Anyway, as I pondered adjectival tenses, I heard a very loud yowling sound. And seconds later, a handsome man appeared, leading the most beautiful cat on a leash. (It was the cat doing the yowling btw, not the guy.) They were out for a walk - in the way you take a dog out to relieve itself in the evening! The cat was quite a bit larger than a domestic cat, certainly louder, with very striking markings, and actually reminded me of the Fishing Cats at Singapore Zoo.
In fact it is probably related. From what I can gather online, it is either an Asian Leopard Cat (a cousin of the Fishing Cat) - or the domesticated version, the Bengal Cat. This feline more resembled the former, with the smaller, refined head and weightier body - but I can only guess it must have been a Bengal?
Asian Leopard Cats are actually endangered, but they can be kept as pets with special licenses. The price for this 'designer' pet is upwards of US $20,000. Bengal Cats are crossed with four generations of domestic cats, don't require license, and come in at a far cheaper US $1000. Still, there are many uber-wealthy people in Singapore..
I actually felt sorry for it on its retractable leash. It was such a beautiful, proud creature, it seemed like a terrible come-down to see it harnessed, not to mention the frustration factor. (Hell, EYE would go nuts if taken everywhere on a leash, and I wasn't designed to climb trees and hunt rabbits!) From this perspective I am also rather hoping it was the more indoorsy Bengal breed.
If I see them again, I will ask the owner.
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| Asian Leopard Cat |
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| Bengal Cat |
OK, it's a Bengal Cat (we think). (Phew!) Spoke to another neighbour who knows owners.
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