The Divine Power of Cats

The ancient Egyptians treated cats as earthly manifestations of divine power. Thousands of years later, I have continued this practice.

Gary arrived in our townhouse complex three years ago. No one knows where he came from or how he got here – a 10-month-old stray cat in the downtown core of a major city is a rarity. There were no records of him at the Humane Society either.

I have never had a cat in my life, and we were on a steep learning curve with Gary who was wild and – orange. Stereotypes aren’t healthy, but in this case, it was true, orange cats are nuts. Our first month with Gary was tough. We tried making him an indoor cat, which made him aggressive to the point where we were trying to find him a family farm to live on. Fortunately, after some timely intervention from a few friends and cat sitters, we gradually came to an understanding that Gary would be an indoor-outdoor cat and that we would be his servants.

Now that we have had Gary for over three years, I can safely share what I have learned about cats. Firstly, they are the definition of clarity. If they don’t want you to touch them, you will know and if they love you, they mean it, and it’s special. Everything is on their terms, even domestication – THEY domesticated themselves thousands of years ago.

They have dignity and elegance. When Gary showed up, he was literally homeless but acted like royalty and demanded to be treated that way. Cats know their worth!

Finally, cats are often noted as being biologically perfect and stopped evolving a long time ago because nature determined that her job was done. They are compact and their muscles coil like springs and are supported by an incredibly flexible spine and joints, which rotate with tremendous range. Their reflexes are faster than most animals twice their size, they conserve energy, their senses are optimal and their calm demeanour allows them to self-heal through purring – they are masterpieces!

I focus a lot on Gary and I love him with all my heart. As such, it is only proper to share my favourite cat poem by one of my favourite poets, Charles Bukowski, who I also love…

my cats

By Charles Bukowski

I know. I know.
they are limited, have different
needs and
concerns.

but I watch and learn from them.
I like the little they know,
which is so
much.

they complain but never
worry.
they walk with a surprising dignity.
they sleep with a direct simplicity that
humans just can’t
understand.

their eyes are more
beautiful than our eyes.
and they can sleep 20 hours
a day
without
hesitation or remorse.

when I am feeling
low
all I have to do is
watch my cats
and my
courage
returns.

I study these
creatures.

they are my
teachers.