Juliet's Kenya Days blog

Diary entry by Juliet 30 Jan 1975 –

Caroline Trent took me to her friend’s house and they gave us a lovely black kitten. We named her Cheza because she is usually very playful. Kucheza is the verb for playful in Kiswahili, but we thought that was a bit long so Cheza is shorter.

Stills from our ciné film – Helen with our new kitten.

Letter from Helen to Grandma & Grandad Feb 1975 –

We have got a kitten (if you haven’t heard) called Cheza and she is a pickle. She somehow can jump up on to a high shelf and see what’s up there.

Letter from Judy to Nanny & Grandad 3 Feb 1975 –

We have got a black kitten much to the children’s delight. She gives us much enjoyment with her antics and has settled down very well and quickly. Everyone has animals here as they can run freely all over the compound.

Letter from Graham to Grandma & Grandad 8 Feb 1975 –

We have been given a tiny kitten – all black and lots of energy. It is playful of course and often makes us laugh as it chases a bouncy ball across a slippery floor. It can turn a somersault.

Letter from Judy to Jo 28 Mar 1975 –

Our cat has become a highly efficient bird catcher but I’m glad to say that the sunbirds are too quick for him. He goes round the house each morning and clears it of spiders, daddy-long-legs and moths ! When otherwise unoccupied he sits beside Juliet’s pet mice cage watching them with beady eyes – the mice couldn’t care less – they must have long ago had a fear of cats bred out of them !

Poem written by Juliet 16 April 1975 –

Our Cat

She’s a sharp eyed, keen eared, quick moving, cat. She’s a dozing, a sleeping, all day on the mat. She’s a naughty cat, a funny cat, all soft and warm. She’s a silly one, a stupid one, she once slept through a storm. She likes it in the bright sun, but not as much the rain. She’s a silly cat, a dozy cat, but I like her just the same.

Letter from Judy to Nanny & Grandad 1 June 1975 –

Yesterday we all spent the day in Nairobi shopping, eating and enjoying ourselves. All except the cat who came along too – to be neutered – he didn’t seem to think much of the outing ! It’s strange to think we’ve been here six months already – he was such a tiny kitten when he came and June seemed a long way ahead.

Letter from Graham to Tom & Mary 19 June 1975 –

We have a black cat who is good-natured but we refused to have a watch dog. People leaving Kenya are constantly looking for new owners for their pets but I can’t imagine wanting any dog. One trouble is they get ticks and the owners are forever pulling them off. Cats are able to de-tick themselves fortunately.

Letter from Graham to Malcolm & Frances 9 Aug 1975 –

We have a handsome black cat called ‘cat’. He did get a proper name but no-one uses it. He is most affectionate and often sits on available laps. Judy has gone to have a bath so cat is now walking on my letter to get my attention. I don’t really like animals but this one is really not so bad.

Letter from Graham to Grandma & Grandad 21 Sept 1975 –

Our affectionate cat has come to sit against my legs. He prefers to sit on the writing pad when we are writing letters and a small struggle is needed to convince him he should move. This particular pad suffered at his hand (or rather paw) last week. He was playing with a balloon on the table when suddenly it burst. That particular balloon was filled with water so he got a bit wet and very surprised. This pad and Judy’s trousers also got wet.

Letter from Juliet to Grandma & Grandad 16 Oct 1975 –

Our cat is quite big now and we have just stopped him from killing a lizard.

Letter from Graham to Grandma & Grandad 17 Dec 1975 –

Our cat is little trouble, as I suppose is usual with cats. We all like him and he seems to like us well enough. He’s funny when he sleeps on our big cushions he often lies on his back with his legs in the air. Sometimes he is like a natural cat though – catching birds in the garden, or a small rat once. The children don’t like him getting birds and I’m happy to say it is rare for him to succeed. Judy has seen him approaching birds while miaowing loudly !

Letter from Judy to Caroline & Martin 20 Sept 1976 –

We were wakened last night by vicious catty noises inside our house and on investigation discovered that your ex-cat had crept through our tiny cat door and disturbed our cat’s peaceful slumbers. Although they no longer fight outdoors this invasion of our cat’s privacy was TOO MUCH. His tiny brain seems incapable of grasping the fact that other cats might have the same rights to enter other homes that he has always assumed.

Letter from Judy to Nanny & Grandad 20 Nov 1976 –

We are getting prepared for our trip down to Mombasa on Saturday. We are taking the cat with us as he gets so upset when we go away so it will be interesting to see how he gets on ! I expect he will have a lovely time hunting all the rats in the school cottage.

Letter from Judy to Caroline, Martin, Daniel and Cripplecat 15 Dec 1976 –

The only sad aspect of the affair (our amended travel arrangements to Mombasa – see post ‘Holiday at the Coast’) was the loss of the cat who for some obscure reason jumped out of the van when Graham was getting petrol in Nairobi en route and refused to return or even be caught. As he was quite used to travelling in the van by then we can only suppose he objected to going on his own with Graham. We hope he may find his way back to us but think the chances slim. (He never did turn up).

Diary entry by Helen 8 Mar 1977 –

This evening at home I saw a black cat and went to stroke it. It was just like our one that ran away. Our new cat eyed it cautiously and I was scared they were going to fight but they didn’t.

Letter from Juliet to Grandma & Grandad 30 June 1977 –

Next week our cat is going to its new owner, another teacher on the compound so we’ll have to say goodbye. I hope to be able to take a photo of her before she goes. I expect you know she is a beautiful, long-haired tortoiseshell with lovely big green eyes. Much the nicest looking cat we’ve had but much more independent than our black cat which isn’t so nice in a way but she can be relied on to feed herself which is good because she won’t eat tinned cat food so she often goes without. She is a great softie and if another cat wants to fight she just sits on a window sill and miaows !