Monday 21 July Chosen one

Polly settling in to life aboard

It's official. We are the chosen ones. Our new crew member chose us four days ago. She's a 5 month old white and tabby kitten with the typical tail of 99% of cats in Malaysia, shorter than usual and with a kink, and seemingly healthy and well fed. The yacht club has a restaurant and many people working in the boatyard and we think she didn't go hungry. She chose us, or she was trying every cruiser who walked past her on the yacht club jetty. She was waiting for a lift. What makes her particularly winsome? She's very friendly, purrs constantly and loves to be picked up and cuddled. She got me on the first miaow when she followed me the first time I stepped on jetty.

Our thought was to bring kitten aboard for a two day trial. If any of us weren't happy she easily go back to her home without distressing her. In two days both parties agreed. Polly was happy. We were happy. The next step was contacting the local SPCA to have a recommendation for a vet and to set her up with food and litter. We already had litter on board left over from Polly I (our kitten in the Pacific who went to a new home in Tonga because we couldn't take her into NZ).

The visit to the vet was different. We caught a taxi with Polly carried in our large backpack. The lady vet was an Indian lady in a wheelchair with three assistants. Mrs Vet checked Polly over and gave her the approval she was a healthy kitten and most lucky to be going to live on a yacht and travel the world. Polly behaved well – she's obviously used to being handled as she took two syringes of worming paste, an injection in her flank and application of topical flea / lice / parasite without complaint. However, while all this was happening there was a saucer of cooked chicken and jelly put on the table for her to eat. She managed three big helpings before we'd finished. A tip to all vets – give the animals food and they'll associate vet with good things. Now Polly has her pet passport with vaccination record and a date to see a second vet in Tawau in a month for her booster shot and possibly spaying.

Jackster now has an official ship's cat who we hope isn't going to get seasick.