How to be a cat's best friend

As the years pass, I am convinced that I am becoming more catlike all of the time.

Please don't get me wrong, I do not eat cat food or use the cat's litterbox, and I don't lay around grooming myself with my tongue or leave little dead critters, such as deactivated mice, on the carpet for my wife to find.

No, this "becoming cat" phenomenon is most evident in the area of afternoon naps. Naps are a cat thing. Cats take a lot of naps, and so do I. Ask any cat and he will tell you that naps are good. Yes, naps are very good.

But we are not going to discuss naps today. No, we will discuss cats and their hatred of anything snakish. 

There is an ancient Arab proverb that states, "A cat, once bitten by a snake, fears even a rope."

I watched Vociferous, my bull puppy cat as he stalked whatever wee beasties should cross his path in our garden. Nothing escaped his scrutiny from the butterfly that wisely flew away upon his stealthy approach to the leopard frog that judiciously leaped into the koi pond, even the dragonfly that helicoptered overhead, just beyond his reach.

Suddenly the cat's hunt was interrupted. He stopped and leaped backward and sideways, almost collapsing onto his side in his haste. He recovered, glanced at me with an expression of embarrassment upon his face, and then, composure restored, he tentatively extended his head toward the cause of his fright.

Cautiously he approached. His head moved back and forth, up and down, so that he might better see the threatening snake in the grass. He stopped; one paw slowly lifted, then, faster than my eye could follow, there was a flash of movement as that paw stabbed forward, tapping the short piece of garden hose coiled in the grass.

What is it that causes cats to fear anything snakish?

A kitten knows that anything serpentine is to be avoided even though it has never been exposed to snakes. A puppy, on the other hand, will approach a snake, no matter how deadly, as though there is nothing to fear.

Could it possibly be that the cat's tendency to avoid snakes stems from its ancient forebears, such as the African wildcat? Those ancestors must have encountered poisonous snakes, sometimes with fatal consequences, but then the survivors told their offspring to avoid the snake at all costs.

Another indication of this deeply ingrained fear can be observed in the cat's response to the hissing phenomenon. Many snakes hiss, thus warning creatures to stay away. 

 If your beloved pet is being naughty, perhaps using the end of your new $3,000.00 designer sofa as a scratching post, what is the response if you hiss? There is the likelihood that puss will leap sideways and run away, thus saving the sofa from any further damage, or not.

Hissing is a snake thing. Cats do not like snakes and tend to avoid them; therefore, hissing can be a powerful deterrent to abhorrent behavior.

Understanding that there are exceptions to every rule, years ago, back in Illinois, my mother was befriended by a walking disaster of a cat that she lovingly called Uncle Timmy. He was a big gray cat, fifteen to sixteen pounds. 

I called him Gimp because he was missing a leg. He was also missing an eye and half of his tail. Parts of both ears were gone due to fighting and frostbite. He had lost enough body parts to build another cat, but I guess my mother thought that he was beautiful in an ugly sort of way.

Uncle Timmy loved snakes. He loved eating them. No snake was safe from him.      

The fact that there were few poisonous snakes in our part of Illinois was probably one reason Uncle Timmy lived a long and snake-filled existence.

I remember coming across him once as he finished a savory serpentine snack. The cat lay in the grass, drowsily blinking as the last three or four inches of a fox snake's tail protruded from his mouth, waving a feeble farewell to the world with little, spasmodic twitches.

From my experience, Uncle Timmy was unique in his penchant for a snake meat diet, but there are other exceptions, such as my neighbor's Siamese that likes to carry small snakes through the cat door and leave them somewhat worse for wear, still twitching on the kitchen floor as gifts for her mistress. These reptilian gifts were not all that appreciated.      

Thankfully, for most of us, cats avoid snakes at all costs. Have a beautiful day, and may your cat teach you.

A CAT LOVER'S PRAYER

Dear Lord God, please help me to avoid sin as much as most cats prevent snakes. Please help me to run away when I hear that old serpent, Lucifer hissing his lies and temptations in my ear. As my cats like to stay close to me, help me to constantly be in your presence because when I am with you, there is nothing I need to fear. And Father, please bless my pets, and keep them safe from harm. I love you, Father, and I thank you for keeping me in your will. In Jesus' most Holy and excellent name, I ask this, Amen.