By Rosie Moore

Traditionally, historians tend to think ancient Egypt was the site of cat domestication, owing to the clear depictions of house cats in Egyptian paintings about 3600 years ago. However, in 2004, a grave excavated in Cyprus, contained the skeletons, laid close together, of both a human and a cat, estimated to be 9500 years old. Cats are revered by the Muslims. According to myth in many cultures, cats have multiple lives, mostly nine lives. The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations.

And that’s certainly true of my cats. I do not let them roam around outside, which they dearly love to do, so that when I open a door, their swiftness is astronomical, like a flash of light. But it doesn’t happen often and when it does, I can tempt them inside with “cat treats.”

When I first got them about three years ago I thought they were females. But I found out later they are one of each and brother and sister. Their personalities are as different as night and day. Miss Kitty is lovable, cuddly, and sits by my side wherever I sit. When I get up to go into another room, she goes right along with me. Mister Cat is very independent, not caring where I’m at or what I’m up to, as long as he’s fed. Once in a great while he will jump on my lap and let me caress his cheeks and under his chin for a few minutes like he’s doing me a big favor, not the other way around.

It is said that cats sleep seventeen hours a day. Well, it’s no wonder–all they do is eat, play and sleep. The seven hours they’re awake, they are busy grooming their lovely coats of fur. It is estimated that there are seventy-three breeds of cats in the world. I can only surmise how full Noah’s Ark must have been if there were seventy-three breeds of males and females. Then again, seventy-three breeds probably were not known in his time.

Cats are very intelligent. My cats know the meaning of the word, “no” but “yes” is incomprehensible to them. They can’t shake hands with their paws, or rollover, or do many tricks that dogs do. However, if one has a lot of patience and perseverance they can be taught some things.

I taught my cats not to come in my bedroom at night (If I did, they would keep me awake all night). I keep the bedroom door closed. Miss Kitty, however, will try to sneak into the room whenever she can. When they do manage to sneak in, it’s cat treat time again. I buy cat toys for them which they will play with for a few days, then they’ll ignore them and want new toys again.

I love my cats although I could do without the cat hair. They help keep my blood pressure down!

Thought for the day: “If one is going to live amicably with a cat, and if both parties are going to get the best out of the partnership, a good deal of patience and a certain amount of discipline is necessary on both sides.”  Philip Brown, from “The Cat That Came In From The Cold”

Send comments to: rosemerrie@att.net. Thank you.