cat
It's been said that people that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life.
Nemesis
My younger sister and I have lived together for two years. With our most recent four-legged addition, we've somehow acquired ten cats between the two of us. Seven of them were strays, four of them found by me, one by my sister, and two found by friends and turned over to us, the local crazy cat ladies. That’s a fact my live-in boyfriend, who is very much allergic to cats, must regret every time he takes another Benadryl or buys another box of tissues. But that’s his fault. He knew what he was getting himself into.
What would you think of me?
If you could understand me, what would you think of me? Would you think that I am as funny as my family tells me? Would you think that I am as caring as my best friends say?
Jolan ShirleyPublished 2 years ago in Petlife
Oji
I currently don’t garner a possession of any animals which to an extent is littered with its own unfortunate circumstance. Though I could regale you with a story of a remarkable animal that has made such a massive impact on my life that no other animal could fill his shoes. In some cases literally.
Unabated LemonPublished 2 years ago in Petlife
Rules of Human Servitude from Your Feline Overlords
The relationship between humans and felines has spanned millennia. Cats have been domesticated as far back as 7500 BC and were venerated and protected by the ancient Egyptians. Humans have tried, somewhat successfully, to tame the Felis Catus while being blissfully unaware that they were actually the ones being tamed. You do not “train a cat”; a cat trains you. At the behest of Her Highness, I have transcribed from “Rules of Human Servitude from Your Feline Overlords” as dictated by Abigail, Princess of the House of Holmes. Apparently, the text is a 4 volume section of the 5th-century penal code, penned by Sir Catalad and written into law by King Arthur. Personally, I think my cat made it up.
Cathy holmesPublished 2 years ago in Petlife
Followed by a Moonshadow
Moonshadow entered my life in the midst of a traumatic pandemic. I was lonely, and looking for my first furry friend as an adult. My family hadn't had a cat in three years, and after discussing with my dad, my mom and I finally convinced him to let a cat into our lives once again. So, I went looking for my cat. It wasn't easy. Cats were popular in these days of quarantine, and I wanted to find a cat that could spend years with me happily. A few weeks later, the rescue shelter called me and recommended a stout and tiny black cat with a white patch on her belly named Big Shadow. She follows the foster family around, like her namesake, and she was mother to three kittens. My witchy senses tingled and knew that this was my cat. The foster family was kind to discuss her demeanour with me, and next thing you know, I was picking her up to bring her home. From the first day, she was curious about her surroundings and eager to connect with me. We were soon fast friends. While I was researching how to adopt her, the song "Moonshadow" by Cat Stevens played, and I thought that would be the perfect name for her. She does follow me around like a Moonshadow. Staying at home from work also allowed me to forge a strong connection with her, and I soon became her chosen human.
Gabrielle CotePublished 2 years ago in Petlife
When Life Imitates...Life
Baby and Gypsy are our mascots and constant companions. My husband and I both work from home, him as an artist and me as a writer and somehow, we stumbled upon the perfect mascots.
The Kitten From the Sea
Long ago there was a kitten born on a boat. His eyes shone bright and blue like the sea on a sunny day. He has a curly white coat with an orange nose and an orange tail. This kitten had brothers and sisters and many feline friends to spend his days with if he chose, as the humans on the boat were not particularly pleasant. Each day the kitten climbed high into the sails, up to the skies and watched the boat journey on and on through the water. The kitten was not very fond of water he came to find, so being up high in the sails was his favorite spot to be. This kitten, who was later to be called Kimchee, became tired of the life at sea at a very early age. He just couldn’t get used to it. He was tired of hunting rats and mice to eat and never feeling completely satisfied if he could even catch one at all. He wasn’t that good at hunting. He was tired of raging sea storms that rocked the boat and sprayed cold, unforgiving sheets of water on to the decks. Kimchee often became seasick and lonely. He was thin and always very dirty. His brother and sister cats on the other hand, loved being on the boat. They had a sailers intuition just like the people down there did. They were gruff and tough and usually stayed below deck in the shadows. From the sails in the sunshine Kimchee watched the other cats as best he could. He watched the people, too. They all wore big heavy boots, striped shirts and had mean, tough voices. They were loud and wretched. One man had a hook for a hand, another wore an eyepatch and one time Kimchee even saw one of them force a man off of a plank. Yes- walked him straight off the plank with the tip of his big, shiny sword. Yes- this was a pirate ship. And a pirates’ life was NOT for Kimchee. The other cats loved the pirates and wanted to be just like them. They were independent and were one among the pirates. But Kimchee wanted the life of a house cat, which he had heard many tales of before late at night when he and his brothers and sisters were very little. He never forgot those stories of the house cat. He imagined himself a house cat. He dreamed of being a house cat. Eating as much food as he wanted at any time. Sleeping whenever and where ever he wanted. Getting his claws and whiskers trimmed gently because they were curly, as he is a high maintanence boy. Getting his hair combed out, for it was also curly and easily became course with snarls if neglected. Sisal scratching posts with high towers and beds on top of each post. Tiny little toy mice with little bells that smelled like cat nip. Even little toy tacos with fish inside. Fish tacos. Stuffed fish and not those that swam through the deep sea. And a seperate embellished, light blue plate for wet food only. And a different flavor everyday. A fat house cat life was the life for Kimchee. Oh, yes. But alas, that really is the life of Kimchee. He has never been out of the house except for occasional trips to the vet. He is a spoiled, rotten baby and everyone loves him. He really does eat as much food as he wants and sleeps anywhere and everywhere, usually on the nearest human chest he can find. Kimchee has always been an inside cat, he is a Selkirk Rex and he has the personality of a dog and a temper of an old and cranky man sometimes. He has one big tooth left in his mouth and a meow that sounds like a very quiet hawk. He is ten years old, and he is one good boy that perhaps dreams of pirates in his spare time, but probably, definitely, dreams of eating wet food instead.
A. L. MeadePublished 2 years ago in Petlife
Just Above the Clouds
Jamie sits in the exam room alone, the sterile air raising goosebumps along her arms as her fidgeting fingers crumple the brochures in her hands. Her eyes have been stuck on the exam room door for quite some time now, and only when the door finally swings open, does Jamie snap out of her stressful haze. The doctor steps into the room with a small bundle of black fur in her arms.
Maia RodriguezPublished 2 years ago in Petlife
The Benefits of Food Puzzles for Cats
We've all seen cats tossing a mouse or a mole about. The good news is that playing with their meals is beneficial to them in more ways than one.
thecatcarePublished 2 years ago in Petlife
Spook Says Early Fall
We have a cat named Spook. She’s ten years old and looks to be a medium-sized black cat until you pick her up. That’s when you realize she’s mostly fluff. There’s maybe four pounds of cat inside that black cloud. When she feels like it, she’s a very sweet-natured, affectionate little kitty.
Bryan Zepp JamiesonPublished 2 years ago in Petlife
Does a Cat Have Agency?
For many people it is obvious that animals (including for purposes of this discussion cats) have (certain types of) agency (see included link to paper and referenced quote below).
Everyday JunglistPublished 2 years ago in Petlife
Cats at Their Most Standard, Humans at Their Least
If you could not locate a particular white, bespeckled, grey haired, woman of a certain age for most of the day last Saturday near Lawrenceberg Indiana and the surrounding tri-state area I think I know where she must have been. I can report with near certainty that she was among the roughly 150 or so of them who showed up at the Region 6 Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) cat show with me, 100 or so other spectators, about 86 purebred cats of all breeds, and around 10–15 plain old house cats.
Everyday JunglistPublished 2 years ago in Petlife
