They made it. Both a little freaked out and sick with colds from being in the same place as a lot of other animals, but they made it.
The house we are staying in has huge patio doors and we thought this would be great for the cats—they could watch nature in 3D. Alas, there is nothing to watch. We went from herds of squirrels and birds, birds, birds, to nothing. There is nothing outside of any interest to the cats. There are a few birds, usually the tui, but there are no squirrels in New Zealand. In fact, there are no native mammals of any kind. A few neighborhood cats come by, but just passing and not long enough to get our cats’ attention. It really is odd not seeing squirrels. You forget how used you can get to having a yard full of wildlife. Here are the facts about native animals and plants:
- Apart from two bat species, there are no native land mammals.
- There are no snakes.
- Many species are long-lived: kiwi can live for 30 years, and kauri trees for 1,700.
- Many birds and insects are flightless – they did not need to fly as there were few predators.
- Some species are giants, including kākāpō (the world’s biggest parrot), snails, buttercups and daisies.
- Several trees when young have small, narrow leaves. These only become large when the tree reaches over 2–3 metres. This pattern may have evolved to prevent the giant moa (a bird, now extinct) from eating young plants.
Excerpted from https://teara.govt.nz/en/native-plants-and-animals-overview
Given the lack of back yard wildlife, I am not sure how the cats will amuse themselves. Most New Zealanders who own cats let them roam free. We have not yet decided if we want JoJo out and about. One thing I do not want is a cat with fleas. Nor do I want to wonder if JoJo is okay. He was feral and I worry that he will go on walk about and stay out for days. He is also prone to saying hi to strangers and he would be very willing to be friends with anyone who gives him food. We will see.
A Yank Among the Kiwis 