Sunday, September 23, 2007
5 am.....
it's 5 am and the cats are all going crazy! that's why I'm awake. they were all running around the house knocking things over and making lots of noise. still are actually.
Itty Bitty just leapt up the back of my chair and left claw marks in my back - not happy Itty Bitty!
am gonna go back to bed and hopefully they will torture themselves instead of me this time.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
More Quotes
Most cats, when they are Out want to be In, and vice versa, and often simultaneously.
There is something about the presence of a cat...that seems to take the bite out of being alone.
In my experience, cats and beds seem to be a natural combination.
Cat people are different, to the extent that they generally are not conformists. How could they be, with a cat running their lives?
Work - other people's work - is an intolerable idea to a cat. Can you picture cats herding sheep or agreeing to pull a cart? They will not inconvenience themselves to the slightest degree.
A cat determined not to be found can fold itself up like a pocket handkerchief if it wants to.
Dr. Louis J. Camuti
Cat Laws
- Always give generously. A small bird or rodent left on the bed tells them, I care.
- Climb your way to the top. That's why the drapes are there.
- Curiosity never killed anything except maybe a few hours.
- Find your place in the sun. Especially if it happens to be on that nice pile of warm, clean laundry.
- If you're not receiving enough attention, try knocking over several expensive antique lamps.
- Life is hard, then you nap.
- Make your mark in the world. Or at least spray in each corner.
- Never sleep alone when you can sleep on someone's face.
- Variety is the spice of life. One day ignore people, the next day annoy them.
- When eating out, think nothing of sending back your meal twenty or thirty times.
- When in doubt, cop an attitude.
The cat's mysterious character
The cat's mysterious character probably led to the many myths and superstitions surrounding it.
Cat's eyes were believed to tell many things – from the time of day to the state of the tides.
Cats were also believed to be clairvoyant, and were used in charms and potions to bestow that talent on people.
Many body parts and substances from the cat were used for healing. The tail was particularly favored. In parts of England it is still used to cure sties.
Nautical superstitions involving cats are numerous. There are also quite a few nautical terms with “cat” in the word – a cat-boat is a small one masted boat; the narrow walk-way on a ship was called the catwalk, and whippings were often carried out using a cat-o-nine-tails.
Cats were believed to both foretell and affect the weather. Throwing a cat overboard was thought to bring about storms at sea.
In the 13th century, witchcraft trials began in Europe. Since cats were often named as a witch's “familiar” (a spirit helpful to the witch), they acquired at this time an evil reputation.
Black cats were most strongly associated with witchcraft.
A book written in England in 1854 stated that a witch could only take on a feline form nine times. This is most likely the beginning of the myth that cats have nine lives.
Some modern day myths about cats still persist. For instance, while cats are extremely agile, it is not really true that they will always land on their feet.
It was once believed (and may still be) that cats could suck the breath from infants. The truth is that they just like the milky smell.
Though they may like it, milk really isn't good for cats. A small amount probably won't hurt, but too much can give both cats and dogs diarrhea.
Many people still believe that a black cat crossing their path brings bad luck.
Cats are inscrutable and mysterious; and can certainly look evil as easily as lovable. But all in all, they are wonderful companions and have been serving and entertaining us well for thousands of years.
Cats are inscrutable and mysterious; and can certainly look evil as easily as lovable. But all in all, they are wonderful companions and have been serving and entertaining us well for thousands of years.this is true - describes our cats!
Cats Going Crazy
woke up to the sound of cats using my bedroom for a playground again - they love to wake me up in the mornings (and in the middle of the night!). Ginny, Axel and Phoenix can be so noisy (esp when trying to leap through closed windows).
Celeborn was in Steffi's room all night rubbing up against her demanding his dose of patting from her - so cute!
Phoenix was in Lily's room some of the night sleeping on her bed.
Itty Bitty is currently having a tantrum due to above cats getting attention - poor baby!
Shadow, Snuffy, Simba and Star sleep outside at night so they are in Itty Bitty's good books this morning!
this is a good one
"Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia."
-Krutch
The Myth of Siamese Cats
Siamese cat myths often tell of humans whose souls have stayed for a time in the body of this royal cat. It is a cat of longevity, and a cat that confers longevity to its owner. Siamese cats don't like to be patronized or trifled with, and their wish is to be with one person, or perhaps two people at one time. Once, in its long history, the Siamese cat was the guardian of the King of Siam's children, and this accounts for the diversity in the cat's vocalisation. No cat has more to say than does the Siamese. If you do not talk to this cat, he will challenge you to do so! If he thinks you are being too quiet, he will put his paw to your lips to make you talk! The Siamese voice is legendary. They speak both with their voice and with their body. They are the quintessential 'people' cat, for they love to be in your lap, on your bed, at your table - and in your heart!
It is said that Siamese were once sacred cats with jobs guarding the Buddhist temples. One day, a valuable cup went missing and a pair of cats was dispatched to find the stolen treasure. After a long journey, the cup was discovered and the female cat stayed to guard it while her male partner went back to tell the good news. So worried was she that the cup might go missing again, that she wound her tail tightly around its stem and it became permanently kinked. For days and nights she sat watching over the prized cup and by the time her partner returned, her eyes had developed a squint. Later she produced a litter of kittens - all of which had kinked tails and squints, because of her vigilance in guarding the lost treasure.
A Siamese princess who, fearing that her rings would be stolen, entrusted her Siamese cat to guard them, placing them on its tail for safekeeping overnight. The cat fearful of losing the rings developed a kink in its tail to prevent them falling off.Link
Quote
Cats are not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, which may have to do with their importance, as deities, to the Egyptians. On the other hand, there are a number of dogs in the bible, which might also explain their abscence. (Charlton Heston)
Friday, September 21, 2007
Bast, Perfumed Protector, Cat Goddess
Bast, Perfumed Protector, Cat Goddess
In ancient Egypt the cat was worshipped as a sacred animal - the mother or creator.
Bast is the Egyptian Goddess and protector of cats, women and children.
She is Goddess of sunrise.
Her goddess duty changed over the years, but, she is also known as a goddess of love, fertility, birth, music and dance.
She has been dated to at least the Second Dynasty (c. 2890-2686 Before Common Era [B.C.E.]). Bast is depicted in art in many different ways. The most common is the body of young woman with the head of a domestic cat sometimes holding a sistrum. Her 'sister' Sekhmet, is shown with the head of a lioness.
In early times Bast (written as 'Bastet' by scribes in later times to emphasize that the 't' was to be pronounced) was a goddess with the head of a lion or a desert sand-cat and was regarded as mother of Mahes, a lion-headed god. She was usually depicted as a cat, or as a woman with the head of a cat or lion.
She was also connected to Hathor, Sekhmet, Tefnut, Atum (her father) and Mut.
It was only in the New Kingdom that she gained the head of a house cat and became a much more 'friendly' goddess, though she was still depicted as a lion-headed woman to show her war-like side.
As with Hathor, Bast is often seen carrying a sistrum. Her name has the hieroglyph of a 'bas'-jar with the feminine ending of 't'. These jars were heavy perfume jars, often filled with expensive perfumes - they were very valuable in Egypt, considering the Egyptian need (with the hot weather) of makeup, bathing, hygiene and (of course) perfume. Bast, by her name, seems to be related to perfumes in some way.
Her son Nefertem, a solar god, was a god of perfumes and alchemy, which supports the theory. She was the mother of Mahes a Lion-headed God of healing. His main temple was at Leontopolis, although he did have a shrine at Bubastis. Bastet has another son in the form of the lion-headed god Mihos.
There is some confusion over Bast and Sekhmet. She was also considered to be the mother of Nefertem, as were a few other goddesses! Sekhmet was given the title the 'Eye of Ra' when she was in her protector form... but Bast and Sekhmet are not the same goddess (unlike Hathor who becomes Sekhmet as the 'Eye of Ra').
This all gives rise to a lot of confusion about these goddesses. Bast and Sekhmet were another example of Egyptian duality - Sekhmet was a goddess of Upper Egypt, Bast of Lower Egypt (just like the pharaoh was of Upper and/or Lower Egypt!)... and they were linked together by geography, not by myth or legend.
These two feline goddesses were not related by family, they were both very distinct goddesses in their own rights.
Bast was one of the older goddesses, mentioned in the Book of the Dead (this was a selection of spells, rather than an actual book)
Crazy Cats
Itty Bitty and Phoenix are crazy today racing around the house getting into mischief knocking things over while chasing each other around.
Itty Bitty has tried to eat the goldfish again - cheeky girl!
Itty Bitty has tried to eat the goldfish again - cheeky girl!
Celeborn
though the cat in this picture looks more like Celeborn who is half Persian and half Siamese.
this is Itty Bitty (grey one) with Simba (ginger one)
Our Cats
They are as follows:
- Itty Bitty
- Simba
- Celeborn
- Snuffy
- Shadow
- Star
- Phoenix
- Axel
- Ginny
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