Saturday 11 April 2009

Old possum's book of practical cats

Sylvie, aged 8, sunning herself in the rear courtyard


... from ... The Ad-dressing of Cats
Before a Cat will condescend
To treat you as a trusted friend,
Some little token of esteem
Is needed, like a dish of cream;
And you might now and then supply
Some caviare, or Strassburg Pie,
Some potted grouse, or salmon paste -
She's sure to have her personal taste.
(I know a Cat, who makes a habit
Of eating nothing else but rabbit,
And when she's finished, licks her paws
So's not to waste the onion sauce.)
A Cat's entitled to expect
These evidences of respect.
And so in time you reach your aim,
And finally call her by her name.
... Thomas Sterns Eliot (1939)

8 comments:

Sakiwi said...

Cats are God's own creatures. I have a book called "The cat's whiskers" which is a collection of stories and poems on cats, edited by Peter Wells. It is fantastic.

Lowell said...

Cats are gods. But they clean themselves. Touch only at your own risk.

brattcat said...

This cat looks as if it's giving the world a raspberry. And it looks as if it has every right and reason to do so. Thanks for the ts eliot and the shot of a fellow feline. We do like to see our own kind included in this global survey from time to time.

Virginia said...

The only cat in our family is a priss pot. She rules, as I guess they all do. YOurs today looks like a GIANT! HA
Fun photo,
V

Ann said...

Cats are most definitely gods, or more usually godesses. The Egyptians knew this. I read Virginias post as "piss pot" - oops.

Beautiful shot - I miss my cat.

Anonymous said...

My dogs have respect for cats, and view from a distance.

Jilly said...

Wonderful portrait of Sylvie. Love that we are so close and sharing her cleaning experience. A beauty.

Joan Elizabeth said...

I love cats. Sylvie looks content.