Pushkin Collection

Pushkin (nicknamed Pushkerwhiskers, Pooty-poot) is one of the founders of the Swimming Pool Gang. I have a theory that she is related to Ragi and Bootsie, as one of the 'founding matriarchs' of the campus cats. However, my other theory is that she was someone's pet cat for much of her life and then was lost or abandoned (all too common here in Japan, unfortunately, and we have very few organizations concerned with animal welfare, making matters worse).

Late in 2008, as the winter got colder, Pushkin proved unable to live outside anymore. I brought her into my office and, after about two weeks of being sick enough to require hospitalization, she recovered. Being such a friendly and unique-looking female, I was able to find her a new home fairly easily. She is now living with a family north of Fukui City. It's just as well, as the entire Swimming Pool area is under reconstruction and there is no place for anymore cats (even though a new one has just appeared, another black-and-white one!). So it is a very good thing that Pushkin, Elvis, Gracie and Maya Girl have all found homes off campus with caring families.

I sure miss Pushkin, as she was such a relaxing cat to have in the office.

I have collected my photos her on the web. Click on the collage image below to be taken to the entire web album.

Another look at Pushkin

As far as I can tell, Pushkin was a stray or abandoned cat because she wasn't wary of people. I suspect she must have spent the first few years of her life somewhere else and then found herself left on campus. She quickly found a relatively safe place to stay, but winters were hard on Pushkin. So I brought her in from the cold last winter, January 2009, and let her stay in my temporary office. Since she and Elvis had been neighbors and got along fine, they just continued in my office getting along well. Winters are hard on the campus cats. Perhaps the biggest factor is securing territory for safe, dry and warm places to sleep, preferably ones close to where they get fed. So competition for space gets intense. Also, there is a lot less space for them to roam around once the snows fall. And the cats like to stay close to where they know they can get food so as not to get cut off from the supply. The abandoned cats, even if they are good fighters, seem to have a harder time establishing and keeping territory. So it is just as well Elvis and Pushkin left the outdoor cats and became indoor cats again. Pushkin moved on to a new family last March. I hope she is doing well. Her new family lives close to where Nana is, north of Fukui City, near the Kuzuryu River, as it flows north to Mikuni.

Pushkin is an extremely good-natured cat, and I think it shows when you look at her photos. 

 

 

Portraits of Pushkin

Pushkin has moved to a new home, north of Fukui City, near the Kuzyuryu River. She is living with a family that loves cats and is giving her run of the house and the garden. That will surely be more interesting than my office. We sure do miss Pushkin though. So here are some of our favorite photos of a really wonderful cat.

Pushkin helping me in the office

Pushkin has been hanging out in my new office, helping me move and re-organize. She is awaiting a new home (three people have shown an interest adopting her into their families).

MISCELLANEOUS PORTRAITS TWO

It's Gus, Sheba's brother and constant companion. I think Sylvester, the big black-and-white tom who lives just outside the SE corner of campus is their father. Gus is such an agreeable cat. He doesn't hoard food or fight. He just wants to hang out. He has been a hard cat to photograph, but now that he trusts me to get very close, I will try for some better day-time portraits and action photos of him. He is a very unusual cat in appearance because of the way his black-and-white colors are distributed on his body.

Below it's Shaun. He thinks he is the boss of the Dining Hall Troop, except no one honors his leadership. Still, he is a really fun cat to interact with (as a human anyway). He is physically the largest cat on campus.





Last are four glimpses of Pushkin, who posed for me in the winter dusk.

Matriarch of the Swimming Pool Gang

She is Pushkin--an adorable, gentle and usually very quiet kitty. She lives amidst overturned, suspended boats stored between the swimming pool office building and the kendo gym. She is very smart and knows how to stay out of trouble usually. Pushkin is great stress relief, as she will sit quietly with you and listen to all your troubles and just purr. Nicknames: Pooty-poot, Pushkers, Pushkerwhiskers.

Shaun, from the Dining Hall Troop, visits Pushkin, of the Swimming Pool Gang

We recently had a break in the winter weather--a bit of 'false spring' no doubt. So Shaun and I went for a walk over to the swimming pool to visit the cats over there. Shaun likes to do this because he likes to eat their food! Here in this photo he is saying 'Hello' to an old friend, Pushkin, matriarch of the Swimming Pool Gang.