“You can keep a dog, but it is the cat who keeps people because cats find humans useful domestic animals." - George Mikes
I must admit, cats are my most favourite fur-lined friends.
This week on Monday, August 8th, International Cat was celebrated and I would have been ‘putting on the dog’ if our Kesu was still with us.
Kesu went to cat heaven about 4 years ago at the age of 14 and is sorely missed. She was a skittish sort, a little bit snobby when it came to visiting with anyone she didn’t recognize. She would tear off when the doorbell rang and then come up to the top of the stairs to take a bird’s eye view just for interest sake. She gave a very cool reception to most, but to us, she would stretch out on our laps while watching tv and stay there for hours, lavishing in our love and fondness for each other.
Many years ago I bought a magnet for our fridge that said, “The more I get to know about men, the more I love my cat!” Those sentiments still hold true in my books.
But sadly, I don’t think having another cat is anywhere in my future as I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving a pet alone for any length of time without any personal interaction. In the case of Kesu, she proved she would not have taken to another soul and would have continued to be a recluse even if someone stayed in the house, only coming out of hiding to eat in the wee hours of the night. Ask any one of our friends that was gracious enough to come by each day to make sure she had food and a clean pooping station.
Did I mention, she was not fond of nutritious cat food either and usually turned her nose up at it; she had no interest in human food but what she liked to devour were Cat Sensations and almost every flavor was her favourite. We felt rather guilty feeding her treats on a regular basis, sort of how you would feel if you allowed your kids to eat snacks and candy as their regular diet. Her stubborn personality was stronger than mine and she usually always got her way.
And because of my love for cats, that is why I greatly appreciate our local Band City Stray Cat Rescue and Protection Society Inc. (SCRAPS) organization that tends to the feral cat population here in Moose Jaw. They do admirable work and always need volunteers and financial support to spay and neuter the cats to keep the population at bay. If you are interested in contributing your time or support them financially, please visit their homepage on Facebook.
International Cat Day by the Numbers:
- 9,500 – the number of years ago when the oldest-known pet cat existed.
- 70% – the percentage of their lives cats spend sleeping.
- 20 – the number of years an orange cat named ‘Stubbs’ served as the mayor of a small town in Alaska.
- 48.5 – the record number of inches for the longest cat ever.
- 19.05 – the record number of inches of the tallest cat ever.
- 1963 – the year when a cat was successfully sent to space.
- 30 mph – the maximum speed of a house cat.
A little trivia about cats that you may not know:
- The richest kitty in town, according to "Guinness World Records", is Blackie when millionaire owner passed away, he got a 7-million-pound fortune.
- Cats can not detect sweetness, which explains why they are not drawn to it at all.
According to science, cats only use their meows to talk to humans and not to each other - except to their mothers when they are kittens.
You can visit the website here, International Cat Day (nationaltoday.com)
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
