Petey Goes to Mongolia—Part I
I received an offer I couldn’t refuse—a trip to a distant land with a dark-headed stranger. With his sultry green eyes and laid-back manner, Petey was the perfect traveling companion until he cried in distress, his piercing voice distracting me from the in-flight magazine. Reaching beside me, I stroked his soft hair until his pleas of discomfort ceased and he once again settled into the hum of the plane.
Petey hails from the Balkans, an Albanian charmer, who loves to snuggle in front of a fire, or so I’ve been told. Licking yogurt from my fingers and sniffing chicken on my breath make him purr in delight.
When Petey’s mother, Jennifer, asked me to accompany him to their new home in Mongolia, I jumped at the opportunity, honored to be called his cat nanny, if only for a week.
Petey (on the right) with his sister, Jasmine
The trip was long and arduous: Mexico-San Francisco-Seoul, three countries and currencies before we reached our destination: a frigid land sandwiched between Russia and China still in the midst of winter, even though they referred to it as spring.
I knew I was in trouble when the preliminary weather reports boasted lows of –17 and –14. When the thermometer failed to move above zero, I placed an online order for boots, gloves and earmuffs.
Petey only had his fur and a sturdy carrying case, a small bag of treats and limited patience. He didn’t enjoy his trip over, but neither did I. Disembarking with no sleep, a blast of cold air awoke me and I pulled Petey close, a kitty coat was not among our possessions.
We drove into the capital of Ulaan Baatar at midnight along a frost-covered road with views of snow-capped mountains. Looking at the barren land with distant smoke stacks I was suddenly alert and curious. What would this land be like??
….to be continued
Tags: cat nanny, cats, cats in Mongolia, delicious expeditions, kris rudolph, Mongolia, travel to Mongolia, Ulaan Baatar
March 28th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
I’m hooked! And so is Petey, who was just enjoying yogurt this morning.