MEET MITSY
Sumi Atapattu's beloved Persian colourpoint Mitsy will turn 20 this December, making him of of the oldest cats in the country. Over the years, Mitsy and Sumi have shared innumerable precious moments together, and Sumi has nothing but words of praise for her affectionate cat.
Q HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR CAT?
As I always liked Persian colorpoints for their intelligence and personality, I was looking for a colourpoint kitten way back in 1998. I was told of a breeder of such pedigreed cats who was in Mount Lavinia and I got Mitsy from her. He was six weeks old when I brought him home. Q WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME YOU'VE GIVEN?
When I visited Germany many years ago, a friend had a cat called Mitsy and he was extremely friendly and affectionate. Since I liked him and found the name unusual too, I decided to call my cat Mitsy. Q WHAT ARE MEAL TIMES AND BATH TIMES LIKE?
He eats about 5-6 small meals a day but never cries for food. He justs sits by his bowl and looks up at you ! He also will never eat his leftover food. He has never been given rice and I am told that's one of the reasons for his longevity. I bathe him regularly. He quite likes his baths and never struggles during them. Q WHAT'S HIS FAVOURITE THING TO DO?
When he was younger, he liked to play with the dogs at home but now, he likes to join in and sit with us when I have visitors and loves listening to classical music. Q WHAT'S THE NAUGHTIEST THING HE HAS DONE? He loves to play with the Christmas Tree decorations and I would always find a few around the tree in the mornings and he would pretend it wasn't him who brought them down.
Q HOW DOES HE REACT WHEN YOU RETURN HOME?
He knows the sound of my vehicle and he is always there to greet me at the door. I have to then pick him up and pet him. He never fails to do that even now. When I get late to come home, he is at the door shouting at me like an irate parent ! Q DOES HE DO ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAT FASCINATES YOU?
Yes . many things. But the most amazing thing is that , he can wake me up at a specific time when I tell him to. It's as if he can read the time! If he gets a bit late to wake me up at a certain time, then he feels quite embarrassed! Q WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT HIM ?
He is gentle, extremely intelligent and very tolerant. He also gives me unconditional love which only an animal could give. Q AT ALMOST 20 YEARS OLD, YOUR CAT IS POSSIBLY THE OLDEST CAT IN THE COUNTRY. WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR HIM? AND WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HIS LONGEVITY?
As he can no longer jump on the bed ( which he used to do until last year ) he sleeps on his cot and is up by 6 am and wakes the household up. He needs to be fed as soon as he wakes up and then he will take a walk around the garden. The rest of the day passes by listening to the radio and sleeping and if I am at home, then he wouldn't leave me out of his sight.
I believe the two main reasons for his longevity are his diet and regular checkups. Dr Kodikara has been looking after him from the time he was a kitten and I owe my thanks to him for looking after Mitsy so well.
His diet plays a major role as I have never given him rice and any type of spicy food. His meals mainly consist of fish and canned pet food although he loves to eat avocado! He has also never hunted any animal like other cats do so there is no danger of contracting any disease and all the love and care he has got from us has also contributed to his long life. Q WHAT WAS THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT YOU'VE SHARED WITH YOUR CAT?
There are so many unforgettable moments I have shared with him but the best that comes to mind is that once when I was really sick, he didn't leave my side for 5 days !