The Feline Supremacy

Four people stay in this house ; my father, mother, myself and the cat. We have had the cat for the past 14 years and she has become an important member of the household. Her name is Kajol, named after the Bollywood actress.My mother thought she bears a striking resemblance to our cat. The family history of Kajol makes pretty interesting reading. Our first cat was Monica, who in due course gave birth to Sophie . We gave Sophie to our neighbors .Then, a month later, under tragic circumstances, Monica passed away.Sophie meanwhile gave birth to 4 cute kittens, one of them being Kajol.

If you aren’t confused enough already, Kajol is Monica’s grand-daughter. Kajol is primarily white and black, with a dash of golden yellow and brown thrown in for good measure.Her daily schedule would surprise you:

She gets up at sharp 6:00 a.m. with the doorbell of the milkman. Unlike the comic strips, she doesn’t bother the milkman much. In fact, she couldn’t care less if he didn’t exist.My father then gives her the first fish-meal of the day, 2 long pieces of the bombil.

Kajol then goes for a stroll. She comes back after about an hour, to wake up my mother. After a while both of them go down to our compound ( via the elevator).There , Kajol is allowed to graze for a while. Yes, that’s what you read, she eats grass for about 10 min.My mother brings her up and then Kajol has a bowl of milk (with cream aplenty) .Then she has a spoonful of cheese. Finally, Kajol’s gastronomical activities draw to a close and she proceeds to my room, vigorously licking her lips.

Kajol leaves the house in the evening to take her walk. After it becomes dark, Kajol comes back in. Then she thankfully keeps herself awake for awhile.At about 9:30 p.m. she has her….YOU GUESSED RIGHT, her next fish meal, 2 long pieces of the bombil.

After patiently waiting for my Mother to finish watching the TV, she then retires for the day.After reading till now, you must have guessed that Kajol is a pampered cat.

I recently read a small article in a prominent magazine which stated that next to a tortoise , a cat is the most useless pet to have.It sleeps around the whole day, doesn’t help to guard the house.It only lets you pet it when it feels like and generally obliges you by everything it does. The cat is the only domestic animal that man hasn’t been able to train.Have you ever seen a cat-act in a circus? A cat doing handstands or walking on 2 legs or jumping through rings?

Never.

The cat has managed to keep its dignity intact. Maybe that is why, in most of the James Bond movies the super rich villains all have a furry and cute Persian or Siamese cat on their laps, and not a stupid dog who keeps on yelping as if the world is about to end.The cat never bothers the guests. As soon as it senses some unknown presence in the house it will quietly retire to the inner rooms, or leave the house.The dog on the other hand will keep on mindlessly barking, and the host has to perform the tedious task of familiarizing the guest with the dog.

The cat is also less expensive to maintain than the dog.It is an extremely clean animal , and you will always find the cat skin smooth and shiny. You don’t have to take the cat for a walk, nor do you have to give it a bath.

The cat is very independent.Unless you trouble the cat, there are very slim chances that it will needlessly bother you.These days, late night riding in Pune has become a nuisance as you may find several stray dogs barking and chasing you .

Ever heard of stray cats running behind 2 wheelers and cars and meowing?Ever heard of a gang of stray cats causing a big public nuisance in the society, and people complaining of cat-bites and taking 17 injections where it hurts the most? Nope.

The cat is a peaceful animal, who believes in the motto “live and let live”.Cats have 6 senses and 9 lives.They have an acute sense of smell and can see in the dark.They sleep lightly and eat heartily.

And if you love them, they love you. Conditionally.Kajol is no exception. No brainless loyalty here.Smart ‘give and take ”in the 21^st century.Long live the cats.

The cat is a man’s best friend, but it will never stoop that low to acknowledge it.

P.S. If anybody’s still interested , I heard about 2 weeks back that Kajol’s great-great-great granddaughter gave birth to 3 kittens .So, that makes Monica a great-great-great-great-great…aaaahh, forget it.