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A Cat Present for Miss Betty1 Betty Hindes “Are there any cats in Korea? I had never seen one,” I asked this question at the Blackhorse Inn at the 19th Field Artillery officer‟s Mess, Son Jur Ri, Korea, 1961. “We see them in the field,” said Lt. Sweet. “I‟ll bring you one next time we are out.” And he did! I was later presented with a kitten on my lap. “A baby kitten for me!” I thanked him as I tried to cuddle her in my lap. “Now you have one of your own. What will you name her?” “How do you say baby in Korean?” “It‟s eggi.” “I don‟t like that. How do you say miracle?” “Keejeok.” “That‟s much better. I think I‟ll call her Keeki for short.” She was a tabby with gray and white stripes, white legs, and a white ruff around her neck. She was very beautiful but not very cuddly; she kept squirming in my lap. “She‟s just frightened by all the noise in here,” Mr. Kwan (the waiter) said as he went back into the dining hall and started serving customers. “You can‟t keep her at Caravelle Hall,” Jodie let me know. “No pets allowed.” “I‟ll keep her for you,” Captain Sandi stood up and took her from my arms. Having a friend to keep her worked well while I was at First Cavalry. I could often visit her in Capt. Sandi‟s hooch tent, yet Keeki never became very friendly. She never recognized me as her mother. She wasn‟t very friendly to the Captain either. Though we kept her fed and provided clean litter, she wouldn‟t sit on our laps. She didn‟t like our petting, nor did she purr very often for us. I was convinced she never got over the terror of her first night. We kept her anyway and provided her with a home, love, and affection. She did like to roughhouse; biting and scratching were her favorite activities. Capt. Noble, my doctor friend, warned me to wear gloves when I played with her: “You can catch cat scratch fever from her if you‟re not careful.” “I‟ve never heard of such a thing; you‟re making it up to tease me. Is it related to the mouse mite bite?” I wanted to know. “Only in that they are both real diseases,” he said. “I keep telling you that the mouse mite refers to a mite that is carried on mice and rats; you won‟t like that bite either. Cat scratch fever causes your lymph nodes to swell. You can experience fever, headache, fatigue, and a poor appetite. You wouldn‟t be happy if you caught one of them. Wear gloves anyway; it‟s better for you.” In mid-January, I was transferred to Camp Santa Barbara. I wrote ahead about my cat; I was informed she could come with me. General Smith said I could keep a cat at the Women‟s BWQ. Most of my belongings were sent northeast by truck. I flew with an overnight bag and Keeki from Alpha 18. Though she was given the royal treatment, she didn‟t act like royalty and scratched me several times during the flight. I tried to reassure her that flying was better than a long bumpy ride in a truck, especially if she decided to run away. She never seemed to understand that a kind lap was better than a kimchi pot.