A long way from home

JUST THIS WEEK, I’ve seen, on two different occasions, people bringing into their homes unusual animals, but I wonder if the new owners know enough about the animals they’ve adopted.

In one case, the new owner is taking care of a species of turtle I’ve never heard of before – and neither has he, but he’s fallen in love with it.

It’s still very young and small. He keeps it in a fish tank with some water and plants and feeds it turtle pellets.

I can see why he loves it. The animal seems very gentle and doesn’t move very much, unlike the young turtles in my herd at home. They zip around their tubs, but this one seems to stay in one place.

One thing I do know. All turtles need some place where they can hide, and this one doesn’t yet have one.

The owner has checked on the Internet, but only to find photos of examples of the species. Perhaps there’s a problem translating the English to Thai.

In fact, translation appears to be the problem from the beginning. The owner tells me that it’s called a “bent neck” turtle, but when I check the Internet, I discover that its real name is “twist neck”. Apparently someone translated the name from English into Thai, and to answer my questions as to its name, he simply translated the name back into English from the Thai, and came up with “bent”.

Talk about back translations!

From the Internet, I learn that the twist-neck is found in the northern half of South America. They’re quite small, reaching only about 15 cms as adults.

In addition, the Internet advises that this species is not suitable for people who have not kept turtles before. The animals require a special environment and special food. If these needs aren’t met, the turtle will develop bad fungal infections.

Will a man who has fallen in love with a turtle adjust the environment? I don’t know. I do know, though, that people who just want a turtle in their garden should stay with a red-eared slider (“tao yipoon”).

In the second case, a man has chosen to keep a Maine coon.

One of the most popular cat breeds in the world, the Maine coon is known for its good temper, intelligence and huge size. Males can reach 11 kilos.

And don’t forget the fur. The breed was developed to withstand the harsh winters of Maine, in the northeast US. Their fur is dense and water resistant, and they have extra hair in their ears to keep snow out and on their paws to assist in walking on snow. Even their long, bushy tails have extra fur for survival in cold rain and snow.

Another owner assures me that his Maine coon can curl her tail around her face and shoulders for warmth or around her rear end for insulation against the cold.

Do you think this cat could be comfortable in Bangkok, unless you plan to keep him in air-conditioning day and night?

Slowly, the breed is becoming popular despite the heat and humidity of Thailand, just like Siberian huskies and other dog breeds developed for much colder climates.

The man who just acquired a Maine coon is fully aware of the heat problem. He’s set up an air-conditioned room just for the cat, but because the entire family has fallen in love with the big boy, everyone spends more time there than in the family rooms.

They’re talking about bringing in a TV and perhaps taking down one of the walls to enlarge the room, so that everyone can keep the cat company.