Cat tales
November 11, 2006 | 12:00am
Did you know that when Jimmy Carter was president of the United States, First Daughter Amy Lynn Carter had a First Cat that presided over the Oval Office of the White House for four years? A male Siamese, the cat was named Misty Malarky Ying Yang (such a looong name for such a small furball of a creature, don’t you think?).
President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) came to work with his son’s cat Tabby. Needless to say, Tabby scored a purr-fect office attendance!
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) had a female cat named Jock who sat at many a wartime Cabinet meeting. Jock was such a VIP that it was rumored that at the Churchill household, meals could not start if the little red tabby had not taken her place of honor at the table. The Churchill house was home to other cats: Tango, a red tabby (a.k.a. Mr. Cat); Bob, black and white; Nelson, black; and Margate, black.
Even Nostradamus (1503-1566), the French astrologer who saw tomorrow, saw the need for feline companionship. Can you guess what his cat’s name was? It’s Grimalkin!
Sir Issac Newton (1642-1727), scientist, invented the cat flap for his female cat and her kittens.
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) nursed 60 cats in her lifetime, giving them more than a roof over their heads.
Pulitzer awardee and well-loved (who also loved well) American author Ernest Hemingway (1898-1961) had a houseful of cats. And he knew each one by his/her name/nickname. All 57 of them! One cat just led to another, according to Hemingway who loved adopting cats (and dogs) from around the world. Among them were F. Puss, Dillinger, Thruster, Furhouse, Fats, Willy, Crazy Christian, Friendless Brother, and Ecstasy.
A formidable literary giant, Hemingway showed his gentler, softer side through his enduring fondness for those doe-eyed felines – and canines, says Carlene Brennen in her book Hemingway’s Cats: An Illustrated Biography. Of course, just as legendary was Hemingway’s love for those sleek, two-legged felines. But neither his wives nor mistresses could come between him and his cats. He even had cat nicknames for his wives/lovers: For instance, he called his first wife Feather Kitty, his third wife Kitten, and his fourth wife Kittner. And they all – we mean the cats – lived happily ever after in a four-story tower that Hemingway had to build in his Key West, Florida estate to house his ever-growing family of cats.
Not to be outdone is French actress Brigitte Bardot who had 60 cats.
In her divorce case vs Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger demanded custody of the cats and fought hard for them.
Halle Berry adopted Playto (renamed Playdough) so she could learn more about cats and better play her role in Catwoman.
Actress Cameron Diaz has a cat whom she simply named She.
Rapper Snoop Dogg paid tribute to his idols by baptizing his Siamese cats Frank Sinatra, after Ol’ Blue Eyes, and Miles Davis, after the icon of cool. On the other hand, French composer/music producer Jean Michel Jarre named his cats Woody and Allen after the controversial Hollywood producer/actor.
While there are a lot of famous cat lovers out there, there, too, are some famous (or infamous?) cat-haters. Like Napoleon Bonaparte, Benito Mussolini, and Adolph Hitler. Oh, well, cat-haters will probably get their just deserts by becoming mice in their next life.
Says one sage, "It may be that men with dreams to dominate the world can’t get used to the idea that cats won’t submit to them."
Ellen Perry Berkeley puts it pat, "As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat."
It is believed that thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. And cats have never forgotten this.
OC actress Mischa Barton has this cat tale to tell: "My cat earlier this evening managed to call somebody on my mom’s cell phone, which I thought was totally amazing. My cat is so incredible, you have no idea."
Fact is, some people believe that cats are smarter than dogs. Says Jeff Valdez, "You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow." Mary Bly asserts, "Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later."
This is not to say that cats don’t make purr-fect house companions. Actress/singer Doris Day, who now spends a great part of her day at her Doris Day Animal League in Carmel, California, swears: "You haven’t lived until you have lived with a cat."
While cats may have nine lives, it won’t hurt to keep your feline companions at home happy and healthy. Here are the top 10 indoor catnips, rather, tips which we came across Puppy & Dog Basics (e-mail info@puppybasics.com) on a recent trip to Ontario, Canada:
• Vertical space. Indulge your cat’s love of heights with multiple perches in high places. Kitty condos, indoor climbing trees or elevated walkways make great places for cats to survey their kingdom.
• A window on the world. Let her (or him) feel the sun on her/his fur or sniff the fresh air through a securely screened window. Provide safe access to as many windowsills as possible to allow kitty to have several views of the greater world beyond.
• A place to scratch. A sturdy scratching post makes a good substitute for trees (and furniture) to satisfy the urge to scratch. Pile carpet attached to a solid base that’s at least two feet high works well, but cats prefer material that shreds such as softwood or sisal. Entice her by rubbing catnip onto the post, by praising and petting when she scratches correctly, and reward her with a treat afterwards.
• A place to hide. No cat can resist an open brown paper bag, left temptingly on the floor, for investigation inside out. An ordinary cardboard box, turned on its side, provides a delicious hidey-hole for your cat to sleep or play.
• Confuse-a-cat. Puzzles provide hours of amusement for a bored cat when you’re not at home. Try placing a catnip toy under a cardboard box with cut-out holes in the sides so kitty can reach through to bat it. Or buy her a treat ball, which dispenses food through small openings a bit at a time. You can also let your indoor cat enjoy hunting her own food. Hide treats or kibble throughout the house for her to find. She’ll feel like a real tiger.
• Cat and mouse games you play together. Cats love to chase and pounce. Keep her from becoming a couch potato by dangling irresistible feathery or flappy things on wands to encourage her to jump. A crumpled bit of newspaper tied with a string and dragged along the floor makes a fine game of mousey.
• Catnip Garden. Plant a cat garden with catnip, catmint, and grasses like oats, rye, and barley for your cat to munch on. Use several planters to create a real oasis. Add a cat drinking fountain for fun. Cats may dislike baths, but they’re fascinated watching water trickle from a spout.
• A friend of her own. Give kitty another kitty to play with. She may not take to the intruder immediately (cats are territorial), but most adapt well and eventually enjoy the company. You’ll double your feline pleasure, too.
• Leash training. Some cats enjoy a stroll outdoors with their owners. Train your cat to walk wearing a harness or collar and leash by coaxing her along with tiny treats. Let her get used to it gradually at home before you take her out. Make sure she wears ID tags whenever she’s outside. Also, never leave your cat tied up and unsupervised outdoors, even for a minute.
• Outdoor enclosures. Consider building an outdoor enclosure or run for safe access to outside. Wire netting works well. Furnish it with climbing trees, grasses, and toys to make the space interesting and interactive.
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