Mount Pleasant Pets 2017

21 www.MountPleasant.pet | www.MPVets.pet | www.MTPleasant.pet G U I D E Exotic pet shows or competitions couldn’t be less inter- esting to this duo. Zara is happy to stay in the 3,000-foot enclosure Garritano built for her, complete with a carpet- ed slide and toy mice that he dangles from fishing poles. And he’s happy to share the intrigue of his exotic pet on outings, snapping photos with starry-eyed passersby who are surprised to find Zara at places like Mozzo Deli, one of her favorite watering holes. “She is a smile-maker. I’ve seen couples who are fighting stop fighting and start chatting and smiling together when they see her,” said Garritano. “I paid $15,000 for her and I would spend it again in a minute. I got $15,000 worth of happiness within a few months.” This is the rare case where nam- ing a cat Zarathustra is not overkill. Named after Zoroaster, the ancient Iranian prophet who mentored the three wise men in the bible, Zara even looks a little biblical. “She’s a cat, man. And she’s a chick. She’s got her own thing going on,” said Garritano. As Zara slinks off the hood of my car, Garritano explains Zoroaster’s teachings: “Good thoughts; good words; good deeds. The punishment if you mess up is just try again tomorrow.” Like a feline Mona Lisa, Zara seems privy to this wisdom. Squint- ing in the sun, she looks as fierce as her F1 status implies. This is a cat who would punch her prey to death in the wild; not swat but hold down with one paw and punch into submission. But she is doing good deeds here in Mount Pleasant, laying docilely so diners at Dog & Duck can stroke her. “I just worry about if she ever gets loose,” said Garritano, keeping a close eye on Zara from his shady seat at a picnic table. “You get some guy who’ll come out with his gun like, ‘I’m gonna bag me a bengal!’” Out of his mouth, Bengal sounds like a dirty word. Garritano’s Zarathustra is nothing if not a proud Savannah cat. U