Most families have a pet animal of some sort but I wonder how many have thought about what it is that they’ve got?
I have a cat called Spike and this is what I think he is.
Of all the world’s dwellers, a cat is perhaps the most widespread and least understood character of them all. Within wide boundaries, it is of uniform appearance, yet each individual animal has it’s own character and personality which is generally somewhere between Florence Nightingale and Attila The Hun, depending on the cat’s current outlook on life.
A cat can be of any colour or breed, yet it observes the same attitude of independence as has been it’s feature for countless centuries. A cat is an enigma with a secret that has not been deciphered by the human race and never will be until such times as the feline deigns to allow it’s mystery to be resolved. A cat is master in it’s own house and bows to the will of no one yet appears to show a subservience to humans, but only until after it has eaten.
It can be found in, out of, around, on top of and next to houses, farms and dwelling places of humans where it exercises almost mystical control over those beings. A cat can be found on the roof of an adjoining shed when the sun is at it’s warmest, on the softest and warmest seat in the house and under the cook’s feet when some succulent piece of meat is being carved. A cat has many secret hiding places where it can rest in peace or hide when some strange nightly ritual forces humans to put the cat out for the night.
A cat loves play, good food, creamy milk and the softness and warmth of a human bed, particularly a child’s bed. A cat hates cold, snow and ice even though it’s luxurious fur is perfect as a warming blanket against the coldest of nights. In spite of being able to swim almost as well as any fish, a cat hates water and getting wet, yet will play with a dripping tap to the endless amusement of watching children.
As a kitten, a cat is a fighting, spitting, scratching bundle of lively fur only too ready to demolish whatever is in sight and then feign injured innocence as it is scolded and temporarily banished, whilst the mayhem has been brought back under human control. As a kitten, a cat is inquisitiveness on four legs and curiosity with an air of righteousness as it demolishes a newly decorated Xmas tree. As a kitten, anything and everything is a pretend mouse to be chased and harassed over every single inch of house room until it moves in for the kill.
In centuries past a cat was seen as a God, a Devil, a lucky omen and a harbinger of evil and terror. In ancient Egypt a cat was revered and often mummified before being laid to rest in it’s own sarcophagus. In other lands a cat was and still is a source of food for the poor and a delicacy for the rich, whilst elsewhere the mere thought of eating a cat brings revulsion to the fore.
A cat will suffer being picked up, squeezed, pushed and even kicked away by thoughtless humans with no more than a look or pure disdain. Yet when those same humans have suffered a loss or been involved in some tragedy, the cat will unstintingly offer selfless love, affection and comfort matched by no other. In times of stress of it’s humans, a cat is a paragon of virtue and good manners and will freely give it’s love and affection in an attempt to make the human’s life just that little bit better. The softness of a cat’s fur and the mellow sound of it’s contented purring will, in some magical way, soothe and comfort. A cat will bring solace and joy to it’s masters whilst at the same time creating mayhem and confusion while chasing a mouse or playing with children.
A cat will readily forgive, not once but many times, any minor misdemeanours committed against it. But should it be badly mistreated a cat will turn it’s back on the offending individual even if it means living off the land and sleeping in cold and draughty places.
When it is secure in it’s surroundings, a cat will eat it’s food with a daintiness matched only by some young lady at the end of her final year at some exclusive finishing school in Switzerland. At other times a cat will devour it’s food as if there was no tomorrow and growl and hiss when someone approaches, even if it is one of it’s own kittens that hasn’t been weaned yet.
Yet in spite of all the problems that relationships with humans brings to a cat, the humble moggie is adored by most hated by some and tolerated by a few. Yet who could deny a place by a warm fire and a meal to an animal that loves humans just so long as they know their place.