Update on our Christmas cat
This will be Noel’s fourth holiday with us. At a dear friend’s suggestion, we visited the Clare Animal Shelter. Walking past a cage a paw reached out and touched me. It was she. An attendant brought her to us in a small sitting room. She took control immediately. She is a long-haired tortoiseshell Felis domesticus. Her underside is white the rest is in Technicolor. What color would you like? Black, white, gray, tan, tawny, ocher, brown, yellow, cream? Yes, in patches, areas, and stripes. During the ride home she told us she doesn’t like car trips in a high plaintiff voice. Once here she took over. “This is where my food and water are. There is where the litter box goes. I sleep on your bed and you are welcome to join me. I’d like a perch in that window.”
Dogs delight to bark and bite. They smile and loll their tongue, wag their tail for no apparent reason, salute each fire hydrant and do not use a litter box. Dogs evolved from a few domesticated wolves in east Asia about 15,000 years ago. Those species are now extinct. The new hounds joined hunter/gatherers to feed on scraps. When herding became possible, dogs were helpful in keeping goats and sheep in check. Continuous breeding still goes on.
Cats are not dogs and grateful for that. They are a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal, the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is often referred to as the domestic cat to distinguish it from the wild members of the family. A cat can either be a house cat, farm cat or feral. Domestic cats are valued by humans for companionship and their ability to hunt rodents. There are about 60 registered cat breeds and hundreds of noneof-the-aboves.
They have strong flexible bodies, quick reflexes, sharp teeth and retractable claws. Night vision and olfactory capability are well developed. They communicate by meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling and grunting as well as cat-specific body language. The cat is a solitary hunter but gets along well enough with members of its pride. It can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for the human ear. It secretes and perceives pheromones to leave messages.
10.8 million years ago the feline family tree began. An early group led to the Panthera lineage: lions, tigers, panthers and jaguars. At 9.4 million years age (mya), bay cats, Asian golden cats and marbled cats appeared. Caracals, African golden cats and servals began to appear 8.5 mya. Ocelots, margays, Andean mountain cats, pampas, Geoffrey’s cats, kodkods, and tigrine began eight million years ago. These were followed by lynx and bobcats 7.2 mya. Then came pumas, jaguarundi, and cheetahs at 6.7 mya. Leopards, pallas, rusty spotted cats, fishing cats, and flat-headed cats arrived 6.2 mya, as did the European and African wild cats, the Chinese desert cat, the black-footed cat and finally Felis catus. Agriculture attracted vermin who attracted cats. Farmers appreciated their efforts.
That brings us up to date. Noel is intelligent, self- confident, personable. She often greets visitors at the door and befriends them. Indeed, she has converted several non- cat people to followers. She wants to be an outdoor puss but traffic, fleas, and the safety of tiny critters that feed at our food bank keep her inside.
She is part of the family. She has her schedule: time in her perch in the bedroom window chatting with the birds and squirrels; breakfast; supper; treats; naps.
Yes, cats sleep a lot. Several times a day she shares with me what I call a lap-nap. She sprawls on my chest, I rub her silken fur, she licks my wrist and purrs. Purring is such a stress relief!
She brings us happiness, particularly during this Christmas season. May you find contentment and joy in this best of all seasons. Bon Noel!
She is part of the family. She has her schedule: time in her perch in the bedroom window chatting with the birds and squirrels; breakfast; supper; treats; naps. Yes, cats sleep a lot. Several times a day she shares
with me what I call a lap-nap.