The beast in my life...

Some thoughts about cats:

1. I have come to believe that over time, domestic cats have evolved such that they have the ability to hear the sound that a food can makes when one opens it from incredible distances.
2. I love how cats rub against your leg and purr. It is a wonderfully affectionate and cute behavioral tendency. However, the truth of it is: they are marking territory with the glands located on the sides of their mouth. What seems cute and loving is actually behavior that is indicative of one simple fact: you are your cat's property, and you stink of it.
3. I read a study of farm cats' behavior once, and the researchers broke down a typical day in terms of percentage of time the cats spent doing certain activities. The breakdown was as follows: 40% sleeping, 20% resting, 8% hunting, 8% grooming, 22% traveling, and 2% feeding. I love the 20% resting and 22% traveling.
4. Look - I appreciate the bringing dead animals home as gifts and everything, but it can really get out of control sometimes. My cat likes to leave these gifts on my porch, including chipmunks, birds, and of course, mice. My porch has basically turned into a morgue. Every time I walk out there, I feel like the theme song from Platoon should be playing in the background. I'm thinking of building my cat a depot or a showcase or something - maybe a deposit box.
5. My cat is young and extremely energetic. He does several annoying things, most notably meowing (i.e., whining) when he wants something. This is not a big deal, but it can get out of control. I am currently engaged in a war over this whining behavior. I will not acknowledge him when he whines, and if he persists too long, he gets the spray bottle. I am convinced that we will be waging this war against each other for many years to come. And although I win more than my share of battles, I know that eventually, he will win the war.
6. When my last cat died of kidney failure last summer, I cried for two days. I still cry about that cat sometimes, and I still think he is going to round the corner in my house sometimes. They are truly amazing animals - so aloof and independent, and yet so able to easily etch themselves into one's heart.