BY CASEY WOODS

He was captured on the high seas, like so many would-be Cuban migrants.

He spent six days on a Coast Guard ship, was fed twice a day, and earned himself a nickname: ''Midrats,'' Coast Guard slang for the midnight rations that are given to officers working the night shift.

The one thing he didn't get: an asylum hearing.

''We did let him visit with his family, though,'' said Coast Guard Petty Officer James Judge.

Midrats is a dog. He was repatriated with his family on Jan. 30 because they were caught at sea. Under the U.S. wet-foot, dry-foot policy, Cuban migrants caught at sea usually are returned to Cuba, while those who reach land usually can stay -- and with them their pets, provided they don't violate any U.S. laws.

Susie was among the lucky ones. The mutt made it to land with the Villadonga family of five in a homemade boat from Cuba in August. The family's little parrot, however, was seized by U.S. officials.

The Coast Guard has no record of how many animals are intercepted at sea from Cuban, Haitian or other migrants, though officials say that it is extremely rare.

''I've been here many years, and I can certainly say it doesn't happen very often,'' said Coast Guard spokesman Luis Diaz. ``The boats are very crowded, and the smugglers are generally more concerned with bringing people.''

Immigrant advocates echo his analysis, though some say they hear of pets making the voyage from time to time. ''This is a very dangerous crossing,'' said Randy McGrorty, executive director of Catholic Charities legal services. ``Most of the time people have a hard enough time bringing their children.''

REPATRIATED PET

So Midrats must have been special, to warrant a spot on his family's vessel. He was picked up 50 miles south of Key West by the Coast Guard cutter Reliance. On the homemade raft with him were 10 men, three women, a 14-year-old boy, and a 15-year-old girl. It's unclear to whom he belonged.

His lineage, and his real name, are unknown. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that conducts the onboard asylum hearings for those picked up at sea, does not release names because asylum petitions are confidential. .

The commanding officer on each Coast Guard ship has the discretion to bring interdicted pets on board, though livestock is prohibited.

''I understand he prefers cats to dogs, but chose to keep the migrants and the dog together,'' Diaz said of the Reliance's commanding officer.

Midrats and the migrants were returned together to Bahia de Cabañas.

Though his case might inspire some jokes -- think ''wet-paw, dry-paw'' -- the migrants faced with leaving pets behind see it as intensely serious.

''Some people say they are not going to leave pets behind,'' said Raúl Hernández, from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Migration and Refugee Services. ``It goes without saying that for animal lovers, pets are part of the family.''

Even those who manage to make it with their pets face the pain of separation.

LOST A PET

Luis Villadonga, 35, brought talkative parrot Cuca and caramel-colored mutt Susie with him and his family from Cuba. After the scorching 36-hour voyage led them to Key West, both pets were confiscated by U.S. authorities for quarantine.

Cuca was never returned.

''They told us the birds were in danger of extinction, so they couldn't give it back,'' Villadonga said. ``We've taken care of Cuca since it was born, giving it food from our own hands, so it was terrible to lose Cuca.''

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent Jennifer English said Cuca is being held in a bird housing facility pending forfeiture proceedings, after which it will be donated to a public institution, such as a zoo.

Villadonga's three young nephews took Cuca's loss hard, especially 12-year-old Jordan. ''He was so upset he had to have therapy,'' Villadonga said. ``He said to me that if he had the choice between coming here and losing his bird, or staying in Cuba, he would have stayed in Cuba.''