I’ve been thinking about cats and found out there a fifty-eight million of them in America. In total there are between 600 million and 1 billion of them and 70 different breeds. As predators, they are crepuscular, i.e. most active at dawn and dusk. They can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, such as those made by mice and other small mammals. They both secrete and perceive pheromones, a chemical substance that affects the behavior and physiology of others of their species.
Their lifespan is somewhere between twelve and eighteen years. I had my first when I was ten. I’m eighty-six now and have had a lot of them. If they are waiting for me on the other side it’s going to be a problem. I like cats. They are easy to take care of. There’s no need to walk them, only need to keep them fed and comb them, and the odd shot now and then to keep them healthy.
Cataclysm
Cat ran out between my legs into an open door and midnight. I should go and find him, but he will not come when called. He wears a black fur coat that is not easy to discern. It’s late. The lawns and shrubs have darkened. He is fast and I am slow, and tired.
He slipped out ghost-like
And was gone all night
Came back this morning—hungry.
What is your favourite animal? Or what is the animal you have most feeling for?
Which animal gives you the shudders? Why is that?
Write a poem or a flash fiction about your chosen animal and share it here!
Picture credit: Surabhi Vijayaraghavan via Wikimedia Commons
If you liked this post, you may also like Nigel Wilde’s A Cat and Mouse Game.
I LOVE cats for many of the same reasons as you do, Bruce. Unlike dogs, they are independent, do what they want when they want to. Definitely cats are my fav creatures. More later!