Monday, March 17 is the annual celebration of St. Patrick, usually accompanied by leprechaun illustrations and green beer. In recent years, a meme depicting St. Gertrude of Neville stroking a cat she holds in her arms appears about the same time. Caption: “It happens every year: Patrick this and Patrick that. No one remembers me and my cats.”

Who Was St Gertrude of Nivelles?

Similar to many early female saints, Gertrude (628-659) grew up in a palace. Her father was Pepin of Landen, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia in Merovingian France. He served two kings: Dagobert I who died in 629 and Sigebert III.

An early story about Gertrude describes a royal banquet where Sigebert III asked a ten-year-old Gertrude if she would like to marry the son of an unnamed Duke of the Austrasians. Gertrude apparently didn’t think much of the idea. According to the story, she lost her temper and flatly rejected the proposal saying she would have no earthly spouse, only Christ. No wonder she became a nun.

After Pepin died in 640, his widow Itta of Metz considered what might happen to her and Gertrude, and decided the best option for them both was to build a double monastery of monks and nuns at Nivelles where she and her daughter could retire. This would also secure family lands from being seized via a forced marriage involving Gertrude. Indeed, to prevent Gertrude’s abduction, Itta shaved Gertrude’s head, leaving only a tonsure.

When Itta died in 652, Gertrude became the abbess and began collecting saints’ relics and holy books. She also welcomed teachers, particularly Irish monks. Gertrude appointed others to administer the monastery so she could focus on studying scripture, and caring for the sick, the elderly, and the poor by building churches, monasteries and hospices.

In her personal practice, Gertrude fasted and kept vigils to such a degree that by the age of 32, she was in poor health. She resigned as abbess, and appointed her niece Wulfetrud to the position so she could devote herself to prayer. In March 659, sensing the end of her life was near, Gertrude contacted Ultan, an Irish monk, to ask if he knew the hour of her death. He predicted she would die the next day during Mass. Ultan also advised Gertrude she would pass joyously, because Bishop Patrick and the angels were prepared to receive her. And so it came to be.

Gertrude’s Miracles

The path to sainthood requires authenticated miracles. Gertrude’s first miracle occurred as she stood at the altar of Pope Sixtus II. While praying, she saw a flaming sphere that illuminated the entire basilica. The vision lasted about half an hour.

Gertrude’s second miracle occurred when men, possibly Irish monks, were sailing across the sea. A violent storm blew up, and a sea monster appeared. The sailors, of course, were terrified. In desperation, the believers called to Gertrude to save them. Immediately, the storm died and the monster dove back into the sea.

And the Cats?

There is no hagiography about Gertrude and cats. However, she is associated with driving out rodents who were so plentiful they ran up Gertrude’s crozier and onto her hood. Cringe! Since cats are known predators of rodents, it is probable the monastery had numerous working cats. The public association of St. Gertrude and cats began about 1982.

A Few Patrick Factoids

St. Patrick is celebrated as the saint who drove the snakes out of Ireland. A marvelous feat, to be sure, but apparently there were no snakes in Ireland to drive out. The term ‘snakes’ was an allegory for non-Christian practices.

St. Patrick has never been canonized by the Catholic Church, which means he is not, technically, a saint. However, in 1631, the church did establish a feast day for Patrick.

March 17 is the day of Patrick’s death. Prior to becoming a popular saint’s day, March 17 honored Ostara, the goddess who brought nature’s rebirth and balance.

And, about that green beer. It wasn’t until 1961 that Irish citizens could celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the local pub, because St. Patrick’s Day falls during Lent. Sláinte!

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Sandra’s Books: Sea Tigers & Merchants. Ambition, Arrogance & Pride. Saxon Heroines. Two Coins. Rama’s Labyrinth.

Illustrations & A Few Sources

St. Gertrude of Nivelles, 1520; St. Gertrude of Nivelles from the Hours of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg; St. Gertrude with Augustinian Canoness, 16th century; St. Gertrude with Mice, St Patrick Catholic Church, Junction City, Ohio. Photo by Nyehob; Consumed mug of green beer by Mconderan. Rene Ostberg.” Meet Gertrude, Cat Lady of the Catholic Church.” U.S. Catholic. March 16, 2020.

The post St. Gertrude’s Cats first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

In the northern hemisphere, October marks the transition from summer to fall. Pumpkins appear at grocery and garden stores. Leaves swirl in the breeze before dropping in colorful abandon. The days grow shorter. Pumpkin spice is everywhere, especially in coffee and pastries. Neighbors put skeletal Halloween decorations in their yards. And, in general, we become more aware of black cats. This could be because their fur contrasts so nicely with pumpkins and autumnal leaves. Or, it could be the long association of Halloween, witches, and black cats.

Feline history has a contradictory past. Cats were considered harbingers of good fortune until the 13th century when they fell from grace.

In Ancient Times, Cats Were Worshipped as Gods; They Have Not Forgotten This. — Terry Pratchett

Ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as goddesses. The furry felines were held in such high esteem, that accidentally killing a cat could be punished with the death sentence. Certainly, cats were important for their role in protecting grain supplies from rodents and birds. But it was more than that.

GODDESSES BASTET, SEKHMET & MAFDET

Bastet was the goddess of protection, pleasure, and good health. She also protected her father Ra, the sun god whose gift of light powered Egyptian civilization. During the day, Bastet rode in Ra’s chariot as he crossed from one horizon to the other. At night while Ra rested, Bastet transformed into a cat to protect Ra from his enemy Apep, the serpent. Bastet carried a sistrum in her right hand.

Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of war, protected the pharaohs she led into battle. It was she who created the fire in Ra’s eye so he could destroy his enemies. She was alternately depicted as a lioness, or a woman with the head of a lion. She was associated with healing and medicine.

Finally, there is Mafdet, a woman with the head of a cheetah and braided hair that ended in scorpion tails. She too protected Ra, keeping his chambers clear of snakes, scorpions and evil. She also served as goddess of judgement, justice, and execution by ripping out the hearts of miscreants and bringing them to Pharaoh’s feet.

Over time, domestic cats became sacred as a living incarnation of Bastet. When they died, they were mummified, placed in a coffin and buried in cat cemeteries. Mummified cats were also placed in tombs to provide the occupant with protection in the underworld.

Deities in subsequent ancient civilizations also had associations with cats. The Roman goddess Diana’s primary identification was as a huntress, but she could also change into a cat form to take refuge with the moon. Diana is often shown with a crescent moon in her hair.

Libertas, the goddess of Liberty, was often depicted with a cat. In her temple, the goddess wore a white robe with a scepter in one hand and a velvet Phrygian cap in the other with a cat at her feet. The cap was worn by freed slaves to signify their liberty while the cat represented independence. Romans honored feline attributes with the saying Libertas sine Labore – Liberty without Labor.

Felines Fall From Grace

As the Christian Church became more powerful, its leaders had little patience for what they perceived as pagan connections between humans and animals. In particular, Pope Gregory IX wanted to weed out so-called heretics. On June 13, 1233 the pope issued Vox in Rama to King Henry of Germany in an effort to stop the heretical Luciferian cult that revered the devil. The document described some of the cult’s devil worship, including how the devil took the form of a black cat and required initiates to kiss the cat’s behind. It didn’t take long before people associated black cats with the devil, and began killing them in order to break evil spells.

In Denmark, the period before Easter known as Lent became a time when evil had to be purged so that spring could return. Since black cats were the devil, they were killed. The same was true in France. In Belgium cats were thrown down from the church belfry during Kattenstoet. The Festival of Cats still continues with stuffed cats substituted for live animals.

Superstitions about black cats continue today, though they can be contradictory. On the one hand, if a black cat crosses your path it’s bad luck due to their connection to witches. But another legend says that if a black cat crosses your path, a guardian angel is sending good fortune. Interesting how the more common superstition is the negative one.

Black Cat Facts

Negative superstitions about black cats result in their low shelter adoption rates and high euthanasia rates.

Black cats are more common than other feline cat colors, because eumelanin, the pigment for black fur, is their dominant pigment gene. Kittens get two copies of a given gene from their parents. If one of the codes is for black fur, the kitten has black fur.

However, the only cat that is entirely black is the Bombay cat, a breed developed in 1952 by crossing a Sable Burmese cat with a black American shorthair. Breeders hoped to create a cat resembling a miniature black leopard. The breed was given the name “Bombay” [now Mumbai] after the city near the habitat of the Indian black leopard.

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Sandra’s Books: Sea Tigers & Merchants. Ambition, Arrogance & Pride. Saxon Heroines. Two Coins. Rama’s Labyrinth.

Illustrations & A Few Sources

“A Merry Halloween” postcard, 1910; Goddess Bastet by Eternal Space; Goddess Sekhmet by Eternal Space; Goddess Mafdet by Eternal Space; Mummified Cat in Fitchburg Art Museum; Diana the Huntress by Guillaume Seignac; Cat Festival in Belgium by Zeisterre; Bombay Cat by Pititebilette. Natasha Sheldon. “Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Cat to Live.” History Collection. May 5, 2018. Granny Syufy. “Myths & Superstitions About Black Cats.” Spruce Pets. August 14, 2024.

The post Black Cats —From Revered to Feared first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

There was an old woman who rode on a broom,
With a heigh, gee-ho, gee-humble;
And she took her old cat behind for a groom,
With a bumble, bumble, bumble. — From Gems from Mother Goose

When Gems from Mother Goose came out in 1899, the standard witch description depicted an older woman (often with green tinted skin) who wore a black pointed hat, had a familiar (most often a black cat) and flew on a magical broom. Most folks thought witches were evil. How did this image take our imaginations?

Conical Hats

Illustrations usually show witches wearing conical hats. The hats have no magical powers, however in the 15th and 16th centuries conical hats were fashionable in the upper classes. And, since most stories about witches appear at this time, the hat became a sort of fashion statement of Witchery.

Black Cats & Other Familiars

A familiar functions as an individual witch’s magical helper. The witch compensates her helpers with food and a place to live. Besides cats, familiars might be dogs, toads, birds, spiders, flies, bees, rats, mice, cows, ferrets, rabbits, bears, and according to at least one source, snails.

However, in early modern Europe, witch hunters most often associated witches with black cats. Cats could see in the dark and blend into the shadows. Some thought a witch could change her shape into that of a black cat. Regardless, by the 20th century black cats were objects of superstition and thought to bring bad luck, with or without supernatural powers.

Besoms & Brooms

If you refer back to the first illustration, you’ll notice that the broom the old woman rides is more correctly a besom, such as the one pictured here which is the prototype for modern brooms.

The word besom comes from the Old English, besma, which became besom, which became broom. Besoms have been used since ancient times to cleanse the home from evil spirits as well as dirt. They were often used in wedding ceremonies in which the couple clasped hands and jumped over the besom as a symbol of their commitment to each other and their new home. The broom’s handle held masculine energies while the bristles were feminine. In general, the broom was associated with women as a symbol of domesticity.

The association of witches and brooms could be due to a pagan fertility ritual known as the Broomstick Dance. Farmers would leap and dance astride poles, pitchforks or brooms in the light of a full moon to encourage their crops to grow.

Incidentally, 15th and 16th century illustrations show witches riding stools, cupboards, wardrobes and cooking forks as well as brooms.

Witch’s Brews

Witches have a reputation for whipping up their spells and potions in a cauldron. During the 15th and 16th centuries, most households used at least one cauldron for cooking. Today, not so much, though modern witches may use a cauldron to prepare ingredients for spells.

Cauldrons do have a symbolic meaning. They symbolize both the Goddess and her womb and also can be used to represent the elements of fire and water.

It is thought that during the Middle Ages, brews, ointments, and salves were made by people later accused of witchcraft. Mixtures that included Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade), Hyoscyamus niger (henbane), Mandragora officinarum (mandrake) and Datura stramonium (jimsonweed). The resulting mixture had hallucinogenic properties. Ingestion of the chemicals by eating the plants or drinking their extracts caused severe abdominal discomfort. However, further observations revealed that the mixture could be absorbed through sweat glands in the armpit or via the mucous membranes in the rectal or vaginal areas of the body. And, it appears that broomsticks were a perfect means of applying the mixture to these areas of the body. When the hallucinations took effect, the accused individual reported the sensation of flying.

Flying

In 1324 Lady Alice Kyteler, an Irish widow, was tried for sorcery and heresy. Witnesses reported they discovered ‘a pipe of ointment wherewith she greased a staff upon which she abled and galloped thru thick and thin.’

The first accused witch who confessed to riding a besom was a priest for the Saint-Germain-en Laye who was arrested in 1453, confessed under torture and was imprisoned for life.

Martin le Franc published the first illustrations of witches flying on brooms in his Le Champion des Dames. The women wore the type of headscarves worn by Waldensians, a Christian sect branded as heretics by the Catholic Church.

Modern Halloween Witchery

Today, some witches, like Snow White’s stepmother, are depicted as evil witches, however most, for example Cassie Nightingale in the Good Witch on the Hallmark Channel, have a more benevolent image. In contemporary fiction witches use their powers for good, and in illustrations they take on the whimsical good will associated with happy childhood memories. The witch above with her greenish skin, besom and conical has a playful aspect.

Have a Safe & Happy Halloween!

Illustrations

Gems from Mother Goose, 1899.

WikiWitch Symbol.

Line Drawing of Besom Broom by Pearson Scott Foresman.

Photo by Author.

Drawing of Witch by Martin Le Franc. 1541.

Witch’s Cauldron from webcomic Pepper&Carrot by David Revoy.

By Anton Kandaurov. 1899.

By Santiago Camado.

Gems from Mother Goose. 1899

Sarah Coughlin. “Cauldrons, Broomsticks & Pointed Hats.” Refinery. Oct. 29, 2019.

Irynas. Unfamiliar Familiars. Folklore & Public Culture. Dec. 2, 2021.

David Kroll. “Original of Witches Riding Broomsticks.” Forbes. Oct. 31, 2017.

Sarah Pruitt. “Why Do Witches Ride Brooms?” History. Aug. 9, 2023.

The post HALLOWEEN TALES OF WITCHES & BROOMS first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

June is Adopt-A-Cat-Month, which is a purrr-fect reason for me to blog about felines. Cat Adoption has multiple applications. Sometimes the cat adopts us, as our cat Hoku did when, as a kitten, he came to our patio door every night.

Some cats are thrust upon us, as was the case when my daughter brought Koa Kat home and said we had to keep her because she was the runt of the litter. Koa is now my writing muse and has more than earned her keep. She lays on my desk to encourage writing breaks, talks to the birds outside my window, and taps her kitty wrist when it’s time to close up shop for the day — though I think she’s really reminding me to feed her.

The point is, that cats come to us in various ways and if we let them into our lives, they will repay us with love, devotion, and the occasion “present” at the back door.

Cats are popular pets, and outnumber dogs in the pet census. However, that may be because cats adapt better than dogs when left alone all day. They pretty much entertain themselves, when they aren’t sleeping 12-16 hours daily.

Academic Studies About Cats, aka, How Did You Get Funding For That?

More animal behavioral studies have been done on dogs than cats, partly because no one expects much from cats. Folklore says cats don’t attach themselves to humans, a subject that is now up for academic debate. It’s true some cats don’t like being touched, but others will actively demonstrate affection by nibbling, cuddling, and rubbing us with their heads. Cats also rub their heads on furniture, the corners of walls, and other places I haven’t noticed. The function of a head rub is to mark a place by scent. “This is my place. I belong here.”

A recent study at Cornell University demonstrates that cats may have developed their distinctive meows as a way to communicate with humans. Sounds a bit unlikely, however, researchers “interviewed” 12 cats to record 100 different vocalizations, and then played the sounds to 26 human volunteers who were requested to rate the sounds according to whether they sounded pleasant and/or appealing. But the researchers didn’t stop there. They recruited a second set of 28 volunteers and asked them to rate the cat meows on a scale of 1-7, according to how urgent the meow sounded.

Researchers concluded that cats sound urgent when they are hungry or in distress, and make a pleasanter noise if they are content and perhaps want to cuddle. [Sounds like purring to me.] Anyway, the bottom line is that cats vocalize more when they want or need human attention, and humans, through a long association with cats, think they can interpret the sound. To be fair, I don’t think humans are any better at translating dog barks than they are kitty meows.

Not to be outdone, another team of researchers, this time psychologists from the Universities of Sussex and Plymouth, studied “The Role of Cat Eye Narrowing Movements in Cat-Human Communication,” and learned that you can build rapport with your cat by using an eye-narrowing technique.

Face the cat. Narrow your eyes like you would if you were smiling. Close your eyes a couple seconds. The cat will reward you with a slow blink, and something that looks like a smile.

I’m not sure this process will lead to better quality time with your cat, but it’s an alternative activity from bouncing a lure in front of your kitten’s face.

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Illustrations

Photos of Hoku and Koa Kat by Author

Cat meow graphic by Учхљёная

Kitten with Lure

Cat Smile by Yumi Kimura

“Feline Friendly? New Psychology Study Shows How to Build Rap-Paw With Your Cat.” University of Sussex. Oct 11, 2020.

Roger Segelken. “It’s the Cat’s Meow.” Cornell Cronicle. May 20, 2002.

The post How to Adopt a Cat & Communicate With It first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Thursday, June 4 is Hug-A-Cat Day — which, according to Koa Kat, makes it the perfect time to tell two charming stories about cats.

The Owl & the Pussy-Cat

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat is a nonsense poem written by Edward Lear (1812-1888) and first published in 1871. 

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

This illustrated rendition of the entire poem takes less than two minutes to describe the unlikely marriage of Owl and Pussy-Cat.

Puss-in-Boots

Puss-in-Boots, also called The Master Cat,  is about a cat who decided to make his master’s fortune, an altruistic goal not normally credited to a cat. It must be noted that the cat’s good fortune relies upon his master’s success.

The story begins with an inheritance. A miller had three sons. When he died, he left the mill to the oldest son and the mules to the second son. There was nothing left for the youngest boy except a cat that was good for nothing except perhaps a meal and a muff made of his fur.

The cat hears heard his master’s complaint, and claims that if he could have a bag and a pair of boots so he could scamper in the brambles, the master would find he didn’t have such a bad inheritance after all.

The cat puts on his new boots, winds the bag around his neck, goes into a rabbit warren, and lies down as if dead. A foolish rabbit jumps in the bag to investigate treats the cat left inside. The cat gives the rabbit to the king as a gift from his master, the Marquis of Carabas. This goes on for several months. The cat catches game, gives his kill to the king, and gives credit to his young master. The king never seems to question how or why the cat wears boots.

One day, the king announces that he is going to take a carriage drive with his daughter. The cat hurries to his master and persuades him to remove his clothing and enter the river. As the carriage passes, the cat begins to yowl for help.

When the king stops, the cat tells him his master was bathing in the river when a robber took his clothes. The king retrieves the young man from the river, gives him a new suit of clothes, and seats him next to his daughter in the coach. She, of course, falls in love with him.

As a final ruse, the cat tricks an ogre who lived in a castle. The cat told the ogre he’d heard the ogre could change himself into other creatures. The ogre demonstrates his skill by turning into a lion, which rather frightens the cat.

When the ogre takes back his usual shape, the cat asks if he can make himself small, like a mouse. The ogre complies. The cat kills and eats the mouse. When the king’s carriage arrives at the castle, the cat welcomes him in the name of his master.

Eventually, the cat’s master marries the princess, and the cat enjoys life as a lord.

The White Cat and Puss-in-Boots pas de deus illustrates a whimsical variation on the story. The dance interlude from Act III of Sleeping Beauty is performed here by the Royal Ballet in the 2011/12 season

I hope you enjoyed these Cat Tales.

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Illustrations

Photo of Koa Kat by Author

Puss in Boots, 1921.

Puss in Boots with his Master and with the Ogre. Polski: ilustracje do książki “Kot w butach” publikacja Księgarni Konstantego Trepte Warszawa 1900

Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault.

The post TWO CAT TALES first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Like many writers, I have a feline writing buddy. And what better time to talk about feline attributes than in Adopt a Cat Month. The American Humane Association adopted the slogan in 1975 as a response to the many kittens dropped off in animal shelters in the spring and summer months.

Cats didn’t always have an invitation to live inside the house, but after the invention of kitty litter in 1947, cats rapidly made inroads as the favored American companion pet, presently outnumbering dogs three to one. There are approximately 90 million domestic house cats residing in 34 percent of American homes. The most recent statistics (2024) provided by World Animal Foundation state there are between 6.02 and 62 million pet cats in the U.S.

Researchers have documented the social benefits of owning a cat. [I find it interesting that research funding is available for these studies.] In short, unless we have an allergy, cats are good for us. They provide companionship, albeit on their own terms. Petting a cat lowers stress levels and blood pressure for both cats and humans, and cats can be fun to have around.

Not everyone likes cats, and there are some downsides to living with a cat, among them changing the litter box and lots of fur during shedding season. Neither of these issues came up until we let cats live inside the house.

Cats and humans have a long history together, mostly good for both species. Ancient Egyptians associated cats with Bastet, a warrior goddess who was half cat and half woman.

Modern domestic cats descend from a Middle Eastern wild cat, Felis sylvestris (Cat of the Wild.) The cats ate rodents, birds, and other small creatures. As humans developed agriculture and began storing grain, mice came looking for food. When cats realized how easy it was to hunt near human settlements, they came too, creating a mutually beneficial working relationship.

Ships’ crews brought cats on board to provide rodent control, thereby spreading cats throughout the world

When Mark Twain visited Hawai`i in 1866, he commented on the cat population which had grown considerably since Captain Cook firsrt made landfall in 1778. Twain observed “platoons of cats, companies of cats, regiments of cats, armies of cats, multitudes of cats.” Today feral cat colonies exist on all the Hawaiian islands.

FELINE EXPRESSIONS

Cat contributions permeate popular expressions. For example: “Getting ______ to ______ is like herding cats” This is a popular saying in business. So, when Electronic Data Systems wanted to demonstrate its ability to do the impossible, they hired Fallon to make them a commercial for Super Bowl XXXIV.

The commercial used real cowboys and about 50 real cats, with the herd scenes augmented by computer. There was one trainer for every five cats. I don’t know if the commercial generated any new business, but it’s fun to watch.

Well Known Cat Sayings

Cats lend themselves to many other popular sayings. “Don’t let the cat out of the bag,” especially when a surprise is involved.

“Cat got your tongue?” really means “Don’t you have something to say?” One possible source of the saying is an ancient Egyptian punishment that entailed cutting out the perpetrator’s tongue and feeding it to a cat.

The saying I heard most often as a child was: “Curiosity killed the cat,” usually said when I asked annoying questions. My parents stopped using it when I discovered the rest of the rhyme: “but satisfaction brought it back.”

Cats in the Wild

Feral cats are a less charming aspect of the feline community. Cats are omnivorous, and homeless cats prey on whatever food is available, including native birds and insects. Bird enthusiasts point out that cats annually kill 2.4 billion birds in the U.S.

But their hunting instincts can be put to good use. The city of Chicago had a burgeoning rat population. In partnership with the Tree House Humane Society, the city launched the Cats at Work Project in 2002. They found that even if the cats didn’t directly kill the rats, the scent cats left marking their territory caused rats to leave the area. In 2017 the Washington D. C. Humane Rescue Alliance launched the Blue Collar Cats program with similar results.

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Illustrations

My Cat. Photo by Author.

The Cat, 1905 by Violet Hunt.

Goddess Bastet by Gunawan Kartapranata.

My Cat has Caught a Rat. Woodblock Print.

“The Health Benefits and Risks of Pet Ownership.” Harvard Health Letter. Feb. 2016.

Kathy Benjamin and Austin Thomson. “10 Scientific Benefits of Being a Cat Owner.” Mental Floss. May 31, 2017

David Zax. “A Brief History of House Cats.” Smithsonian. June 30, 2007.

The post It’s Adopt a Cat Month first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

MARK TWAIN, American humorist, was particularly fond of cats. One true story relates to Twain, his daughter, and her black cat named Bambino. One day, Bambino went exploring and failed to return. Twain took out a newspaper advertisement in the New York American and offered a five dollar reward for Bambino’s safe return. Twain described Bambino as “Large and intensely black; thick, velvety fur; has a faint fringe of white hair across his chest; not easy to find in ordinary light.”

People, hoping to see the famous author, came to his door with cats. All to no avail until Bambino was found across the street. Twain took out another advertisement saying the cat was found, but people still came.

Besides cats, Mark Twain enjoyed pocket billiard. He put a kitten in the corner pocket so he could watch it play as the balls passed by. I’m pretty sure no balls were allowed to land in the kitten’s pocket. This photo shows Twain playing a game with Louisa Paine.

Three Mark Twain observations about cats:

“If a man could be crossed with a cat, it would improve the man but deteriorate the cat.”

“When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade without further introduction.”

“I simply can’t resist a cat, particularly a purring one. They are the cleanest, cunningest, and most intelligent things I know – outside of a girl you love, of course.”

As contemporary dystopian author REBECCA CLARE SMITH observes, cats are the best writing partners, because they don’t care how many words you put down, and they listen to your rants without complaint or interest.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY noted that “a cat has absolute emotional honesty.” His Hemingway Cats at The Hemingway House in Key West, Florida are unique. A ship’s captain gave Hemingway a six-toed cat. (Official name: polydactyl) Hemingway called the cat Snowball (though some say he named it Snow White). Anyway, Hemingway let it roam. Today up to fifty of Snowball’s descendants continue to live on the property. As Hemingway said, “One cat just leads to another.”

Canadian novelist ROBERTSON DAVIES explains, “Authors like cats because they are such quiet, lovable, wise creatures, and cats like authors for the same reasons.”

Perhaps the most famous aficionado of cats is T. S. ELLIOT whose Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939) inspired the musical “Cats.” One of the better known poems is The Naming of Cats, “a difficult matter.” Set for the stage, the poem introduces Cats, the musical.

I start my writing time by reading with Koa Kat by my side. When I go to the computer, she settles down in my reading seat, which may have been her plan all along, and goes promptly to sleep. She gets up about five hours later and begins curling around my legs. She knows treats are served downstairs, and she doesn’t want to be late. I can write without her presence, but it’s a more isolated activity.

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Illustrations

Photo of yellow cat by author.

Mark Twain and Louise Paine Playing Billiards. Public Domain.

Polydactyl cat at Hemingway’s Key West House. Attribution: Averette at English Wikipedia

“10 Great (and Cute) Facts About Writers and Cats. Interesting Literature. Aug. 8, 2014.

David Barnett. “Authors’ Mews: Writers and Their Cats.” The Guardian. Nov. 12, 2008.

John Farley. “Fluff Piece: The Meandering Truth About Cats and Writers.” Full Stop. May 21, 2011.

Sam Kalda.”Famous Writers and Their Feline Friends.” Read It Forward

The post WRITERLY CATS first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

As faithful readers know, I like to look up anniversaries of events that changed modern life. So imagine my delight when I discovered December 22, 1891 is the date Seth Wheeler received the patent for his toilet paper roll. I’m informing you now because life gets hectic that close to Christmas and you might want to celebrate early.

It appears that the cats playing with this toilet paper roll found a dispenser with the paper going over the roll, confirming received wisdom that threading the paper under the holder creates a tidier appearance and makes it harder for pets to unravel the paper. Advocates of threading the paper over the holder claim it reduces the transfer of germs and makes the end easier to find.

This is a debate of some importance, so you can imagine the excitement when illustrations of Wheeler’s patent drawing became public. Clearly, Wheeler meant the paper to go over the holder.

The historian in me engaged, as I delved deeper into toilet paper history. It appears Joseph C. Gayetty invented the first patented toilet paper in 1857. Gayetty’s Medicated Paper sold in flat sheets. It’s generally thought advertising didn’t enter public consciousness until the 1920s, but Gayetty’s ad demonstrates him as a man ahead of his time.

Gayetty marketed his Medicated Paper for the Water Closet as the Greatest Necessity of the Age. “Printing paper, everybody knows, is rank poison to tender portions of the body.” In the long run, “how much cheaper in every respect is it to use a paper made of the purist material and medicated with the greatest care?” Product assurance guaranteed by a water mark on every sheet. Gayetty’s paper was sold until the 1920s.

Wheeler was the first to to patent toilet paper on a roll, but he may not have been the first inventor. Scott Paper Company developed it in 1880 and began selling the product under their own brand in 1896. An advert from 1915 warns consumers about Toilet Paper Sales. The customer sees an announcement of eight or ten rolls of toilet paper for a quarter. “Did you ever ask yourself how much real paper there is in these rolls?” . . . Scott Tissue Toilet Paper has 1000 sheets to the roll for ten cents and is “soft as old linens,” snowy white, and very absorbent.”

Toilet Paper hasn’t changed much. Each producer claims softness, absorbance, and that clean, fresh feeling.

Charmin uses animated bears in their popular ads which also demonstrate the ongoing debate about how to put toilet paper in the holder. In the ad from 2011, the paper is threaded under the roll.

In the 2016 ad, it’s over the roll.

https://youtu.be/Sx21zzST0Kg

The important thing is to find the method that works best for the household. Cats get into the toilet paper no matter which method you choose.

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Illustrations from Wikimedia Commons.

Cats with Toilet Paper by Dan4th. Creative Commons Attribution.

Toilet Paper Roll, U.S. Patent Illustration. Public Domain.

The Greatest Necessity of the Age Advertisement, 1859. Public Domain.

Scott Tissue Toilet Paper Advertisement, 1915. Public Domain.

Soft Weave Advertisement from Ladies’ Home Journal, 1948. No Known Copyright Restrictions.

Toilet Paper History

Amanda Kooser. “Why an 1891 Toilet Paper Patent is All Over Facebook.” Cnet. Mar. 18, 2015

Kim LaCapria. “The Great Toilet Paper Orientation Debate.” Snopes.

Brandon Naff. “The Way You Hang a Toilet Paper Roll Secretly Reveals Your Personality.” KKRV. April 7, 2016

Megan Willett. “124-Year-Old Patent Solves the ‘Over versus Under’ Toilet Paper Roll Debate.” Business Insider. Mar. 19, 2015.

The post Toilet Paper — Over, Under, or Just Right first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

I don’t know where he went during the day, but he showed up each evening. The girls fed him, named him, and began a campaign for full adoption. Did I mention he has large eyes?

We began moving the food dish inside the house, until finally we closed the door. The kitten found his ‘safe place’ in the hall closet, emerging at night to wander. The girls left their bedroom door open, and sometimes he sauntered through the room, much to their delight.

Time passed. The girls moved out. Hoku stayed. He remained a ghost cat, feeding at night and seldom seen in daylight. Snagging him for vet visits or flea applications required stealth.

Hoku is about ten now. Over time he’s become more visible, wandering around the house and joining the other cat and the dogs for food and treats. He has a musical meow. He allows me to view him more often, which is how I found out he was sick.

Never a large cat, Hoku became downright skinny. But his appetite was fine. Turns out, this is one of four classic symptoms of feline diabetes. When I took Hoku for his regular six month check, the vet ordered a blood test. Hoku scored a reading over 400 mg/dl. This is not good. So we set him up for a glucose curve to see what was going on.

DIAGNOSIS

Hoku has diabetes. I inject four units of insulin into his scruff every morning after my first cup of coffee. Prior to that I can’t read the tiny dosage lines. This picture is staged, and doesn’t demonstrate the correct way to administer the insulin. But it gives an idea of our new morning routine.

Each morning Hoku joins the others waiting for breakfast, forgetting what happens first. Breakfast is served immediately after the injection. I like to think he forgets about the shot he just had.

Never in my wildest imagination did I expect to meet a diabetic cat, but I’m not alone. The pharmacy I use has a protocol for cats. He has his own account listing as Hoku (feline) Wagner-Wright, and I can call in his refills.

Is Diabetes Common in Cats?

It turns out somewhere between 0.5 and 2 per cent of the feline population has diabetes. It’s the second most common endocrine disease in cats. One of the key factors leading to feline diabetes is obesity, and the rates of diabetes have risen along with the increase of overweight cats.

Hoku didn’t have a weight problem, but he fit several other common symptoms. These include:
Age – Diabetes is more frequent in middle aged to senior cats
Male – Hoku started life as a male
Neutering – Presently, Hoku is neutered
Orange coloring – I’m not sure why color has anything to do with it, but Hoku is orange.

Natural insulin is produced in the pancreas. It attaches to cells and enables them to absorb glucose. Diabetes occurs when the body either can’t produce or can’t respond to the insulin which results in the following symptoms:

Weight loss – because without insulin cells starve and begin breaking down fats and proteins to get the glucose they need. This leads to
Increased appetite.
Increased urination – because the body excretes the glucose in urine which can also pull excess water. This situation leads to
Increased thirst.

Since Hoku started his insulin injections, he’s put on weight and become more active. He still likes to hang-out in the closet, but he also enjoys getting pets in the evening.

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Photos by Author.

My Cat Has Diabetes

Feline Diabetes. Cornell Feline Health Center.

Sandy Eckstein. “Feline Diabetes: Symptoms, Treatments, Prevention, and Diet Tips.” WebMD

Ernest Ward. Diabetes Mellitus in Cats. VCA. Nov. 20, 2008.

The post Meet Hoku, My Diabetic Cat first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

I posted news of this unsavory event on Facebook. Responses included sympathy for the gecko, and the suggestion that Koa was leaving me a gift, a symbol of her … well, what exactly? So I embarked on some research into the issue.

HUNTING: A NATURAL INSTINCT?

Cats, I discovered, are natural born hunters. In the wild, mothers teach their offspring how to eat by bringing home dead or injured animals. Spayed domestic cats have no kittens to teach, but they do know humans are trainable. Consider the fact that kitties train their associated humans to feed on command via the use of a specific type of purring-meow. That being the case, kitty thinks humans would enjoy a bit of fresh meat if they don’t personally hunt. Thus, Koa was merely being a normal spayed lovingly concerned cat.

DOMESTICATION?

Cats, as any dog lover will tell you, have never been domesticated. They have allowed humans to benefit from their many skills, chief among them the ability to kill vermin. These included the usual rodent population and the occasional snake, presumably small.

As human ancestors developed settled agriculture, they had a new challenge. The ancient rodent population thought they’d found heaven. The humans actually harvested the grain and left it out for them to eat until they burst. Enter the cat looking for her own easy meal. Farmers thought the cats worked for them. Yet the cats only stayed around if the farmer left out scraps for them between harvests. Hmmm. Wonder who was domesticating whom?

CATS AS OBJECTS OF ADULATION

Ancient Egyptians are famous among modern cat lovers, because they were the first to recognize cats were more than good mousers. Cats were royalty.

Cats were an associative animal with the Goddess Bastet. Bastet is depicted as a lioness or in human form with the head of a lioness. Bastet was the goddess of war, her affinity with cats based on Egyptian belief that the lioness is the fiercest hunter of all African animals.

Bastet also had a softer side in her guise as a goddess of fertility, child bearing and child rearing.

The attributes of hunter, warrior, and fertility made Bastet a goddess to be honored. Cats, as a symbol of Bastet, became objects of mummification.

More accurately, 2-4 month old kittens became sacrificial animals bred near temples so they could be mummified and presented as offerings to Bastet.

Adulation has its price.

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Featured Image: Koa Cat in Basket. Photo by Author.

Pictures:

Egyptian Hunting Cat. 1916. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Cat & Gecko. By Ped Xing from Austin Texas US. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Cat mummy sometime between  305 BCE and the First Century CE. Artifact at Brooklyn Museum. Photographed Feb 2009 by Wikipedia Loves Art participant Trish. Creative Commons Attribution.

Bastet figure from the Louvre. Public domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Animals and Belief. Pitt Rivers Museum. 

David Brown and Carlos A. Driscoll. “Science: Cats Domesticated Themselves.” The Washington Post. June 29, 2007.

Jane McGrath. “Curiosity Tamed the Cat.” How Stuff Works.

Elizabeth Palermo. “Why Do Cats Bring Home Dead Animals?” Live Science. March 29, 2013

Sarah Pruitt. “Scientists Reveal Inside Story of Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummies.” History.com. May 12, 2015.

Jennifer Welsh. “Mummified Kitten.” Live Science. April 11, 2012.

The post Koa Cat’s Illustrious Ancestors first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

To aid in your Thanksgiving preparations, I have modified a schedule I first heard in home economics class shortly after the pilgrims invented this annual feast. Are you ready?

T-DAY MINUS 5 and 4. The weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday, is behind us now. But this is what you should have done. Clean your kitchen. Heck, clean the entire house. While you’re at it, gather your pots, pans, and platters. If you don’t have enough un-chipped dishware, consider using paper plates. They’re quite sturdy and save on clean up. This is also a good time to make the cranberry sauce and acquire fresh vegetables. No, I don’t know why.

T-DAY MINUS 3. Today, Monday, do everything in the preceding paragraph, and start thawing the turkey. If you forgot to buy a turkey when you acquired the vegetables, drive all over town to find one. If you don’t have enough room in the refrigerator, clean out the left overs and shove in the turkey until you can close the door.

T-DAY MINUS 2. On Tuesday, make the pie dough, unless you bought a pie when you picked up what might have been the last frozen turkey in a fifteen mile radius. Shred bread for stuffing. Leave out so it’s nice and stale on T-Day.

T-DAY MINUS 1. On Wednesday, take out the veggies. Sigh over the wilted carrot tops. Peel, trim, chop. Store in zip lock bags. Wonder why you’re even bothering with veggies. Also a good time to pull the innards out of the bird and make the broth you’ll use for the gravy. Warning: This can be messy.

T-DAY. Get up early or no later than 10:00. Drink several cups of coffee. Take the turkey out of the refrigerator. Wash it. In our family Number Two Daughter likes to make the turkey dance. Grab turkey from Daughter and put it in the roasting pan.

Decide if you want to start roasting with the turkey upside down – a new method so the dark meat will be equally cooked with the white. After an hour or so, remember to turn the turkey right side up. If the turkey is over ten pounds, this could be tricky. Enlist aid.

A ten pound turkey should take less than three hours to roast at 425 degrees. It will take longer at a lower temperature, so decide which method you will use.

After maneuvering an upside down turkey into the oven – did I mention you should pre-heat? – prepare the potatoes. Wash, peel, slice. Put in water and back in fridge.

Set the table. If you are using a tablecloth, it is important to put the cat out first, or she will think pulling the edges is a great new game and she is the national champion.

Take a nap. You’ll be glad you did. Try to get up by 5:00.

Did you remember to reverse the turkey? Never mind.

Once the turkey is done, the fun begins. Take the turkey out of the oven. It needs to rest. I don’t know why, since you’ve been doing all the work. But you need the oven space to heat up the stuffing. Move the scene of action to the stovetop. Steam the potatoes and veggies. Make gravy. Stir, stir, stir. Turn down the heat before the potatoes boil over. Enlist an unsuspecting family member to mash the potatoes. Be sure the volunteer adds milk and butter. Keep stirring the gravy.

Put newspaper or other absorbent product underneath the cutting board. Wake up the turkey. Carve. Are you still stirring? Pour gravy into dish with ladle – the one that usually sits on the top shelf…in the back.

Move turkey slices to platter. Dump potatoes in bowl with big spoon. Drain now thoroughly steamed veggies and place in small bowl. Put everything on table. Don’t forget the cranberries that are now in the most inaccessible nook in the refrigerator. Stop crossing your eyes. Smile and put your napkin in your lap.

When it is your turn to say what you are thankful for, say you are glad you’re done cooking for another year.

Then say, how happy you are you have food to cook and a family to cook for, because really, that’s the point.

WISHING YOU AND YOURS A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Acknowledgements:

Featured Image: Thanksgiving Greetings by Frances Brudage. U.S. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Turkey drawing from antique postcard. c.1880. U.S. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

The post HOW TO ORGANIZE THANKSGIVING DINNER first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Today’s image shows what happens when holiday decorations crash into each other. This phenomenon often occurs at craft and card stores, where we’re sure to find Valentine’s decorations and cards on January 2. But such confusion is seldom on public display at my house.

Allow me to introduce my decorative characters in order of their appearance. First we have the Official Stuffed Black Halloween Cat, hat included. She was a purely impulse buy. In my defense she does have pink ears under the hat, not to mention the nose and the green eyes. File her under the category of “too cute to resist.”

Our actual black cat is not amused.

In past years, Halloween decorations consisted of previously mentioned black cat in witch hat, a decorated pumpkin and a few tasteful imitation leaves.

On November 1st, subtract cat and pumpkin before adding more tasteful imitation fall foliage and a couple kicking leaves while gathering a cornucopia of delights. You can see the faceless damsel on the far right. [Sidebar: I’ve never been big on cardboard turkeys.]

This system required getting out the boxes twice. So, this year I decided there was no reason not to let both holidays co-exist. After all, they share the same color scheme.

The thing is, once you let down the boundaries, anything can happen.

Da Handsome Bloke began getting into a festive spirit. First he launched the train set. Initially, the Polar Express circled its plywood, white-sheet covered track in complete seclusion. One couldn’t fault the engineer, if he imagined himself in the Swiss Alps. Then, while looking for something else, Da Handsome Bloke encountered the storage bin filled with our genuine nostalgic Christmas village. Ceramic buildings soon gave the train a destination.

Sensing weakness, the decorations laid plans to take over the house. Black cats, pilgrim damsels, a ghost village, and the engineers on the Polar Express train hatched a plan to unleash Christmas past with its artificial trees and grim faced nutcracker.

When I walked in the house last night, I saw it. The nutcracker gritted his teeth behind the cat, no doubt planning her removal. The miniature tree loomed over the cat’s hat. I’m sure it’s only a matter of days before lit reindeer appear on the back patio.

Acknowledgements:

Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

The post BLACK CATS & NUTCRACKERS first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Muffett is our senior cat. She’s been with us for 18 years – which equals 88 human years. I remember the day we brought her home from the Humane Society. There were two kittens in the cage: a tortoise shell female and a ginger yellow male. When I held the girl, she quickly deduced I was a sucker for head butts. The boy was a wiggler. We took them both, because, as the Handsome Bloke said,

“We can’t just leave him.”

They must have been about two months old, which I suppose equals the toddler stage of human life.  The dog, who had an unfortunate accident before we left the house that morning, was aghast.

“I knew you were mad,” she said, “but I didn’t think you were going to bring home aliens.”

I think she always assumed the kittens were a special punishment from hell.  Stealing attention and cuddles.

By the time we got home, the Handsome Bloke had a name for the male –

“He’s a Scamp.” 

And so he was, always floating to a high place to perch.  Scamp, alas, is gone.

It took longer to name the female.  Her primary activity is finding a comfy lap or pillow.  She likes to snuzzle – especially if I’m reading something.

“Meow!  Put it down and pet me.”

Her constant efforts to sit in my lap eventually earned her the name “Miss Muffett.”  Of course, the “miss” dropped off a while ago.  Now she’s “Muffett.”

Until Muffett, I thought cats were self-cleaning.  But, she was a chubby kitty, and had to lean against the wall to groom.  We soon agreed we would both be happier if I combed her.  I suggested she could eat less or chase more, but she declined both offers.

“Meow! Scamp and I agree that he’s the Mighty Hunter.  Remember when he caught the giant cockroach in the closet?  He “crowed” for days.  And he tells the story so often, I cover my kitty ears to avoid death by boredom.”

 “Well, it was his first catch.  You could catch a few insects yourself.”

 “Meow!  No chance.  We have strict rules.  My job is to pat my paws together in astonishment.”

 “Perhaps you could chase birds?  You don’t have to catch them.”

“Gee Whiz, Mom.  Have some compassion.  One stalker cat per household is all they can handle.”

Muffett continued her training program.  Over the years she taught me to open and close the door on command.  She has patiently explained that she requires a separate water bowl from the dog, and could she please have a few ice cubes.  Wet food is better than dry.  Tuna is infinitely superior to “mixed grill.”

At the moment, Muffett is teaching me the niceties of presentation.  If you notice, in the first picture there is a rose next to her place setting.  I suppose at her age, Muffett is entitled to a few extras.

Have you been trained by cats?  Leave a comment and share how that’s working out.

Pictures by Author.  All Rights Reserved.

The post MUFFETT, A VERY SENIOR KITTY first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.