Animals of the Feline Purrsuasion

by  Melissa 

Cats are mystical, almost unworldly animals.  They deign to allow us to share their homes and bask in their glory.  Those people who have been gifted by being chosen by a cat to be their human know that to have a relationship with a feline is to have a relationship with a being the can operate on another plane of existence.  Cats are unique creatures that confuse and confound the best of us.  They truly embody Winston Churchill’s great saying, “they are an enigma, wrapped inside a conundrum, inside a mystery.”

Cats can lounge for hours in what appears to be a comatose state, and the suddenly and without warning leap up and bolt away as if the hounds of hell were on their tails.  They will always win a staring contest.  They have mastered the ability to look at a being with absolute impunity and leave them feeling lesser.  Cats play with utter abandon and joy with a box, bag, or some other human refuse.  We spend large sums of money buying cat toys to entertain our felines, and approach them with these gifts as if we are bringing tributes to a god.  Yet, no matter the sums spent, a cat will usually prefer the toys wrapper and thoroughly ignore its contents.  Cats can hunt non-existent entities for hours on end.  They chatter non-stop at the birds and squirrels that visit outside their windows.  Most impressively, they are capable of outdoing Superman by leaping over objects in a single bound, zooming through the house at near lightning speed, and dodging human’s hands that try to catch them with the greatest of ease.  In short, they are capable of amazing feats and no matter how many cats you’ve owned, you are often left in awe of just what these furry felines are capable of.  These attributes aside, a cat’s greatest ability is their emotional sensitivity to the humans around them. 

Cats know instinctually whether their human is sad, angry, bursting with happiness, or just simply pondering the meaning of life, and are able to articulate their own mood and actions around their human’s need; whether it be a nudge of support, a playful kitten-like show, or just simply the comforting sound of their purring next to them.  Somehow these beautiful creatures know what is needed before their human even arrives in their presence.  It is as if somehow our cats are tied to us spiritually, emotionally and psychically, even when we are not in the same location with them.  I know that my two frisky felines have surprised me many times over with their ability to just know. 

The emotional bond between a cat and its human is a thing of beauty.  Any pet, but in my opinions, cats particularly represent the highest ideals of unconditional love and the good that it can create it the world.  Cats have the uncanny ability to worm their way into our hearts and souls and become an indelible part in the fabric of our lives. 

No matter your view on felines, there are those creatures that stand out and draw attention to the greatness of their kind.  Aside from my two felines, whom I love dearly, deeply and fiercely, I have to admit that reading Gwen Cooper’s story Homer's Odyssey about her little boy Homer made me take pause.  The fact that this blind cat has not let his disability stop him from living his life to its fullest, to explore fearlessly, and even protect his human from a burglar in the dead of the night is a tribute to the greatness, unconditional love, and inherent joy that can be found in all cats that live on this earth.  If those traits can reside unabashedly in a small, fearless feline, and inspire his human to see her own life differently and teach her about the greatness of a life well lived no matter the challenges, than Homer should serve as an inspiration to all of us.  I know that my two companions, Padauan and LB, have inspired me, brought me hours of laughter, joy and comfort throughout our seven years together, just as Homer, a cat I have only known through someone else’s words has also inspired me.  My girls, and also Homer, have given me the courage to see my own odyssey through new, clearer eyes, though while my eyes may not glimmer with the depth of a cat’s, they hopefully mirror some small fragment of their joy, unconditional love and spirit.