“Those who’ll play with cats must expect to be scratched.”
Miguel de Cervantes
I know Miguelito and I have many scars to prove it. But those are love bites and cannot be held against my client.
It revolves around three main occupations: sleeping, eating and playing, not necessarily in that order.
Sleeping is an important (if not the most important) pastime and it is taken very seriously by felines.
First, the cat has to decide where to snooze. There are plenty of nice spots around the house, but given a chance, a cat will preferably pick a very small box to slink in and relax.
Because a cat is vain. We all know that.
Are you implying that I am too fat? I will show you…
Sounds strangely familiar.
No matter how small the box, the cat will squeeze in.
And then look at you with (what else?) a Cheshire cat smile.
Told you so!
As you well know, it is pointless to argue with a cat.
Eating is special too. There are no regular hours. All a cat wants to know is that there is an all-night buffet readily available somewhere around the house.
Because a light midnight snack is not uncommon.
Sometimes, like human beings, cats cannot sleep. So they roam the place looking for something to do.
That’s when you usually hear a loud crash in the middle of the night. Here goes another flowerpot.
In the beginning you get startled and immediately get up to investigate, but after a while you just curse, turn around in your bed and go back to sleep.
What’s the use of getting up?
Cats love to play. And they will play with anything. Unlike slow-witted human beings, cats will have fun with anything that can be batted or tossed around.
And cats can play fetch like dogs. And they are much more acrobatic than canines when doing so.
A cat is a coiled spring that can be released in a fraction of a second. If you can watch this in slo-mo it is a rather spectacular thing to see.
A cat constantly patrols its domain. It is part of the original deal. I agree to live with you, but I am in charge of security. I will check every nook and cranny to make sure that there is no enemy infiltration. I promise you that no bug or rodent will ever break the perimeter.
And that I believe.
Even though our cat has been living with us for the last 4 months and has explored every recess of our abode, she still feels obligated to patrol looking for potential enemies (or victims).
But no rodent (unlike suicidal) would be foolish enough to venture in a place knowing that a cat dwells there.
Cats are amazing creatures. They can be mellow, but when cornered they become as fierce as lions. An angry cat is a rather frightening sight and many dogs have fled (with their tail between their legs) when confronted by a claws wielding cat.
The Irish have a saying:
“Beware of people who dislike cats.”
I totally agree with you laddies. I would not confide to anybody who disapproves of cats.
Meow for now.
Alain
