NINE LIVES

DO CATS HAVE NINE LIVES?

    In nine lifetimes, you'll never know as much about your cat as your cat knows about you.

                                                         Michel de Montaigne

Ralph

According to the Internet searches cats do not have 9 lives--if not then how did the myth come about? Possibly because a cat is a good jumper with a flexible backbone, has good balance and reflexes--cats dropped from heights often land on their feet due to a "righting reflex" which allows them to twist around in mid-air usually landing on their feet  People have witnessed cats survive situations that would have severely injured other animals. 9 is also considered a magic number and could also be why cats are attributed with 9 lives as they have been both worshiped and feared for being magical creatures-

In ancient Egypt cats were revered and considered sacred and anyone who killed or injured a cat suffered severe penalties--If a cat died, the family would shave their eyebrows off in mourning and the cat was mummified and buried in linen with jewelry and valuables  Cats were often considered to be gods,which can explain the reverent treatment even in death In addition to the ancient Egyptians many eminent people from religious leaders (Pope St Gregory The Great, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and Muhammad to Kings and Queens and Heads of State (Marie Antoinette, Louis XV, King Edward II, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill) have given cats special places in their lives--Winston Churchill so loved his Marmalade colored tabby cat with white bib and feet named Jock that it has been said that the family could not start dinner until Jock was at the table! It  A story has it that Jock was on the bed as Churchill died His dying wish was that a cat matching Jock's description (and always to be named Jock) always live at his country estate and to this day there is a Jock (VI) who roams the grounds and most of the house at Chartwell, interacting with visitors and living the life of luxury                                          

Jock VI

 Many artists, actors and authors have had cats as pets--authors like Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Cleveland Amory,  Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams  Well known artists who were also said to have cats include Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse There is a large number of actors and actresses who favor cats  Audrey Hepburn, Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Marlon Brando, Bridgette Bardot, Morgan Freeman, Jane Fonda Sean Connery and  dreamy George Clooney to name just a few  

One of Ernest Hemingway's Cats

Audrey Hepburn and friend

Pablo Picasso

                                                     

George Clooney 

Many people dislike or even hate and fear cats thinking they are sneaky, secretive and evil;  associated with witches and even Satan--I have a friend who although I don't believe that she thinks cats are associated with Satan, does not like cats much (I told her that was because she did not know MY cat!!) and I know that she is not alone in feeling that way--I see cats in a totally different way, they are intelligent, independent animals who can also be very affectionate and playful, at the same time they can sometimes be mysterious and aloof and often sleep on average of 16 hours a day

Leave me alone, I'm only on hour 15

---

Cats

(Eleanor Farjean)

Cats sleep Anywhere, Any table, Any chair, Top of piano, Window-ledge,

In the middle, On the edge, Open drawer, Empty shoe, Anybody's Lap will do, Fitted in a

Cardboard box, In the cupboard With your frocks-- Anywhere! They don't care! Cats sleep Anywhere.

 Cats have many unique characteristics examples of which are the ability to land on their feet when falling from great heights, the ability to see in 1/6 of the light that we humans need, highly developed night vision, ability to see color, about 60% of cats are ambidextrous (interestingly though males tend to be lefties and females righties) they do not meow at other cats, only at humans and are  capable of about 100 different vocalizations, your cat can recognize your mood, is lactose intolerant, most "tabby"cats (which generally refers to color and pattern of markings) always has a "M" on it's forehead--there are a number of theories about how this came to be In ancient Egypt cats were called Mau it refers to seeing or light, it is believed that since cats eyes appear to glow at night they are associated with the moon and the marking is said to be related to this  The Islamic belief  was that a cat named Meuzza save Mohammad  from a snake, a Christian theory states that the M refers to Mary--It is said that the baby Jesus was cold and shivering in the manger and all attempts to warm him failed, it was then that a tabby cat jumped up next to Baby Jesus,lay next to him and started to purr, the baby quieted and fell asleep  Mary was so grateful that she marked the cat with an M on its forehead and all tabbies since have born the mark of Mary to remind the world what a comfort the cat was to Baby Jesus--And did you know that a group of kittens is called "a kindle"?!

Tabby with distinctive "M" marking on forehead

Why all the "Cat Facts"?? I really started searching the Internet for information regarding "feline diabetes" as a recent visit to the vet revealed that my cat, who did not seem to be acting like himself, has the disease I worried and fretted and wanted to know about the condition in cats (which is really pretty similar to humans who have it) and what the prognosis was and what to expect (the vet of course gave me all this information but I wanted to know more) and I guess I was hoping that indeed, cats do have 9 lives! He came to us at 4 years old and with the name "Raphael" (Rafael?) I was leery of what habits he had developed in those 4 years, but I needn't have worried because he didn't have any  He is friendly and affectionate, knows where the litter box is and uses it ALWAYS  and of course very intelligent!  We quickly decided that it would be difficult to call "Raphael, Raphael, here Raphael" and sought to re-name him--I wanted to call him Raffy but my husband opted for Ralph and Baby Bird and family all agreed that was a great name! So Ralph he is!--Oddly enough it never occurred to me that Ralph is a version of Raff or Raphael in German, French, Italian and Spanish

After a month and a half I am more comfortable with the twice daily insulin injections I must administer and will next try to learn how to use the Glucometer to test his blood sugar levels instead of a trip to the vet where he spends all day having a 10-12 hour glucose curve done He seems to be improving but of course I don't know what is going on inside and we need to do another trip to the vets office before I feel comfortable checking it myself  I also learned by reading the Internet (at least I hope this is true though I know that you can't believe everything you read online) that cats seem to fair better living with diabetes than dogs do and with proper treatment and attention can live long lives--I still wish that he did indeed have 8 more to go!