As
a boy in Bowling Green in the early 1970s, we had an orange tiger cat named
Fido. Unlike the stereotype of the
uncooperative, persnickety feline, Fido was happy inside or outside, good with
children, and had quite a repertoire of tricks.
He was fascinated by water, and carefully watched my dad shave in the
morning, darting a paw out when the tap was running. Fido also enjoyed our toy race cars, and
would occasionally chase them. He was an
amazing jumper, and could jump six feet into the air from a standstill. He did this to reach one of his favorite
sleeping spots, the curtain rods above the kitchen window. We laughed when people said, “But Fido is a
dog’s name.” His warm fur, purring, and
quirky ways still bring a smile to me after forty years.
The
cat in the second picture is anonymous, but I can tell you a few things about
it. The picture was taken before 1918 on
an unnamed street in Bowling Green. The
cat was probably black and white. The
feline seems to be in a good mood. When
cats have their tails sticking straight up vertically, they are usually
happy. But be careful when a cat’s ears
are cocked slightly, as this one’s are.
It may be afraid of that hand behind it, which may be friendly or may be
ready to swat. The Charlie Chaplin-moustache on the cat looks humorous, but the
cat looks wary. Should I purr or run?
Cats have an unusual pedigree. Archaeological evidence suggests that cat
were domesticated as far back as 8000 years ago, although there is some
evidence that cats were hanging around humans as far back as 12000 years
ago. Cats were originally domesticated
for their rodent control skills. They
were worshiped as gods in Egypt, yet reviled in medieval Europe as creatures of
the night. Even now, cats are something we
either love of hate.
Cats
slip easily from domestication to a feral state. Feral however, does not mean “wild.” Barn cats, for example, are feral, but still
depend on the world that humans built. Barn
or farm cats are rarely given names, as they come and go at will. They have some wild characteristics, like established
territories, an understood hierarchy.
But the mice and rats they eat, and the barns in which they shelter, are
there because of the presence of humans.
At the other extreme, house cats are named, pampered with canned food
and litter boxes, and allowed to enjoy indoor heat. Keep in mind, however, that canned cat food
only appeared in the 1930s and kitty litter after World War 2. “Garfield,”
“Morris,” and any number of pet cats are a product of the modern world. My pre-1918 cat, even if a pet, was likely
kept outside, found part of his own food, and like most feral animals, might or
might not come when you called..
One
might think that feral cats are a cute, natural touch to the landscape. My two Bowling Green cats might have
understood the pull of the wild. In
2011, the AP wire service ran a story headed, “Feral cats overrun I-75 rest
area near Bowling Green.” Twenty to
thirty cats had colonized the rest stop, left there by travelers and encouraged
to stay by others who fed them. The Wood
County Humane Society was called in, which live-trapped as many cats as they
could. They were then spayed/neutered
and offered for adoption.
So
cats have as many roles as colors.
Whether house cat, barn cat, stray, or feral, companion, worker, or
pest, people must take responsibility for the cats they encounter. Cats were domesticated to control rats and mice. Left unrestricted cats will over-breed and
become a nuisance. Unfortunately,
domestication is a one-way street. Once
we domesticated them, they became our responsibility, whether we want them or
not.
[Other pictures of "Fido" are below. The third picture is my little sister Lisa holding the Fido in 1973. Not real clear, but how many cats would let a four-year-old hold him long enough for a picture like that?]
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