A Saturday at the Pet Fair with Zeus

Zeus is an eight-and-a-half-year-old mixed-breed cat, and she has never once been impressed by anything at a pet fair. I took her along to a weekend pet market near the Old City because I wanted to look at carriers and new toys before the rainy season.

Tips first. Get a carrier you can open from the top, and do not pay extra for a fancy one if your cat hates it. Zeus screamed in the mesh one, so I swapped it for a hard-shell carrier, and she settled as soon as I put it on the floor.

Second, ask sellers about their return policy on food. Some were happy to swap a bag that smelled off, others were not. Check the date and smell the bag before you pay, because Chiang Mai humidity makes dry food go stale faster than you think.

Last, go early. By noon the crowd was too loud, and Zeus spent the rest of the day under my bed making her point.