Ollie and Mimi: Marrakshi Cats

Mimi arrived on the roof one day and then moved in.

 She was young and elegant. Soon she was a young mother.

We kept one of her boy kittens, Ollie, who was very curious about water. 

He could stare at a dripping faucet for hours.

Here he is looking young and tough and bold.

Here he is at the top of the stairs leading up to the roof. 

Note the traditional old tiles and the metal lamp which holds a candle.

The silhouette on the metal door is of the  big old cat who lives on the roof.

Here are Mimi and Ollie snuggling together.

Cats

Moroccan cats, like their cousins all over the globe, have mastered the art of taking it easy. Maybe we should learn from them.
Here are two cats who haven't visited the blog before.
The first one lives in the Bahia Palace, and is slightly down-at-heels but comfortable with himself.
Nothing to do but catch some morning rays.



This character lives in Essouira.
He is practicing seeing how very far he can stretch out.

Shadows

These photos are for Shadow Shot Sunday - a very good idea of Hey Harriet's from Australia. Go to her blog for more details.
The first picture is of Ollie about to go up on to the roof - except the ancient roof cat Mr.B is already there.......you can only see his shadow!



The second two pictures are from the terrace at Riad Al Madina in Essouira.



Such crisp, sharp light.



The last two are from the Jardin Majorelle where Yves St. Laurent's ashes were scattered last week.
I can't think of a more lovely place to haunt with the colors and the birds and things growing.
You can see the shadows of the bamboo on the wall.

Cat World

In the past Mimi and Ollie have had the lion's share of photo opportunities.
Below you will find two pictures of Mr. B.



He is the roof cat - very ancient, scruffy and disreputable. Also very affectionate.
However, he isn't allowed in the house owing to his nasty smelly habits.



Here he is trying to clean himself up to make himself more socially acceptable.
Probably a lost cause.
But we like him anyway.



It is kitten season, so yesterday I went on a little tour.
This kitten and his mum live in the metal workers' square near the mellah.
The kitten spent most of his time trying to climb the palm tree and falling off.



This solitary character was sitting beneath a meat vendor's shop where we sometimes buy veggies in Djemma ElFna. He/she was attracting lots of attention from children who he allowed to pick him/her up.



These two tinies seem to live behind the bicycle by the tiny hanut (shop) about 20 feet from our front door.
I haven't seen their mother, though they are given food by the hanut owner.
One of them was wandering around yesterday afternoon and I was frightened it would get run over by a moped.
However, if one worried about all the cats in the medina all the time, one would have no peace at all.



These two slightly bigger kittens were enjoying their mother and the late afternoon warmth outside a shop in Mouassine.

Marrakshi Cats

This is Ollie sitting in the sun on the roof - not looking as if he needs any care packages yet.



At the garden center this character is checking for birds.



In the medina, it is useful to live above a fish shop.



I'm not sure what this yellow plastic cat ( species undetermined) will catch amongst the ivy and beside the Berber tent peg on the fountain in the courtyard.



How stylish to color co-ordinate yourself with your background................



This blue-eyed lovely hangs out - like so many of today's youth - at MacDonalds in Gueliz.
She thinks our offering of one French fry rather stingy.
I am making a small - very small - collection of dog pictures to post in the future.
Slim pickings, I'm afraid.

Cat Soap Opera or Lazy Friday

This post is for Tara who obviously likes cats too........
If you live in Morocco, you will have a very hard time of it if you don't like cats. They are all over the place - relaxing and generally taking it easy.
This group were spotted in Essouira in the late afternoon.

Not where I would have chosen to relax - but catching a little sun near Cafe France.

This cat looks like one on Mimi's relatives, flat out in the garden of the Bahia palace.........

where I spotted this most handsome fellow who had much better things to do than be photographed by me.
As regards the cat soap opera (most of which happens on the roof)
Currently we have Mimi ( main character)
her teenage son Ollie - just now asleep on our bed even though it is past lunch time......but he was out all night.
Mr.B. Senior who is only allowed on the roof because whenever he breaks into the house he sprays on things and is old and ugly but charming.
Add Ginger a sleek, pretty orange and white big kitten - the cynosure of all eyes. Ollie, not quite knowing what to do yet, smacks her in a junior high school sort of way.
Old Mr.B lets Ginger eat his food because he loves her........but she, of course, cannot be bothered with such a scruffy old man.
Added to this there are the "Not-Ollies" a group of young cats who resemble Ollie. Tufty - who is large, tabby with very hairy ears. We don't feed him but he sneaks up when we aren't looking.
He hasn't been round lately.
In the derb there is a cousin of Mr.B's who hangs round the little hanut (corner store) waiting to be offered Laughing Cow cheese triangles which foolish people occasionally buy for him (this means me......)
As noted before, most cats look pretty prosperous. The other day in Essouira a man stopped and gave a kitten a whole sardine - quite a treat.
Each butcher or fishmonger has its resident crew of hangers on. Each neighborhood has cats of a particular color - say black and white or marmalade or fluffy.
I suppose it depends who the toughest tomcats is locally.
Poor Mimi's love life is at an end......the only cat in the derb reduced to wearing one of those plastic collars last spring after she had her operation.
She hopes no one now remembers her humiliation.
She eats now to drown her sorrows.......