Cats - all cats are Jellicle Cats - Part 1

It should come as no surprise that I consider myself a "dog person". That's not to say, however, that I don't appreciate cats. They're often beautiful creatures, and watching a house cat stalk its prey provides a wonderfully interesting window on the world of the Big Cats - without putting your life at risk. Frequently you'll find that cats are simply the best entertainment around. It's just that, when I scratch a critter under the chin, I'd like it to show some appreciation. But I promised you some cats, so here they are.

First up is El Gato (La Gata just doesn't get it) or, if you don't remember her when she was in fighting trim, Fat Cat. On the left, she looks every bit as fierce as her much larger cousins. On the right, she's practicing her signature technique for luring birds closer. She practiced in the laundry hamper - which was always full in a house with nine kids - with the serendipitous result that the clothes stayed warm. Gato started out with us in Austin, moved with the family to Tyler and then Grand Prairie, and ended her days - or at least that life - back in Austin.

Are you blind when you're born? Can you see in the dark?
Can you look at a king? Would you sit on his throne?
Can you say of your bite that it's worse than your bark?

Are you cock of the walk when you're walking alone?

This fine specimen is Peach, who lives in Arlington at Angela and Danny's. If nothing else, I've noticed that Peach has a very secure relationship with Chester, whom you've already met. They spar regularly and often and no one seems the least bit concerned to see the match end with Peach hanging from Chester's mouth.

When you fall on your head, do you land on your feet?
Are you tense when you sense there's a storm in the air?
Can you find your way blind when you're lost in the street?
Do you know how to go to the Heaviside layer?

Pork Chop, above, is much less sure about Chester's motives and tends to hang out wherever Chester is not. A pretty cat, Pork Chop may be too nervous for Angela and Danny's house.

Can you ride on a broomstick to places far distant?
Familiar with candle, with book, and with bell?
Were you Whittington's friend? The Pied Piper's assistant?
Have you been an alumnus of Heaven and Hell?

If you see Lisa's Saab parked out in front of Karen and Richard's house, glance around and you may also catch sight of Hush, visiting from Dallas. Lisa's friend, Hush, is a polydactyl cat, with six toes on each paw (see the photo on the right). While not common, neither are they rare. The Guiness Book of World Records at one time featured a cat named Tiger with 27 toes. The current record seems to be held by Jake, with seven toes on each paw. Polydactyl cats were considered lucky by sailors - that's good enough for me.

Are you mean like a minx? Are you lean like a lynx?
Are you keen to be seen when you're smelling a rat?
Were you there when the pharaohs commissioned the sphinx?
If you were and you are, you're a Jellicle cat

Allison tells me she has two cats, Pom-Pom and Princess. I'm not sure that she's not putting me on. I've never seen both cats together and, as far as I can tell, she's calling the same cat two different names depending on how the fancy strikes. If there are two, they don't hang together much. Next time I go to San Antonio, I'll try to get proof, one way or the other.

We can dive through the air, like a flying trapeze
We can turn double somersaults, bounce on a tire
We can run up a wall, we can swing through the trees
We can balance on bars, we can walk on a wire

(Keep reading, there're more Cats below)