The ancient Egyptians went to great lengths on behalf of their cats. Probably the first people to domesticate the smaller species, they also mummified their cats when they died, fed them as well or better than humans, and even worshipped them. We advise you not to go that far, but it's easy to see how they could mistake the cat's ineffable expression for mystical wisdom.
Well, it's easy if you've never owned a cat. Though at first glance haughty, household felines aren't the noble creatures they seem once you give them a ball of yarn, stairs to run up and down, or catnip. It's not just kittens that go crazy about these things, either, and the whole ball of yarn thing isn't just an old wives' tale—cats will spend hours at a time chasing the ball around, getting tangled in the loose ends, leaping at the undone mass like it's the biggest mouse they've ever attacked.
Domestic pets aren't the only cats, of course. Tigers, lions, ocelots, lynxes, bobcats, puma—all cats, all terrifying, none of them good candidates for keeping around the house. Some people do, but it seems a shame to keep the big felines away from the forests and fields they're intended to rule and terrorize. Anyone who's remarked on the violence of nature probably had a big cat at least partially in mind.
Whatever your opinion of cats, they remain some of the most popular animals, both the wild and the tame ones. We don't want to get into a big "dog vs. cat" fight here, but there's nothing unmasculine about preferring cats to dogs. I once had a cat named Zorro that could and did take on squirrels, raccoons, possums and dogs. A coyote finally got the best of him, but not before years of hard-fought victories.
Besides, God made cats, and as part of creation they're to be admired and enjoyed. We certainly wouldn't worship them (and when it comes down to it, can't really see why anyone else would), but we appreciate their grace, adorable faces (or scary ones, if you're talking about lions and tigers), and irrepressible playfulness. This section celebrates cats in their various manifestations.
Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews
here.
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