Cats as Friends and Teachers

I have never been an enthusiastic fan of animals or even pets, outside of a large zoo or menagerie. My only experiences with them was my many years of staying with my Aunt Mal, short for Mary Louise, in her small summer home in Northern New Jersey, near a lake during the summers of 1954-62. During the rest of the year, Mal lived with her younger sister, Jennie in a Brownstone building in the upper East side of New York City, a block’s walk from Gracie Mansion, the home of the mayor.

I really enjoyed spending those summers with her. My parents did too because they did not have me hanging around their house whining how boring life in the hot city was. Since she was virtually alone most of the other time, Mal had always had a pet to care for. She had a fondness for stray cats and dogs and always seemed to have one or two of them, strolling around her homes.

I still have a vision of a black and white cat, whom she named Tommy. Tommy’s breed of feline was often known as tuxedo or bicolor cats, which were always a popular breed of felines. Tommy was a stray whom my aunt found, literally on her doorstep when I was 11 years old.

Since then, my interest in cats has been mainly superficial. I did see the play Cats on Broadway, more than once over the years and was unduly impressed with the human imagination, which went into creating such memorial characters as the anthropomorphic Jellicle Cats, who had such colorful names as Jellylorum, and Jennyanydots. Who could forget its villain, Macavity, a.k.a. The Mystery Cat, a notorious criminal, known as the Napoleon of Crime.

Cats was based on T. S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. The Musical tells the tale, or should I say tails of a clowder of cats? Eliot called his cats, the Jellicle, and underscored the night they made the Jellicle choice, by deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer* and come back to a new life.

The play, which was written and composed by the English composer and impresario of musical theatre, Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Since its 1981 debut, it has always been a favorite of playgoers. Thus, it is no surprise to me that it still running on The Great White Way as I write.

The best theatrical rendition of cats in a mainstream film was the performance of Robert DeNiro’s cat, Jinx, in Meet the Parents. Jinx nearly steals the film as DeNiro’s humoresque companion. DeNiro’s character considered cats to be far superior to dogs as pets and companions. The cat’s mischievous behavior leads to many funny moments in the film. Through their interactions with Jinx, the characters reveal their true personalities. 

In truth, domestic cats have always enjoyed an important part in our daily culture, not to mention, our language. Often paired with their canine rivals in the animal kingdom, cats are part of the daily idiom with such colorful phrases as: It is raining cats and dogs, Cool Cat, Cat nap, Play cat and mouse, Copycat crime, Herd of Cats and Cat got your tongue. Two of them have a special meaning for me. While the cat is away, the mice will play,** and Like a cat on a hot tin roof. ***  

In studying cats, certain feline traits, such as curiosity, secrecy and comfort stand out. One of my favorites has always been Curiosity killed the cat. I took this one personal because as a historian, I have always been curious as to why things have happened as they have over the centuries. Historians ask questions about just about everything. If we were all to stop asking Why, there would be a lot less history written. While many students might utter a good riddance, I believe the world would have lost a great means to tell its story for posterity.

To date, I have yet to see a cat who was not curious, despite its possible risks. Their peeking into nooks and crannies and their playful chasing of their own shadows encourages us to explore the world around us, ask questions which may lead to new adventures, insights, and personal growth. Cats can easily find joy in simplicity. However, I have never seen any statistics on the mortality of curious cats.

Cats have also been known as mysterious and graceful critters with a keen sense of self-importance and independence. As Eliot depicted in his poem and Webber did in his musical, as fascinating as they are by themselves, they reach for a much higher dimension as a group or clowder.

From feral colonies to domestic households with multiple feline companions, cats can exhibit complicated relationships and interactions that have given rise to a collective noun specific to those captivating beings. To date, just under a 100 of these names exist from Cattitudefest and Furrytangle to Pouncefest and Mischief.

Author Maureen Fiedler raised the question of a cat’s spirituality in a 2018 essay for NCR. Entitled The Spirituality of Cats, Fiedler mused about her feline friends, beginning with her long-time companion, Einstein, a classic orange cat, who was then purring along at the age of 18-plus years. He had lost a rear leg to cancer years before, but hobbles around just fine. In human years he would have been 88 years old.****

Just like an old man, Einstein curls up on her bed and lays near her head every night. His spirituality is quiet, contemplative, and cuddly. Then there is Cleopatra, or Cleo for short, a black and white smart aleck who arrived in the arms of a neighbor years ago. Maureen could not resist her charms.

While she often wonders just how a cat can be spiritual, Maureen notes that Cleo seems to be reflective. Maureen silently sits watching Cleo as she stares out the screen door, supposedly immersing herself in the nature outside. Maureen admits that she was probably thinking about the birds sitting on a tree branch. Meanwhile Einstein is back on her bed again sleeping as he does most of the day. He has always been a sweetheart, showing a kindness that could very well be called a virtue in humans.

Aria authored an essay last July, entitled What Cats can Teach Us: 20 Life lessons from our Feline Friends. Not only do cats have a graceful, almost royal demeanor and mysterious lure, they can teach us some valuable lessons that often resonate with simplicity and mindfulness. A quiet observation of cats at work, play and relaxation can transform our daily lives.

Yes, I know this whole idea smacks more the imagination of humans than any feline ability to think and reflect, but I believe we humans can learn a good deal about our friends in the lower animal kingdom and secondly they can also teach us many things about our enjoying good relations with each other. 

Cats can also open up many things, for us, such as the arts of patience, relaxation, self-sufficiency, mindfulness, the joy of personal space, persistence, as well as how to be independent in the face of adversity and my favorite, which is how to be playful at any age.

Cats not only understand and exhibit the essence of patience and the art of relaxation, but they also embody many other principles which can transform our daily lives. If we attentively watch, listen and follow their behaviors and habits, we can uncover the wisdom that is hidden in their gentle purrs and playful paws. 

It is also my belief that no other species of animal has mastered the gentle art of relaxation as cats. They remind us that taking a break from our daily regimen is a very healthy thing to do. Rest and rejuvenation can enhance our creativity, improve our mood, and boost our overall health.

It is Biblical truth that God gave us a legion of animals for us to use for our personal betterment and not just our food. A Pastor David found 20 Verses about cats with commentary in the Bible. He first clarifies that while the Bible never mentions felines, it has many quotes that speak to themes, like animals, creation and how God values all creatures, including cats who reflect His creativity and maybe His mind better than any other four-footed creature. Job 12:7-10 asks us to ask the animals, and they will teach us that the hand of the Lord has done all this. 

We will also learn that God’s goodness extends to all his creations.  This encourages us to view animals, including cats as part of God’s kindness and compassion. In Genesis 1, God reminds humans that they have stewardship and dominion over the animal kingdom which reflects his loving care for all of us. Matthew 6:26 reminds us that just like the animal kingdom which God presides over is taken care, He will never forsake us because we are much more valuable than they are.

One thing I have always marveled at with cats is their independent spirits and ability to be comfortable with their own company. They do not seem to mind being alone and seem to have a profound confidence in their own self-worth, and unafraid of making decisions without an undue reliance on human. Their persistence ranks with that of a persistent child.  

The trait I love the most in cats is their fearless pursuit of the spirit of playfulness which can happen at any age, but with humans seems to disappear perilously after they reach puberty. Watching cats at play is a wonderful way for us to keep our spirits young and our minds sharp at any age. Cats actively demonstrate that we are never too old to enjoy a playful romp in the yard or seek an adventure in the forest. 

Cats also teach us to find delight in everyday activities, and this involves embracing change rather than resisting it and incorporating fun into our daily routines. I doubt if a cat will ever die from a heart attack, brought on by stress. They inherently know and enjoy the elixir of restorative sleep. In other words, they know when not to overdo and cheat their bodies out of its necessary rest. Cats are also very trusting, but not as vulnerable as dogs. They can instinctively tell when someone is a threat to their well-being.  

Most humans do not like changes in their personal lives. I know I don’t, but change is a constant in life. No species demonstrates adaptability to their changing circumstances better than cats. Watching a cat adapt to new environs is very instructive. Cats are also very resilient. This is a trait which can enhance our ability to navigate life’s unpredictable nature. Watching a cat acclimate to its new environs shows us the importance of being flexible and open to new experiences. 

And finally, I love to watch a cat sleeping in the sun. This reflects the idea that cats know enough to follow the light and sleep in a warm place, which will double the restorative traits of rest. Humans need to also follow the light, not just of the sun but of God’s infinite truth and love for all His creatures. It also demonstrates that cats are always living in the moment, even when they are sleeping. They savor each and every tick of the clock, whether resting in the sun or enjoying a friendly petting. 

A cat’s appreciation for the present and the now reduces anxiety and helps to foster contentment and trust in the future. I doubt if a cat ever got an ulcer. By living in the moment, like cats, we can live our lives more fully, joy as our feline friends do, finding joy in the here and now. This is something that God has willed for all his creatures. We are the only ones who find this hard to do. Thanks to our cat friends, I believe the remedy is right there in front of us, sleeping in front of the fire.

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*’The Heaviside Layer’ is interpreted to mean a heavenly place of rebirth where cats, who were selected by ‘Old Deuteronomy,’ go.

**This was one of my seven lines in an 8^th Grade Play, the only acting credit I ever received.

*** Adapted from the Broadway Play, Cat on a Hot Tine Roof. Actress Elizabeth Taylor played the lead character, Maggie the Cat.

**** After one year a cat is supposed to be 15 and 24 at his second birthday. From that point the ratio stays at 4:1, so Einstein would be 88. The scale I found is different for dogs which seems to be a ratio of 7-1 for human years to a dog year.