I am an Ailurophile

Now if I do not write about cats, what is this blog of mine!

Ailurophile, the word means a lover of cats. No points for guessing 😉

The white fluffy feline you see above is my fascination, muse, emotional support, stress buster, cuddle buddy, mood elevator… I can literally add more to these adjectives but with the given, we can come to a conclusion that she is more than a pet to me! Unfortunately, she is beyond an ocean, away from me but I am happy that she is giving all her love to my nephew, niece, sis and my folks. Her naughty stories, playful attitude, stand-offish nature with the kids and everyone else plus videos and pics always brings a smile to my face.

When someone knows this attribute of mine, they are quick to ask about the age old question of why not dogs rather than cats? Well, you see it’s a personal choice of what you like/love. I love cats and I like dogs as well. Growing up I had a Pomeranian – Julie, whom I loved to bits. But it is a sad story and am not gonna elaborate on that, as I want this to be a feel good post. For a love that is unconditional, even if you are in love with cats or dogs they are precious. Even with the ‘CATitude’, they do love us in their own way.

As to why I personally love cats, I believe they are very independent and chooses to love! Each of them have their own personality and their own quirks. For me, it is quite interesting to understand and treat them in their own way. As a person who has had a multitude of cats I can definitely say it is amusing and compelling to get to know them. I have had cats who could open doors, absolutely hate being cuddled, respond to their names or just plain happy to be near us. Below are few moments from some special felines that left their paw prints in me:

• Midnight companion – My sis was tuned to midnight studies and our cat would be her study companion by sleeping next to her till the lights go off. (Yes, he did score good marks in his favorite subject – sleeping!)

• War hero – One day this guy came home with a huge scar and was unable to walk. We took him to the vet and got him the needed medical attention. It was heartwarming to see him recover and get back to his old naughty habits!

• Fish Bone not Wish Bone – This lady got a huge fish bone stuck to her gum line while having her lunch and was having trouble getting it off. She was trying her best to dislodge the bone. Unable to do so, she came to me and just lied down trusting me to help her out.

• Mama Cat – One early morning, as I went out to get some fresh air, I heard the mama cat meowing her heart out. Perplexed and trying to figure out what was wrong, I followed her into the nook where her three kittens were surrounded by ants… it was a bad sight. I took them off the nook, settled them near the door and started the painful process of taking the ants off their tiny bodies, while the mama cat patiently waited for me to finish. Once I was done, she licked clean one by one and relocated them to a safer spot. A month later, it was comforting to see them happily playing around the bushes.

• Papa Cat – My first ever cat was a tom cat who lived a very lively life. With scars and quite a rough face, anyone would think twice to go near or pet him. One moment that stayed with me was when his then ‘girl friend’ came to my home to introduce their kittens. After the introduction session, there goes all the kittens on a rampage on him! This guy was like do whatever you want, am just gonna lie here😂

Cats are universally perceived as tough to understand but dogs on the other the hand are easier. Cats do not lose their instincts of being a hunter even if they are in our lives. They respond to their own sentiments of having their own routine, their food, toys, certain accepted people around them (too many people, they are out and about!) and simply cannot be bothered to show off themselves to be a good gal/boy. As simple as that. They show their appreciation for our touches and affection in their own way. The way they raise their bodies while being petted to increase the pressure of our petting, bunting their heads to mark us with their scent or show their affection, groom us by licking, bringing us their hunt to show appreciation, nibble (love bites) us to tell that they are over stimulated/happy/pleased, cuddle with us when we are sleeping or when we are not feeling that great (physically or emotionally – personal experience). These traits are generally toned down version of a social animal in a feral environment and have not changed their stripes too much to indulge a human.

Read in an article that cats teach us to have ‘healthy narcissism‘, with regards to receiving people more deeply. We as humans are more attuned to give, rather than to receive (seek affection). We regard giving more noble than receiving and if we receive uninhibitedly, it is believed to be selfish. We can learn that a healthy dose of receiving from the people we love is good and better for us rather than only giving ourselves for the good of everyone. We do not judge a cat who seeks affection, rather we enjoy how openly they pursue our undivided attention. Even when they receive, they know where to draw the line. If it’s too much, we will get to know through nibbles or scratches. They also teach us to be independent, carefree, to be silly, play around, groom and many many more…

Every morning my hubby’s go to word is ‘Pandiculation‘ – the act of stretching oneself and yawning, especially upon waking. If you’ve ever seen a cat or dog arch their back when they get up from a nap, it is the act that corresponds to our nervous system’s natural way of waking up our sensorimotor system and preparing us for movement. This hubby of mine is a die hard dog guy, even then when he gets home you should see the welcome he gets from Susy. Just by watching the interaction between the two, you feel as if they both are starving for attention! 🤷‍♂️. The chin rubs, head bunting, the rolling over, exposing of tummy for rubs… it is a fest of PDA (Public Display of Affection). They both sure know how to make me jealous! 😂. We have come to a consensus, that we are getting a puppy and a kitten to our household. His responsibility will be to train the pup while the kitten will be mine. But trust me, at the end of the day the cat will be in his corner and dog in mine. I have no doubt about that!

Love them or hate them, cats are gentle beings. They are not always happy go lucky maybe that’s why they are not as loved as dogs. But I do love them for being who they are and not give a thought to change their individualistic nature.

Cats or Dogs, you are blessed to have a companion. If you do not have one, go find yours; Or be like us and get both of them! ❤