Aphrodite Uses One of Her Nine Lives

Aphrodite, cat, flopped into bed between Jan and I about 2 am soaking wet and exhausted. Cats do not pant like dogs when totally exhausted, but rather lie perfectly still. Aphrodite clearly had fallen into the water, climbed up a piling and now had nothing left. White Pepper was at a dock in Mangoes Marina, Marsh Harbor Marina, Bahamas. We were at the dock to ride out a storm that later became tropical storm Ana and later pick up guests. I had been worried all night that Aphrodite would try to go ashore because of the 6 boats with dogs aboard 5 had left. The remaining dog was too little to scare Aphrodite.

Aphrodite has negotiated docks and piers successfully all of her on board life; however, Mangoes was a special challenge. At low tide it was 4 feet higher than the deck. A south wind blew the White Pepper at least 2 feet off the dock. Then a leap between the life lines created problems with trajectory. I had seen her jump off several days earlier, and she barely made it. A few minutes later she was frightened back onto the boat by a large dog named Mollie.

Mangoes Marina. Note the high docks and wide slips.

Readers might now say, “well just do not let her do it.” But cats do not listen to instructions. They are experiential learners. Besides we could never bare to confine her. She has always been a free range kitty.

Jan and I had comforted our selves that if she fell overboard she could climb up one of the pilings to the dock and then jump back on the boat. When the time came this act must have proven harder than we had imagined. Hard creosote pilings are a lot tougher material than soft oaken tree bark around Beeville, Texas. That night we found one claw completely missing and 5 more broken off . The remaining claws were burred smooth. There was a large splinter in one paw. In addition Aphrodite has gained considerable weight. She must have had a struggle hauling that tummy up the large round piling. I will never know, but I suspect there was more than one attempt before gaining the safety of the deck.

The next night we knew that she could not survive another climb and closed off the hatch despite the heat. Ordinarily shutting the hatch would generate big protest from Aphrodite. This night she rested quietly knowing that she would not be wandering. The next night, having picked up guests, we moved off the dock to an anchorage.