There is something magical about the feline essence. They were buried with humans in ancient times, after all.. Life is better with a cat about.
And while of course there are female dogs and male cats, somehow my brain at first has canines be male, and felines female. I can't be alone in that. And shall omit a nice digression into bovine, equine, avian and on and on.
None of this is news of course.
After cats are born, they learn of toilets. Just as well as we do! They will not in good health soil where they shouldn't, and their humans will never have to pick up warm turds with an inside-out plastic baggy, out on the street. Which brings us to..
A healthy cat doesn't smell, nor will their humans smell of them. They diligently make sure of this themselves, too! Imagine a dog spending sweet precious time, much of the day even, quietly reclusive, to present himself at his best.
A dog is needy by default. Cats will not hijack your time like dogs do, they don't need to be walked, also won't walk all over your visitors. They don't need training for basic manners. And while their size prevents them from mauling a child like most dogs can, they wouldn't attack a child like some dogs do in the first place. If a defensive hiss doesn't do, a swift paw *pats!* tends to.
In that regard, no cat will ever kill their human. A fine thing to appreciate in a pet.
Cats are beautiful, and – for the most part – elegant and gracious. Are dogs gracious? Some at least are beautiful, too, albeit from slightly afar, because up close there is that wheezing panting they do, and their tongue a slab of wet meat, spreading saliva on furniture and clothes.
And one of the absolute worst traits God bestowed upon dogs, is their horrible f* barking. Oh my. At cars, at humans, at each other. At trees, at the moon, the sky in general – or I suppose just for no reason, the sake of it. Maybe some pent-up validation issues, what with being cooped up for the better part of the day, and on a leash when outside. Aggressive bursts of repulsive noise, triggering others, echoing in the night, or erupting from behind a hedge you unsuspectingly stroll along. 😐
Trien was the first cat to live with me after I moved out. She taught me many a cat thing, for instance that indeed they learn of toilets after they're born. I didn't provide her with the life she deserved – already just by moving several times – but she got to live a good long second life after.
Irka (Ирина) helped keep me sane for many years.. Pulled off some biblical tricks. People who know me knew Irka.
ζωή was a force of life indeed, and the most beautiful cat I've known. She was the first to settle in where I live now – away from the city, that is, but that didn't protect her from a fossily fuelled vehicle. 😔
Галина & Раиса were siblings so different, both fitting snuggly in the palm of a hand when they arrived, entirely unexpected-/-solicitedly, but most welcome. Of course!
Raja was the runt of the litter, and it showed, in appearance and antics. Her random bouts would often astonish and abruptly alarm all three of us at once. Galina knew and appreciated peace of mind, many sisterly hisses made clear; in summertime in the sun in the garden being chased while in no mood. But she, too, was hit by a car. I assumed, at first, but it may rather have been a silent 🚴 e-biker coming up around the bends at 43 km/h. About silent kicks, it could have been.. ehh no matter.
Because just when I had concluded quirky Rajka of all turned out to be more living proof it really can be in an outdoor cat's character and disposition to avoid and dodge risks on a road.. 😔 Surely we'll agree humans, too, vary broadly in traffic-related, and general intellect. Three cats in succession were killed in some way by the road I live by now, I'll have me know, and this isn't 🇯🇵 Japan, or the 🇺🇸 US, I couldn't stand keeping a cat indoors, all senses dulled, watching what's outside instead of being there. So I suppose I maybe have to part with having a cat about to make life better. 😒
But no, not for now, an unnoticed November 2024 update, for..
..has entered the building. And that's about all she's done since. She may be the least favourite cat I've had about. 😶 Doesn't sound nice, but een kat een kat noemen, oder?
She seems to be.. broken. Traumatized somehow, by someone, sometime? I wish I knew where she spent the first two years of this, her.. 7th, or 8th cat life, perhaps. She's been here for quite a decent while (39 days as I write this) and little ice has been broken still. Which of course is fine, but “her own character” happens to be an extremely aloof wuss, skittish and timid. 🫤 And even her (only rarely received) hiss isn't all that persuasive.
And of course I shan't dishonour her. Her timidity cannot be innate, no cat would be this aloof without reason. At least with her I won't have to worry, at all, about overconfidence on the road! so there's that. Besides, we do exchange highly clichéd heartfelt blinks occasionally. In fact many things about her are highly cliché; she even is the spitting image of the emoji. 🐈⬛