There are two means of refuge from the misery of life - music and cats.
- Albert Schweitzer
Think about the most stereotypical image the term "cat lover" conjures up. Female? Spinster/old maid? Piano teacher? Tea drinker with a penchant for brandy? Smells of fish and/or Yardley Rose Talc. Possibly a bit, if not completely unhinged? Sleeps with cat in bed, calling it "my baby" even if it is seventeen years old and a scowling, raggedy ball of fur?
I beg to differ. Actually, I don't BEG, because that is something a dog does. I differ!
Dogs are adorable, loyal, sincere, noble, silly, and I for one absolutely love them. Same applies to nearly all animals except snakes (I have a completely irrational phobia of them since I was two or three, and saw some locals burn a poisonous snake, thereby killing it). But cats - they ARE a higher power. A superior species - yes, even the humble feral stray tabby that hovers around your back garden. I wonder why cats don't get better representation in mainstream Hollywood films. I mean, there was "Marley and Me" but I guarantee that my life story and rollercoaster experiences with any of my cats (Piki and Me, or Bucky and Me, etc etc) would melt even the stoniest heart. And all those films, those romantic comedies where Meg Ryan and some token leading guy fall in love while walking their dogs in the park, or finding a dog somewhere or signing up to an online chat room for dog lovers (U've got dog?). Of course, one of the reasons for the lack of felines in films is that you can't take a cat to the park for a walk. If it rains, your wet, rain drenched ginger cat is NOT going to sit politely under a tree while you smooch the handsome man in the rain (the closest possible scenario was somehow managed by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, as shown in the photo below - though I bet my life the poor orange cat was drugged up to his eyeballs on catnip or valium).
Dogs are adorable, loyal, sincere, noble, silly, and I for one absolutely love them. Same applies to nearly all animals except snakes (I have a completely irrational phobia of them since I was two or three, and saw some locals burn a poisonous snake, thereby killing it). But cats - they ARE a higher power. A superior species - yes, even the humble feral stray tabby that hovers around your back garden. I wonder why cats don't get better representation in mainstream Hollywood films. I mean, there was "Marley and Me" but I guarantee that my life story and rollercoaster experiences with any of my cats (Piki and Me, or Bucky and Me, etc etc) would melt even the stoniest heart. And all those films, those romantic comedies where Meg Ryan and some token leading guy fall in love while walking their dogs in the park, or finding a dog somewhere or signing up to an online chat room for dog lovers (U've got dog?). Of course, one of the reasons for the lack of felines in films is that you can't take a cat to the park for a walk. If it rains, your wet, rain drenched ginger cat is NOT going to sit politely under a tree while you smooch the handsome man in the rain (the closest possible scenario was somehow managed by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, as shown in the photo below - though I bet my life the poor orange cat was drugged up to his eyeballs on catnip or valium).
Cats are a lot more difficult to train (and rightly so) than dogs, even though they communicate with and understand humans much better than most dogs do - provided the human is of the same elevated mental capacity as they are. How infuriating then, that two of the most well known "cat in a movie" instances result in the cat causing trouble or the death of others! In "Whitnail & I", Uncle Monty says of his cat "once again that oaf has destroyed my day." while "Jonesy", Sigourney Weaver's cat in Alien invariably causes the death of the other team members as they are trying to save him from the Alien.
I have always been obsessed with animals from the time I was about four years old. My mother and maternal grandfather have also been mad about animals their whole life - rescuing cats, dogs and any creature that has needed care. As a result, my earliest childhood memories involve my grandfather's dogs, or our cats and even a little baby sparrow. By the time I was eight years old, we had over twelve dogs (all mongrels, of course) and six cats - of course they were all neutered and in great health once we took them in. But amongst the various animals that I have been lucky enough to have in my life, cats have always had a special spot....no, no, not SPOT, because even that conjures up dog thoughts! I have always had a special bond with cats! That's better.
When I was eleven years old, four stray kittens that I had taken in, all died, slowly, one by one, from some virus (which I now know, was probably the fatal strain of cat flu). The pain I felt those few days, holding each little kitten until it breathed its last, and not being able to help it get better has been as great as when anybody has died, or when I have "lost" anything. I distinctly recall having to go in for a singing lesson later that afternoon after the last kitten, a little tortoiseshell coloured one that I was sure would survive, died in my lap. I began singing a little song by Max Reger, and could barely produce any sound, as I was completely choked up with pain. All I felt was sadness and pain in my heart at those four tiny little mites who had been through such suffering and who would not see another day.
As I grew older, I began getting more involved in helping my mum and grandfather at the local vets when it came to neutering stray cats, or getting them treated. Of course, dogs were always around, even to this day, the first ritual every morning is for us to go for a two hour walk feeding stray dogs biscuits, bread and milk. Still, it was cats that got my undivided attention. As they lived and died, I understood more about life and its challenges. You have something one day; you lose it the next day. I also learnt a lot about independence (I love that about cats) and solitude. The happiest memories of my time in Ireland are linked in some way to cats - and I even managed to convert a self confessed dog lover into a cat mad person, as I am! Actually, I didn't - the cats themselves did! Piki and Bucky, take a bow!! Even in the past year, when things have been difficult, frightening and uncertain, I have been so lucky to always be in the company of my feline friends - eccentric, insanely idiotic and as affectionate as them Labradors! Now, back to some silliness after all the seriousness:
Ten things I love about cats:
Purrrrrrrrrrability - sheer music!
The fact that they aren't as needy as people
They double up as hot water bottles and are much nicer to snug up to
Stroking a cat is better than any prescribed anti-depressant - trust me!
Their ability to meditate anywhere and everywhere
Their insane personalities (Bucky would turn up at my front door every night at 7 p.m. and knock on it with his front paw. Think I'm joking - ask my former student who had a lesson at 7 p.m.)
Their love for personal hygiene
Watching them stalk things, people, objects.
Their ability to listen to my ravings, without demanding endless cups of tea or coffee.
How they entertain themselves for hours with the simplest things - paper bags, boxes, scrunched up balls of paper.
Coming back to Dr Schweitzer's original quote - here you go: music AND cats, all on one radio show. Last week's Offbeat program featured the works of great musicians and composers - Maurice Ravel, Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Lennon, Queen, Alexander Borodin and Domenico Scarlatti. They all have one thing in common - like me, they were also cat mad - actually, nearly all of them were infinitely worse than I am, but to find out more you have to listen to the program which you can download here.
