Cattish Friends?
Cats are believed to have been ‘domesticatted’ first about 5000 years ago in the Sudan, then part of the Egyptian empire. They were not to kept as pets, but to protect the grain against rodents.While excavating an ancient burial site, archaeologists found bones of humans, cats and mice buried in the same grave in Cyprus.
In ancient Egypt cats were treated as gods; worshiped in the temples. The cat was a very important symbol in the Egyptian religion.
People were compelled by law to care for cats. The punishment for harming or killing a cat was swift and harsh. Diodorus Siculus said: Whoever kills a cat in Egypt is condemned to death, whether he committed this crime deliberately or not. The people gather and kill him. An unfortunate Roman, who accidentally killed a cat, could not be saved, either by King Ptolemy of Egypt or by the fear which Rome inspired.
There was a total ban on the export of cats to other countries, but Phoenician traders stole some and sold them in Europe. In Europe they quickly multiplied and, because of their willingness to kill rodents without eating the grain, became very popular. Because of their good toilet habits people embraced them in their homes.
The Church soon associated them with witches and therefore the devil itself and started a 1000 year cat hunt that would almost exterminate all cats in Europe by 1400 AD. On religious days cats were often thrown off the spires of churches and cathedrals.
The rodent population exploded and the Black Death killed almost 100 million people in Europe as a direct result. Only by putting an end to the killing of cats, the Black Death was brought under control.
It is estimated that the number of stray cats today are more than double that of dogs, but you don’t see them as often, because of their promiscuity and ability to fend for themselves.
You never own a cat. Cats keep humans to pet them. Look well after your kitty; if you don’t he’ll simply find himself another human.
May you all have a prosperous day.
Comments (38)
Yes, I remember. Well, cats have a habit of taking over. As I said, we don't own them. They are the bosses and we the workers.
I visited Bulgaria once, stray cats were all over and pretty cats they were...and I noticed no dogs around
I love cats and I will always love them. They are such magic creatures! Love them.
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Cats are delightful animals to keep. As long as you understand who is the boss. And unlike women, they are insensitive to your crude remarks. And furthermore they don't create atmosphere when they are annoyed. I like women but give me a cat any day.
I have more or less always had a cat. I keep dogs as well but prefer my cat. During the years I had just one cat who behaved as you described. I too had to get rid of him. I just could not get any toilet manners into him. Maybe you were just bad luck with that cat.
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I don't think anybody will dispute that you are the cat woman on the blogs. Best animal to keep. If he would just leave my parrot alone.
Itchy and I do not have that much contact and as such my topic is fairly save. Her current crusade takes her elsewhere.
I must be going senile. I can live with repeating myself but this is ridiculous.
Thanks for the additional info. So many sources on internet, one cannot keep pace with it.
So you gave her away? Mine ran off with one of my best friends. Hell, I miss him!!!
Me not monkey around. Me rather be cattish before I dog people.
Here is SA it is cheaper to feed a cat than to buy rat poison all the time. Esp at my previous house. I lived next to farming lands and we were invaded by these rodents when they worked the lands.
Good blog Catman!
I myself, have been thinking about getting a cat one day. One of those kinda like, big pretty looking cat. And you don't even have to bath them either. Maybe just feed them some times too!....
Then againI I will also have to get them health shots too!... All Snap!
I always tried the best I could to STAY as FAAAAAR AWAY as possible from cats.
We used to have a very nice white Persian cat but I can't stand his hairs all over the apartment!
What! The cat, got your tongue?... jk.
Rats and mice are city dwellers as well and I think CT has an above average population. Years ago I had a staffie and she was an excellent rat killer. She killed one about every night.
I do bath my cats in summer. Been doing it since childhood. If you bath them since small they get used to it. When I was still in my own house, my current cat sometimes climbed onto my body when I relaxed in the bath. He even once played with the tip of his front paw in the water; as if the sample the temperature.
We are out of the dark ages. It is safe now for a single woman to like cats. You don't get burned on a stake for it any more.
A cat that pees in the house must have his tail cut off. Then he will be cured of the habit for keeps. The secret is where to cat his tail off. About an inch behind the ears is most effective.
Are Persian cats very vicious? I once had a half-bred Persian and he was a terror. very possessive as well.
About it. I had a busy day - tomorrow will be worse - and I dozed off while reading.
Yes our cats are the true boss of the household...mine gets annoyed with me and bites...but on the other hand she is very social when she wants and I do enjoy her company!!
There you go....karma at its finest. Kill a cat, get black plague. Hail to the Cat God. If you haven't guessed, I love cats. :)
Mine backchats when I chase him off the bed or the couch but he does have a certain degree of obedience. In my house he was not allowed in the lounge and he never went there - not that I know of.
A black cat? I never had a black cat; nor a white cat. They were always more than one color.
Interesting thing about fur patterns and cats. Geneticists making clones of cats have learned fur patterns and colors is not determined by the DNA but by something more elusive. Cats can be exact clones, but have totally different fur patterns.