Wild cat. That's a common term in some places for cats not kept by humans. Whereas in our place in Aceh until a few years ago there was only one type of cat, namely a cat which is called a wild cat.
Now there are people who buy long-haired cats from the outside. I call it the pretend cat. The long haired cat is not a hunting cat, just a girl's toy. Or, I've seen adult women and adult men carrying them, they keep imported cats.
Cats in Aceh
Cats in Aceh, our wild cats, are partly kept by humans, while others live anywhere, for example in piles of unused building corners. Cats usually don't have owners, but they do live in a human environment. They still need food from humans, whether given voluntarily, or what they steal.
In our place, it's common to see cats scavenging for food in the trash. In a coffee shop in Banda Aceh, we see cats approaching everyone who eats rice every day. Actually cats only ask for fish or any food from animals. We eat rice with fish and the like.
Most visitors share food with any cat that approaches them. The cats were asking for food in normal voices, loudly and over and over until it was given, and some were silent, they just sat and watched people eat, waiting for a piece of fish or a bone to be put down. There was also someone who didn't make a sound but didn't wait, he tugged at the thighs of people who were eating with a pitiful voice.
There are many ways cats are influenced by their own environment. That's normal. What's unusual is that cats never ask for a drink, or that people don't know that cats ask for a drink. Or maybe cats won't ask humans for a drink because they just need less water and drink in a different way.
Cat Drinking in the Toilet Hole
Occasionally we get a cat drinking in the washing water which is not too dirty. Or dirty but calm and the dirt settles. When drinking, cats usually don't care about people passing by, although sometimes they are afraid of humans. As it turns out, for cats, their need to drink water is more important than feeling threatened by humans.
He could scavenge for food in the trash, ask people who were eating, but there was no water there. Water only exists in puddles on the ground during the rainy season, flat ditches, and the like.
As it turns out, the cat that frequents the coffee shop has a special drinking spot that he marks. He will drink in the toilet. It blew my mind.
The cat in this photo, immediately went into the toilet as soon as I came out. Maybe he's been waiting for me to come out since a few minutes ago. Then, after exiting the toilet, after walking about ten meters in the corner tavern room, I remember, "How about I just take a picture of it, that'll be interesting, maybe it's just the cat in here. So I went back to the toilet while turning on my cellphone camera."
It seems that he had had enough to drink, just looked at me and made a sound, maybe he said, he was embarrassed to take pictures. Or, he says, just drink a teaspoon of water in the toilet. He couldn't climb over the edge of the tub to drink the water in the tub better. The edge of the tub is smooth and the tub is deep and large. He really didn't like it when he got wet.
It's the cat, it seems, that usually begs for food from everyone who eats the pet food in the tavern, myself included, I think. Where do I know.
Bring Cat Food Wherever He Goes
There is one of our friends, always carrying factory-made cat food wherever he goes. Once at a coffee shop a cat approached him, he headed to his car took the cat food and gave it to him. In addition, he also has several cats in his house.
I love looking at cats. They are clean animals, always cleaning themselves. However, I will not save it. They will defecate anywhere. The smell bothers me. They also eat stars like mice and bring them home. It's disgusting. If I could speak cat language and command or forbid them with those two things and they agree, I would look after them. However, I can't speak cat language.
Thank you
January 19, 2023
Kind Regards
Thayeb Loh Angen
Caption for All Photos: Cat drinking in the toilet at a coffee shop, Banda Aceh. Photo by 