leashes. For public appearances, you understand, although the harnesses were very effective in capturing Speckle to apply calming goo. Simply grab, lift, slap onto paws waving wildly mid-air and release. 

Joseph, their adoptive father, was almost in tears when we loaded the girls up and they immediately set up their standard travel chorus, ranging from a magnificent impersonation of a Basset Hound howl to a, well, frankly quite pathetic mew. Midrand to Grobler’s Bridge was the first leg of the offical Cat Safari.

We stopped at Caltex in Mokepane for a cat and human comfort break, hooking leashes onto the harnesses and encouraging them to leap from Henry for a leg stretch. 

Not a chance, not for love or money would Speckle emerge and when HO insisted, holding fast to the leash, she howled loudly enough to have every forecourt attendant stop what they were doing and come running. Anuschka, braver by far, descended with her usual grace then, appalled by the crowd of attendants that welcomed her emergence, slipped under Henry and up into the engine compartment. Her neon yellow harness and leash emerged covered in engine grime and HO, through gritted teeth after a painful and difficult extraction, suggested that they be tied onto Henry in future.

Onwards we trundled, Anushka comfortably ensconced on HO’s lap, sighing contentedly every now and then. He is officially her hero, having rescued her from Henry’s greasy, red hot entrails. The sun began dipping and the day, loosening it’s grip on the dry heat, relaxed into a pleasant late afternoon as we drew into Big Fig Inn and Campsite just 2kms before the Botswana border. Time to stop travelling for a bit.

Anushka hopped down and retreated under Henry’s belly but it took Speckle almost an hour to venture from the van into the lush greenery. Together, the Safari Cats explored their surroundings, keeping a firm eye on us to make sure we didn’t slip off into the twilight. Bad HO did suggest that if they didn’t come running when we leave tomorrow, we sally forth a Safari Cat or two short. That musing ground to silence when reminded that, being microchipped, we’d be summoned back from Bots to fetch them by some well meaning, kind person. 

Day's End at Big Fig Inn