MORE TOPICS IN THE RETROSPECTIVE SERIES

Much has been written about cats over the years and it is interesting to consider past views in the light of modern developments. For instance, in "Origin of Species" (1859), Charles Darwin wrote "...cats from their nocturnal habits, cannot be so easily matched [bred] and although so much valued by women and children, we rarely see a distinct breed long kept up." By the 1940s, things were very different - there were a number of distinct breeds and the science of genetics was soon to play a part in the scientific breeding of cats.

In “The New Book of Knowledge” (Edited by Sir John Hammerton) (circa 1952) the entry on cats reads: “Next time you have leisure to look at a cat, note particularly its roundish head, the long slender body, rather short but muscular legs, and the long tapering graceful tail. Examine the feet, and see how they are shod with soft pads. Do not overlook the sharp, strong claws, which may be drawn back into a sheath. Then examine the eyes. The shape of the pupils is elliptical or oval. In bright sunlight the pupils are reduced to narrow vertical slits, but in cloudy weather, or after sunset, they are round and large, to admit more light. This enables the animal to see at night, when it goes out hunting. But cats cannot see in absolute darkness. Those stiff hairs on either side of the cat’s nose commonly called whiskers are sense organs, or feelers. Without them the cat could not stalk its prey in the dark, because the hairs give timely warning of obstructions. The senses of sight, touch and hearing are very acute; those of taste and smell are weak. It can hear a mouse at a distance of many yards. White cats with pink eyes (albino cats) are nearly always deaf. [Note: This is incorrect. Blue-eyed white cats are not albinos and are not always deaf]

‘Cat’ is not only the name of our common household pet. It is also the general name of a large family of carnivorous or flesh-eating mammals, including the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cheetah, puma, lynx and a large number of smaller wild cats. The preceding description, slightly modified, applies to all the members of the cat family. The habits and characteristics of all cats are much alike. All - except the lion, tiger, and cheetah - are good climbers. All prefer to hunt at night, and their usual method is to stalk their prey, or lie in wait for it and spring upon it unawares. Members of the cat tribe generally hunt singly.

Scientists disagree on the question of the origin of domestic cats. The earliest records on the subject are found in Egypt, and indicate that the Egyptian cats were tamed 13 centuries before Christ. The ancient Egyptians regarded the cat with superstitious awe and treated it as a member of their families; mummified cats are often found with other relics of ancient Egypt. The early Christian associated it with witches, and the devil was often depicted in the form of a black cat.

Among the different types of domestic cats a few are deserving of special mention. The Siamese. royal cat is the rarest and commands the highest price. Its face, legs and tail are brown; its body is cream-coloured, and its eyes are light blue. The Angora, or Persian, is distinguished by its large size, its long silky hair, and its flesh-coloured lips and foot pads. Most of our domestic cats are probably descended from the European wild cat (Felis catus), still found in the north of Scotland. [Note: This was incorrect; they are descended from African Wildcats]

About 7 years later, “The Book of Knowledge” (Edited by Gordon Stowell) (circa 1959) greatly expanded the section (and corrected the misconception that albino cats are deaf). “All the cats in the world are part of one great family, the Felidae, which includes such animals as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, puma, and lynx. The size and ferocity of the cat tribe vary, but the members have common characteristics: gracefu1, muscular, fur-clad bodies, feet shod with soft pads and sheathed claws, strong, rough tongues, rounded heads which can turned be in any direction, and eyes that seem to glow in the darkness. Cats cannot see in absolute darkness, but their vision in a faint light is better than that of most animals. In cloudy weather the pupils of their eyes are round and large to admit more light, but in bright sunlight they are reduced to vertical slits.

The biological name Felis catus was given to the domestic cat by Linnaeus in 1758. The beginnings of its domestication are lost in antiquity and savages may well have had great trouble in taming its wild ancestors. Its place of origin is also unknown, but it is believed that the Phoenicians, who carried it from Egypt as a valuable animal for trading, are responsible for its wide distribution throughout the world. In various countries Feiis catus interbred with native wild cats and thus gave rise to breeds of new form and colours. [Note: This was incorrect; the breeds are due to mutation, there was minimal interbreeding]

In geologically ancient times, a land connection between Spain and Africa permitted the ‘Kaffir’ cat (a more powerfully-muscled version of our domestic species) to roam over north-east Africa and a considerable part of Europe. This Kaffir cat is believed to be one of the first of our pets’ tamed ancestors.

Among the different types of domestic cat, the smooth-haired Siamese, with brown face, legs, and tail, cream-coloured body, and light blue eyes, commands the highest price: the beautiful, long-haired Angora or Persian cat is supposed to come from Tibet. How and when the tailless cat reached the Isle of Man is not known. Some say it first appeared in Cornwall, others that it is descended from the mascot of one of the ships of the Spanish Armada which was wrecked on the island. Others put its taillessness down to a biological peculiarity. In this category belong the white-haired, pink-eyed albinos, once erroneously thought to be deaf, cats with ‘double paws’ or polydactylism, and the Mexican ‘Hairless’ cat, now thought to be extinct.

The word ‘cat’ occurs in many different languages but ‘puss’ is derived from Pashta (or Bast), the cat-goddess which was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians some thousands of years B.C., probably because cats kept the country’s grain-stores free from rats and mice. Figures and paintings of the period depict cats wearing earrings and jewelled collars, and their carefully embalmed bodies have been found in tombs. When a cat died, it was customary for the members of its ancient Egyptian household to shave off their eyebrows in mourning.

After the downfall of cat-worship in Egypt, it appeared elsewhere in India, China, and Japan, and ‘cat clans’ sprang up in Teutonic, Celtic, and other lands. Pictures of the Norse goddess Freya show her chariot drawn by two cats. In later centuries the cat often suffered persecution because of its association with witchcraft. It was thought to have magic powers, probably as a result of its intelligence, its luminous eyes, the electricity in its fur, and perhaps its unearthly voice! The witch’s cat was supposed to speak the language of its mistress, and one witch, Moll White, possessed a tabby reputed to have spoken in English on several occasions.

The average age of the cat is reckoned as 14 years, but many reach 18 or 19 and some have lived well past their thirtieth year.

The charm and intelligence of individual cats have made them famous in literature and history. Artists like the Swiss, Steinlen, and the Japanese, Foujita, have delighted in drawing them. The poet Thomas Gray pens a charming picture of his cat admiring her own reflection in his poem ‘On a favourite cat, drowned in a tub of gold fishes.’

Her conscious tail her joy declared;
The fair round face, the snowy beard,
The velvet of her paws,
Her coat, that with the tortoise vies,
Her ears of jet, and emerald eyes,
She saw; and purr’d applause.

The Prophet Mahomet held his cat while he preached and Cardinal Wolsey gave audiences sharing his throne with his pet. Charles Dickens’s deaf cat often put out her master’s candle to make him pay attention to her, and Dr Johnson’s habit of buying oysters for his ‘Hodge’ horrified Bowsell. Puss-in-Boots, Dick Whittington’s cat, and the Cheshire Cat in Alice are familiar figures in most nurseries. The British government employs a large number of cats, and a weekly ‘wage’ is provided for them.

The cat’s aloof and aristocratic nature is sometimes misunderstood by human being. As the French writer Theophile Gautier has said, he does not lightly confer his friendship: ‘if you are worthy of his affection, a cat will be your friend, but never your slave.’ Though extremely sensitive to ill-treatment, he cares little for dislike, though capable of great affection. Rudyard Kipling’s ‘cat who walked by himself’ is typical of the whole breed.