We have always had cats in the house and on the farm because we loved them as pets and for their rodent control services! My last cats came to Portugal with me from the UK in 1991 and returned in 2005 to live out their days “back home”. I haven’t replaced them as a full-time job and travelling simply didn’t fit with housing a new kitten.
I have missed my feline friends and so I was delighted when I moved into my new home in Cambodia to find there was a resident cat called “Freddy”. However, a lot of Cambodian cats come with a difference – they have short and often curly tails which takes some getting used to – if you are used to your cat running towards you with its tail waving behind in greeting, you will wait a long time in Siem Reap.
I have seen pictures of Manx cats in the UK but am not aware of ever having seen one. On investigation I discovered that a lot of SE Asian cats have a short, malformed tail and it is thought that it is due to a recessive gene. There is also the possibility that the cats have come from the Japanese bobtail; it is thought that the origin of these cats is from Buddhist monks who brought the cats from China to Japan 1,300 years ago and this would explain how these cats were spread throughout SE Asia. The monks kept cats to protect their rice-paper scrolls from mice and to this day most temples and pagodas keep a few cats.
Julie Masis writing in the Phnom Penh Post in 2014 explained that in the 18th and 19th centuries there are records that show cats were used in various ceremonial rituals in the country. Before the rains a cat was paraded around the village to ask for rain and this ceremony is still carried out in villages around Angkor today. Cats are also used in house-warming ceremonies where a female cat is carried by the woman of the house while walking three times around the house to bring good luck.
Three coloured cats are particularly revered, especially females and they are used by the royal household in the coronation ceremony.
Cambodia is also home to a rare and declining population of fishing cat. This is a small cat which looks like a civet and lives in wetlands and mangrove swaps; it is endangered because its fishing activities bring it into direct conflict with the human population. More information can be found at http://www.fishingcatcambodia.org/
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I am not a cat lover but do appreciate their talent controlling rats, perhaps we should be using them in SA to pray for some rain! Thank you again for educating me on the history of cats in Cambodia as always I so enjoy reading your blog. ✍️ 📖 xx
Thanks for your continuing support – glad you like it. Yes the cats are quite something here. Did you read the one about teaching – that was a little bit of an eye opener and makes you appreciate the education we had!!xx
Just catching up with this blog
I will study with new insight any cats i meet on our visit to Isle of Man next week
I am not going to parade Clemmie anywhere as we have had far too much rain, but have tried carrying her round the house a few times(and she is probably 2-3 times as heavy as those cats in your pictures). Am awaiting the good luck!
Anyway Freddy looks like a good cat and a great big plus to your
Cambodian home comfort.
Be interested to see some Manx cats! Have a great time on the Isle of Man. Freddy is a great asset and always give you a warm welcome.