Loy Krathong Night With a Very Nervous Cat

Oishi is a five-and-a-half-year-old mixed breed cat who thinks the outside world is mostly a threat. So on Loy Krathong evening, when our family walked down to the river in Pak Kret with paper boats and candles, I knew he would not be coming. The fireworks, the crowds and the drums would have turned him into a tiny storm of fur. We left him in the bedroom with the air conditioner humming, a cardboard box to hide in, and the soft piano playlist I had started using for him.

Honestly, I felt a little guilty leaving him, but it was clearly the practical choice. When we got home he was still under the bed, but calm, and he came out for dinner after twenty minutes. Next year I will start the piano and box routine a few days earlier, so he has time to get used to the idea.