I have always loved animals. My childhood in Kanpur afforded me an opportunity to connect to animals, birds, and insects. Our home was huge, spaces were open and the pace of life quite leisurely. My chemistry with my four-legged friends and the winged ones too have continued to date. My children also have a generally nonchalant rhythm with creatures at large. We routinely stop by to greet a chirpy row of parrots and we commonly have a conversation with the cats who have housed themselves in our Society. You could call it a Methodical creation of our small-town homestead in our Mumbai High-rise. You could term it a mind game of sorts, but our favourite feline is a "Smarty" whom I have called Mosaic!!! It is our unanimous opinion that Mosaic understands everything I say to her and what more her inputs in the repartee are both imaginative and original.
Hence, I thought, let us talk CATS today!!!
This composition comes from the readings I enriched myself with... trying to understand the equation between Homo Sapiens and the epitome of feline grace. I was amazed to note that the Saga is age old. Ancient Races even considered Cats holy! I sum up a few observations of my Research....I think it will make the Coolest Cat blush.....of course, I am sure it would also make interesting reading!!
Cats began their unique relationship with humans 10,000 to 12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, the geographic region where some of the earliest developments in human civilization occurred (encompassing modern day parts of West Asia). Experts traditionally thought that the Egyptians were the first to domesticate cats, some 3,600 years ago. But recent genetic and archaeological discoveries indicate that cat domestication began in the Fertile Crescent, perhaps around 10,000 years ago, when agriculture was getting under way. The Pharaohs highly respected their feline companions, who were also used as religious symbols for grace, poise, wisdom, strength, and fertility. Cats are featured in ancient hieroglyphics and Egyptian structures. They are part of the anatomy of several ancient goddesses, including the goddesses Bastet and Sekhmet.
So, it seems the cat family evolved first! However, it is a different story when it comes to when humans domesticated cats and dogs. This is hard to find out about, but a burial of a man alongside an 8-month-old cat is the oldest known evidence of cat domestication so far, at 9500 years old. The Ancient Egyptians were enthralled with the cat's ability to keep them safe from rodents, snakes, scorpions, and other dangerous critters. They were so enthralled with cats that they took them into their homes and thought of them as part of their families.
There is a story in the Bhagavata Purana about a cat who becomes a disciple of a great sage. The cat, who was a hunter in its previous life, had been chasing a mouse when it accidentally stepped on the sage's foot. The sage, pleased with the cat's accidental act of humility, took the cat under his wing, and taught it about the path of devotion. This showed that Even Animals could also follow the Path of devotion.
The cat is a symbol of Shiva: In some Hindu traditions, the cat is seen as a symbol of Lord Shiva. This is because cats are known for their independent and solitary nature, which is seen as similar to Shiva's renunciation of worldly attachments. Then there's Ganesha Story in which Ganesha learns empathy towards all creation. The story goes that Ganesha maltreated a cat while playing - scratching it and such - and when he went home, he saw his mother's face and body bearing all of the cat's wounds (because Ganesha's Mother was Mata Parvati and Parvati is also Shakti and Shakti is considered to be mother of all Creations). Since that day he treated everyone in creation as he would his own mother.
In Bengal there is a local deity named Sashthi Maata. She is the nurturer of pregnant women and young children, and her ride is the domestic cat. In rural parts of Bengal cats are considered auspicious due to this reason. Evidence suggests that cats have an attachment to their owners and can experience positive emotions such as joy, contentment, and pleasure when they interact with their favourite people. Cats form strong bonds with humans, recognizing them as part of their family and relying on them for physical and emotional support. The give and take are symbiotic.....a "killer charming look" from your cat can definitely melt away your woes at the end of a tiring day.
Obviously, you do not wish your pet destroying your furniture, but have you thought, the scratching is a sure sign of possessiveness and possession. A soulful signal that they love you and their space.
One step to teaching your cat not to ruin your furniture is to provide them a large, sturdy cat tree or scratching post they are allowed to mark. If possible, place it near their favourite forbidden piece of furniture. This way they have something they are allowed to claim as their own. After all, training your cute cat is like training your baby!!
Cats enrich our lives in so many ways. They give us comfort, companionship, joy, and a sense of purpose. They improve our health and wellbeing, give us a reason to get out of bed each day, and even help us meet new people and connect with them. Needless to say, these graceful creations of the Almighty, mew their way deep into our hearts. Their mesmerizing eyes can hypnotise us into giving into their "catty demands" and we willingly cajole them!!Oh yes.....It is all a Feline Fantasy....a cuddly, furry contraption of pure (or is it purr) magic.
