STORY OF A CAT MOTHER

A BEAUTIFUL WRITING BY SUDESNA GHOSH

CATS VS. DOGS

Anybody who knows me will agree that I am a crazy cat mother. The truth is, I was one of those ignorant people who grew up saying, “Oh, cats are so selfish unlike dogs.” I said these words after spending barely any time with my relative’s cats and of course, after hearing other adults mutter the same around me. A commonly expressed belief is that cats are sly, uncaring, selfish creatures.

Fast forward to 2012, when I was grieving for my late dog Goti – a member of our family since we’d adopted him from the street when he was barely 6 months old. My parents refused to let me adopt another dog because my mother was diagnosed with Parkinson and had limited mobility and my father was scared of going through the life and illness and death process again. “I can’t help you at all,” she said. And he said their lives were too short and it would be too hard. That’s when I started taking long walks in my neighborhood and took over feeding the resident cats from my mother.

Garby, a cat who my mother and I knew for some years, let me pick him up and bring him home one day. And then a cruel man abandoned a cat in my uncle’s neighbourhood nearby – that was our next addition to the family, Chiki. A few minutes with them both, and my parents and I were love-struck.

Cats and dogs are certainly different in their behaviour and display of emotions, but both species can give you lots of love and affection in their own ways. Here are some interesting facts about cats –

1)     Cats often make a vibratory sound called a purr. Cats purr when they are happy and relaxed. And guess what? Research says that purring can help de-stress us humans.

2)     Young cats love to play. Older ones have bouts of playful behaviour too. They like balls, hair bands, string, and can play with just about any object.

3)     Head butts, rolling around and showing you their stomachs is another way to show affection. As well as bringing you ‘gifts’ like a hunted mouse or bird if your cat goes outside.

4)     It is a myth that cats can be left alone without a worry; they get separation anxiety too. They may be independent when it comes to daily life, but relocating them from their territory for a long vacation or not providing any affection or mental stimulation can result in an upset cat.

5)     Cats don’t need to be taken for walks. Some people try to walk their cats but they rarely succeed. It’s more of a dog thing.

6)     If the cat’s bowl is empty in the middle, he may act like his food has finished. This is a habit that has no certain logic behind it. Some people think it is because cats find it difficult to eat from the sides of the bowl (because of whiskers).

Basically, a cat is a cat and a dog is a dog. Comparison is unfair.