Living with humans isn’t always great, but from what I hear, it’s better than living outside. I’ve never lived outside very long. Just that time I was so mad about the kitten, but eventually my girl convinced me to go back home with her.
I did and I haven’t regretted it since. At least she never had many other humans in our home as other humans I used to live with. Before her, I wasn’t as loved and cherished. I was the cat who was ignored. She changed that.
So, if you’re a cat and you’re lucky enough to get a devoted human, take them when they come. Your life will be blessed and much safer than if you have to fend for yourself and on your own.
For any cats, treats are those items they don’t need to help them stay alive. They are those food items which they like to have and may claim they never got them when you ask them. They are small bite size pieces and cats never need much or they could gain weight as many humans can. Treats are something cats like to have when they’re available, but they can get tired of them if they get them too often or too much of them at any time.
Tail expressions tend to be overlooked by many humans. But our tails can communicate in ways our meows can’t. For example, when a cat carries their tail upright, it means they are happy. I know I walk around with my tail upright often. I’m quiet, but I’m still quite content.
If the tail is down low, such as lying straight on the cat’s back, it means the cat is nervous. Nuri used to walk like that when she first went to live with my girl. After Nuri learned how safe her new home was and how good my girl is, Nuri was able to relax. Now she walks around with her tail upright.
A fluffed out tail is a warning. It’s what we do to appear larger to scare off what is frightening us. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it’s all in play. Sometimes Nuri’s tail fluffs out and then she relaxes once she realizes there’s nothing to be afraid of. It was probably all the time she had live outside on her own. Every little sound could spell danger out there.
And now I come to Spot and his very expressive tail. Some humans make the mistake that he was angry when he waves his tail around. He isn’t. He usually is very happy go lucky. In fact, my girl used to recite my name and others we knew to him. Spot would respond not with a meow but with his tail beating faster. It was his way of saying how much he loved us all.
So, pay attention humans. We do use our tails as a means of communication.
Even the stupidest cat seems to know more than any dog. —Eleanor Clark
Dogs are content to please and be good for their humans. Cats know how to get the same care without having to please. They can get what they need and want from their humans without those things. They can be quite adorable. They know what they are doing. It’s no wonder that I can’t say no to them.
A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not. —Ernest Hemingway
Cats have no reason to hide what they feel. They have no filters and don’t care what we really think of them. Humans tend to worry about what others think of them and feel the need to hide how they really feel. Perhaps are right to be emotionally honest.
Fuzzy and cuddly, Mittens worn On hands and feet Going beyond The obsolete Enjoying winter weather Without wondering whether Or not to go outside Because chills might cause Unreasonable thrills, But also learn to Relax and chill, And simply find a way To enjoy this only day No matter what Others say, And remember to Cope with the cold, And never worry About getting old, And express thankfulness For only this Moment in time, Which is the present, And never resent
Happy summer tidings, my dearest subjects. A month has already passed since my last missive to all of you. The active, bird-filled days of spring are gone now, having melted away into the long, lazy days of summer. I have completed my move into my summer quarters, as is usual. In warmer months, I typically prefer the airy solitude of my window sleeping-places over my chair by the fireplace. I enjoy my chair, and my bed, and my servants’ laps, but there is a season for everything, and summer is the season for unbothered napping in sunny windowsills.
Unfortunately, the job of emperor comes with great responsibility, and I have many tasks I must take care of throughout my empire. It is not easy for me to nap as luxuriously and unbothered as I would like these days. There is stress upon me, for we are in the midst of another ongoing assault upon my borders and my sovereignty. But this assault is not, as you might be expecting, the fault of Dog. Are you surprised, dear subjects? In my last letter, I wrote of my plans for an ongoing cold war with Dog. My plans have remained unchanged, and the cold war is currently in motion, the gears of time slowly turning towards my inevitable victory. However, since the wait for this victory is long, and since I must play my cards carefully, I have actually found a use for Dog in the meantime…
My empire is currently under attack by a rogue army. Skirmishers have banded together to try to move into my territory. They come at night, unannounced and unexpected, leaving as quickly as they attack, always trying to take something with them: my birdseed, my soil, my scent. There are two cats who are the linchpins of the affair, dual leaders in this scheme to usurp me. They rush me from my flanks at night, even sometimes during the day if they are feeling particularly brazen. They have enlisted the help of a wily possum who knows the ins and outs of the land and has been scoping out the flaws in my defenses. There is also Doe, whom they have enlisted for her size and speed. I see her running past my territory lines at dawn, always watching, relaying information back to the linchpins so they can plan their next assault. I don’t even want to think about the coyotes in the woods beyond my house. I hear them chattering and laughing at night, and I can only hope and pray that they have not yet been drafted into the battle against me.
This, my dear subjects, is where Dog comes in, an unlikely ally in this affair. As I mentioned before, I previously believed he had ulterior motives, but the more time I have spent with him, the more I have begun to believe that he really is just a cheerful idiot. He seems eager to help me in this battle, so at the very least–for now–I will pretend that we are on the same side and that I have good intentions for him in my heart. He could be trying to play the long game like I am, but he has shown no signs of treachery. All day and night, he valiantly guards my empire as if his life depends on it. He has defended us from the cats, from Wily Possum, from Doe. He has tried to defend us from the coyotes preemptively, setting up a patrol perimeter on the border between us and them. He might be large and stupid and stinky, but he has proved to be a valuable ally in this fight.
For now, we work together, and we will wait and see what the future brings. I do not ever intend to let Dog get the better of me, but he has a job to do for me, and he is doing it well.
I decided I do another interview. This time I interviewed my girl. So, I found her reading a book. She noticed me of course and set the book down.
Ali: What is it, Socki?
Sir Socks (SS): I’d like to interview you for my magazine.
Ali: Okay, what’s your first question for me?
SS: Why did you become a writer?
Ali: I couldn’t be anything else. I started writing about as soon as I knew how to form letters on paper. I always remember having the ability to read and I read a lot even when I was a kid. I found there were adults in my life who refused to listen to me and so I vented by writing to help me cope with their behavior. Writing is like breathing. I don’t know how to live without it. It helps calm me down and keeps me from blowing up at people for the dumbest reasons.
SS: You are a calm human. You hardly yelled at us cats, even when you had good reason to.
Ali: That’s because you are so stubborn and insisted on peeing on the floor because you were mad at me. You still freaked out when I said something calmly to you and knew you were in trouble.
SS: This is true. (pause to stare at my girl) So, now you’re a writer, editor and graphic designer. How did that all come about?
Ali: I started with just writing and learned how to edit my own work. I kept pushing myself to learn how to write a variety of things such as non-fiction articles, poetry, short stories and novels. I’ve put together a magazine known as The Moon for 13 years. It was in the middle of that working on that magazine that I learned graphic design and am glad I did.
SS: Do you still push yourself?
Ali: Yes, I still push myself with the writing. I also find I still need to work on my drawing as it’s my weakest skill. I am getting better mainly because I told myself it was okay to make mistakes and just practice on simpler drawings for now. I know with more practice I will get better at it. I just can’t judge myself while I’m practicing as I don’t judge while I’m drafting. It’s not until I edit that I bring in the judgements. I do tend to judge the drawings I do after I finish them.
SS: (purr) I knew I picked the right human to take care of me and to run my magazine.
Ali: Well, of course you did. You trained me so well that now I can’t live without a cat. Even cats who don’t know me well know they can ask me to give them more food.
SS: Are you happy as a devoted cat servant?
Ali: Yes, you and others have brought me lots of joy. I know you’ve helped me with social issues I seem to have with other humans. Some don’t like how quiet I am, but cats such as yourself never care about such things. You know how much care I was willing to give you that you refused in the end. I don’t regret what I’ve done for any of you cats.
SS: (purr) Good. I’m glad you take pride in taking care of cats and your work too.
I continued to purr as she petted me. I couldn’t ask for a better human.
Dry food refers to the common food cats get when they live indoors with humans. The food is processed and is small bite size pieces of food. For any vegetarian, the food smells awful, but cats tend to love it because of the high animal content. Dry food is also referred to as crunchies because of all the crunching cats do when eating this food.
Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well. —Missy Dizick
Yes, cats are sneaky. But evil and cruel? They could be if you treat them badly. If you treat them well, they can be the most devoted friends you’ll ever have in your life. They can be happy to see you and play with you. But only if you treat them as well as they think they deserve or even better than that.
As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat. —Ellen Perry Berkeley
I’ve never owned a cat. It’s just not possible. I’ve lived with cats and they knew I didn’t own them. I wouldn’t even dare to own a cat. It’s more fun to be partners. It certainly makes playtime that much better for all of us.
Usually a cat mother will teach her kittens how to use a litter box or tray. I know my mother taught me when I was very young. Not that I remember it. I didn’t always use a litter box until after I went to live with my girl. She actually showed me the box of litter and even picked me up and set me down in it. I knew what it was for and used it when I needed to.
Spot was a different story. My girl brought him home and he was much too young. My girl had to bottle feed him. I taught him how to be a cat. He picked up strange habits from her. I was the one who taught him how to use the litter box. My girl was no help with that.
The little guy looked up to me from the start. He was glad to be around an adult cat. I couldn’t stand him at first, but I can be a great example of a well behaved cat. So, I did my best and he learned how to use the litter box instead of going on the floor. It didn’t seem to matter that he had to climb into the box when he was so small. He just did it and buried his waste as he was supposed to. I couldn’t complain about that. Neither could my girl.
Sir Socks Le Chat 