The Chronicles of Katinka

By Dirk Rezelman

Author Dirk Rezelman and his wife Hettie, who took the photographs in this book, live in retirement in the Zululand coastal village of Mthunzini. Katinka, an African Wild Cat (Felis silvestris cafra) and the subject of this book, lived sporadically with them, using their home as her base for twenty years after they rescued her.

Little scientific research has been done on these indigenous African Wild Cats from whose ancient lineage all 600-million domesticated and feral cats in the world are descended. Katinka’s interactions with her environment, conflicts with other wild creatures and general behaviour—where it was possible to observe—are catalogued here in an easily readable and compelling manner.

This book does not pretend to be an academic treatise although the author’s comments are thoroughly researched. It fills a definite need in the popular literature on a species of indigenous African Wild Cats.

Mr Rezelman has been a journalist, publicist and editor all his life working for years in the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands. He has scripted and directed scores of documentaries and educational films and lectured on the theory and practice of communications techniques. He holds degrees from Rhodes and Natal universities.

He was latterly a regular columnist for the widely-read regional newspaper The Zululand Observer. He was also the first Editor of the Wetlands Wire, official newspaper of the World Heritage Isimangaliso Wetlands Park near St Lucia.

Mrs Hettie Rezelman a passionate animal lover, grew up in Nelspruit and White River next to the world-famous Kruger National Park and qualified as a nursing sister, specialising in midwifery. Her interests now include studying and growing Cycads of which she has a large collection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dirk Rezelman
• Release date: Dec 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370187782

Book preview

The Chronicles of Katinka

The Chronicles of Katinka

Dirk Rezelman

Copyright © 2017 Dirk Rezelman

Published by Dirk Rezelman Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Dirk Rezelman using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Edited by Vanessa Finaughty for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: [e-mail]

Contents

Introduction and Acknowledgments

1. The Origins of the Smaller Cats

2. It all Began with a Kaross

3. What are Small Wild Cats?

4. Meeting Katinka

5. Transition to a New Lifestyle

6. The Great Dilemma

7. The Movable Feast

8. Cruelty to Animals

9. Facing the Dragon

10. The Eagle has Landed

11. The Rat with a Lion’s Courage

12. Drawing the Final Curtain

13. Skelm’s Arrival

Introduction and Acknowledgments

What sort of philosophers are we, who know absolutely nothing of the origin and destiny of cats? said Henry D Thoreau very aptly years ago.

This book is not intended as an academic treatise, but its contents have been properly researched over a period of time in the search for the origin and destiny of cats.

When dealing with the origins of domestic cats and with feline taxonomy, there are differences of opinion that easily become the subject of heated polemics. The issue, for instance, of speciation and whether a particular class of felines constitutes a subspecies or a separate species remains controversial and more research is needed.

I have not explored this minefield in any detail in the manuscript, nor have I dwelt on the broader feline family tree, except to mention it. Where I refer to other animals or birds that interacted with Katinka, I have also used the taxonomy to which I am accustomed, still being aware that some of these appellations have been changed.

Here in Zululand, there is living evidence that different species of felines interbreed readily in the wild where their territories overlap and are not necessarily the genetically manipulated products of cat breeders.

Male domestic and feral cats have bred with wild female servals and African wild cats not far from where I live. Their offspring usually grow up wild. Where domestic female cats are covered by wild cats, their kittens are usually born in or near human habitations.

I must also emphasise that our experiences with Katinka, fascinating as they were, in no way serve as a recommendation that African wild cats, or any other wild animals, be kept as pets or in cages. This book sets out why we feel this way, emphasising both the best interests of the cats and well-meaning humans.

Cat populations of the same species often present as morphologically different creatures. Take felis silvestris cafra, for instance, which, in Namibia, is primarily sandy-grey with faint horizontal dark stripes, while in parts of Zululand it presents with distinctly ochre-coloured ears, long ochre-coloured hind legs and a rich red belly.

In the northern reaches of the Cape West Coast, felis silvestris cafra is also not known as a vaalboskat (Afrikaans for ‘drab bush cat’) as it is elsewhere in South Africa, but as a groukat (grey cat). Their colour variations, like in the case of felis catus (domestic cats), do vary astonishingly over the species and the hybrids.

Some observers, here and in European research, refer to felis silvestris lybica, while others refer to felis silvestris libyca and seem pretty consistent in their differing nomenclature.

Where it was absolutely necessary, I attributed source references to some researchers, referring mainly to scientific journals gleaned from Google, which, in this respect, is generally reliable.

Importantly, the observations of Katinka’s behaviour are anecdotal and not intended to serve as general, scientific proof of African wild cat behaviour, but reflect comments on the behaviour of one specific animal, which spent a significant part of her 20-year life with us, more as a peripatetic lodger than as a pet.

I wish to acknowledge with gratitude the comments, shared information and astute guidance of Marna Herbst of SANParks on the early drafts of this manuscript, the completion of which, at the time, was unfortunately delayed by my bout of cancer.

Without the constant support of my wife, Hettie, who took the photographs in the book, it would never have been published.

To my late sister, Joy S Browne of Sandton, who was a great lover of cats and understood them better than anyone I’ve ever known, I extend the most sincere wish that she and Katinka have at last met and share a special place in the cattery of the Creator.

Dirk Rezelman

17 June 2017, Mtunzini

Chapter 1

The Origins of the Smaller Cats

It is estimated that there are presently some 600 million domestic cats and they are arguably the most popular pets in the world.

Among this number are included the millions of feral cats, which are, genetically speaking, domestic cats that are born in non-domestic environments by circumstance. They are disassociated from birth from intimate human contact and live in colonies, in many cases close to human habitation.

Stray cats, on the other hand, are domesticated cats that have been somehow disconnected from their human homes and owners for whatever reasons. They may join colonies of feral cats, but may also just arrive at homes seeking human attention.

While each town or city may have had its own colony of such feral cats, notably the cats of Rome and the cats at the Parliament of Ontario, their permanent presence poses serious environmental challenges and this while countless thousands of households in the world continue acquiring kittens with little thought to their potential reproductive capacities.

It’s sad commentary that about six out of 10 domestic cats in South Africa have to be put down due to a serious lack of foresight by their owners when they acquire the felines as cute little kittens or they go feral when the already tenuous bonds between man and feline no longer benefit man or cat.

Like dogs, or indeed any other animal adopted by a family, a cat has special feline needs and should not simply be left to fend for itself once the cute and playful stage is replaced by far longer-lasting adulthood.

Then there is the quandary in which the small wild cats in Africa, of which there are five species, find themselves. We have no idea how many small wild cats there are worldwide and their genetic integrity is threatened due to their propensity to interbreed with domestic cats from which, in many cases, they are often morphologically indistinguishable.

This book is about one African wild cat (felis silvestris cafra) that we named Katinka and that spent the 20 years of her life with us. This is highly unusual and our observations on the interactions between her and the environment should prove interesting to cat lovers.

The smaller wild cat species that have been documented are the European wild cat (felis silvestris silvestris), the Middle Eastern wild cat (felis silvestris lybica), the Southern African wild cat (felis silvestris cafra), the Central Asian wild cat (felis silvestris ornata) and the Chinese desert cat (felis silvestris bieti).

In Southern Africa, we also have the small spotted or black-footed cat (F. nigripes).

Some researchers also mention the sand cat (felis margarita) of the North African deserts and parts of the Middle East.

These true wild cats, unlike feral