Cats of the World: Turks and Caicos

“You always told me I wasn’t allowed to pet the strays!” my teen sister said, indignant. “What about all their ‘diseases?'”

“Sydney’s lived a good life,” my mom replied, swiping through more pictures from our recent trip.

And I have. That good life is made noticeably better by the presence of cats.

 

Back in March, my mom, brother, and I took a trip to Turks and Caicos, a British island territory southeast of the Bahamas. The three of us were a weird crew. My mom wanted to take my brother since A.) it was his college spring break and B.) she wanted to go somewhere too. And since I’m currently living at home, I heard all about their vacation plans, so I think they might’ve invited me along out of guilt. (Plus I don’t think my brother was super keen on going on a romantic getaway with his mother.)

The most striking thing about Turks and Caicos is definitely the water. The ocean is all kinds of gorgeous here – no filter necessary. It’s all sea breeze and turquoise hues.

The most enviable lifestyle, in my professional opinion, is that of the feline residents of the islands.

They just wander around finding patches of shade and sunlight to sleep in, getting attention from the tourists and lounging under tropical foliage. They’re lazy, decadent, and entitled, and as a millennial, I couldn’t be more jealous. They’re adorable and I’m obsessed.

 

My personal favorite was a cat I met at an outdoor seafood restaurant. (Yes, she knew how to get the good stuff.) She just mewled at diners and waited to be chucked a bite-sized filet of the catch of the day.

I’m particularly fond of the pictures below, because they perfectly capture her both begging for food and her disgruntlement at being rejected.

 

It was my damn fish, okay?

I think I love cats because they act the way I always want to. Not the yelling at strangers for fish part, but the quietly flitting in and out of a space, sleeping whenever the urge strikes them. They’re social when they want to be, but always on their terms. They disappear as quickly as they came, off to explore some precarious ledge or take another snooze in the sunshine.

Cats are living their best life, and I want to find mine too. (Taking pictures of them everywhere I see them seems like a good start.)

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Are you team “pet all the strays!” on vacation, or do you err on the side of not contracting parasites? Comment belowww↓