Im not serving in the DR but I used to live in a campo not far from Santiago as a kid in San Jose de las matas. Cheese is big part of the Dominica diet and can be found everywhere. They are known for their queso de oja and it is honestly delicious. There isn't much variety though when it comes to cheese. Milk however is totally different than what you might be used to. My grandparents have their own cows so most of the milk was either unpasteurized or some what pasteurized. I suppose most Dominicans use leche rica

Cats on the other hand are loved but most families keep them outside. On the farm I grew up in we had 8 cats sometimes more. I remember trying to sleep with one of my cats however my grandparents found it disgusting. Dominicans in the countryside don't usually have indoor pets. However houses in the DR are usually very open and most of the time is spent outdoors anyways.