In theory, https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Кот_Матроскин was surprising to Fedya's mother because he knew how to sew. But of course he does, because on a cruise one can't just run into town in order to get something done by someone else; it's not just his striped pattern that makes him resemble a sailor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Fedya,_His_Dog,_and_His_...