For The Love Of Cats: College Research Paper
Introduction (here is where the paper begins)
"If you want to conquer the world you had better not share not even a moment with an animal that refuses to be conquered at any price, by anyone." Cats have been said to portray the epitome of independence, as they have always been said to show strength of mind and disdain for the things that of which any dog would gladly do. Judging by these statements, it is not any wonder to learn the Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Alexander the Great (all of whom wished to conquer the world) were all renowned cat haters, fearing even the sight of these playful, spirited animals. However, it is interesting to note that the amount of people that love cats far outweighs the amount that hate them, thus there must not be too many 'conquerors' in the world today. Now read on, and learn a little about these cat lovers, and the history of the animal they love.
Cat Watchers
Cat societies have been formed for the love of cat watching and thus cat watching has been in effect since ancient times, as many people enjoy taking part in the fun that watching their animated cats brings into their lives. This membership of cat watching "...has included kings and pirates, sailors and scientists, sculptors and cartoonists, photographers and poets, to say nothing of millions of just plain everyday folks who get a kick out of watching and watching over cats." Single-handedly the United States family cat count has grown to approximately twenty million, and others premise that the latter estimated population has already doubled and tripled the twenty millions. It is evident through these estimates that these spunky little creatures have most certainly wound their ways into modern domestic society and into the hearts of their owners across the globe, making them the top pet in the United States currently. Many will even go as far to say that having a cat in one's home will add years to each of the occupant's lives.
Cat Owners
It is interesting to read through accounts of the many different famous cat owners and see the effects that each of their cats had on their lives and careers. For instance, Sir Isaac Newton is said to have invented the cat flap because he happened to notice how unhappy his cats were with the restricted movement they receive when unable to move freely in and out of their home. Just as remarkable to discover is the story of Edgar Allen Poe's wife, who was dying of consumption with only a large tortoiseshell cat and her husband's coat to keep her warm, inspiring Poe's writing of a creepy story called 'The Black Cat,' which warns of the consequences of interfering with the life of something as valuable as a cat. Excessively conscientious cats beset the work of Charles Dickens on several different occasions as his white cat, William (later renamed Williamina), would bring kittens into his study and leave them at his feet; also, one of the grown up kittens which he named 'The Master's Cat' would later snuff out Dicken's candle in order to avert his concentration toward her. One last example of a famous cat owner and his cat is Theodore Roosevelt with his cat named Slippers. Slippers was a persnickety old cat that would disappear from the White House often, only to return at inopportune times...during one of these inopportune moments, Slippers decided to return and take a nap in the middle of the hallway rug. Roosevelt, leading a formal procession down this same hallway, was faced with a difficult decision: disturb his favorite, finicky old cat, or avert the whole procession. Like only a great cat lover can, Roosevelt chose the latter route; he bowed to his partner, led her around the cat's sleeping body, and the entire procession followed suit.
Cat Domestication
Scholars have deduced from ancient records found in the Nile Valley that cat and man have certainly lived together for at least the past 5,000 years. Domestication of today's cat appears to comprise its origins from the Middle Eastern area, and has spread throughout the continents by way of exportation and rodent control purposes. Even though cats have been domesticated for several thousand years, man did not begin breeding cats or creating pedigrees for them until around the 19th century, or roughly the last 100 years; even today, one can choose from numerous beautiful breeds of cats that each have their own unique personalities. The English are the ones who can be given the credit for being the first to see the need for breeding standards in cats and creating the first well-defined breeds; the like of which one can see in customary breeding societies of today.
Cats were probably first brought to the United States in the 1600's by way of the Puritan's ships as they sailed with their rodent-killing companions to the 'New World.' In later years (approximately the 1800's) rugged Maine sailors on sea-going vessels gathered various breeds of cats from around the world for their own pride and desires for companionship, resulting in the handsome coon cat, a common and popular breed today of which the Maine folk are fiercely proud.
Cat Worship
"Behind the handsome face and piercing gaze of the cat there is always that tantalizing, inscrutable something, the exotic and secret center that harks back to an ancient connection with sacred cults and the black arts." It is common knowledge among cat lovers that ancient Egyptians have worshipped the cat form in graven image and being for centuries. Even if a cat had lived its life and died naturally where it was raised, it was still mourned to the point that every Egyptian who lived in the house wherein the cat dwelt would go into full mourning by shaving off even their eyebrows and wearing sackcloth. Egyptian worship went to the extremes when one discovers that the slaying of a cat was punishable by death in Egypt; this is shown though a historical account of a Roman soldier being torn limb from limb for merely harming a cat. Egyptians went even further by prohibiting cats from being exported from their country, which led to the Phoenicians mass plunder of felines from Egypt in order to gain a profit on the black market through shipping cats at high prices to the affluent living through the Mediterranean regions, primarily Italy.
Cat Persecution
This contrasted sharply to the behavior that the Middle Age Europeans displayed towards the Egyptians treasured 'gods.' Unlike the Egyptians, which treated the cat with honor and fervent worship, the medieval Europeans rather treated cats with hatred, fear and persecution. Since the pagans had used cats in their pagan rituals during latter times, the Europeans from this age proclaimed them to be spirits of witches brought directly from the bowels of Satan, thus making them to be viewed as the direct enemies of Christ. This resulted in the church's abhorring the cat's existence, and the cats were incessantly persecuted during this time. Exemplified by the public burning of living cats on Christian feast days, myriads of cats were flayed, roasted, crucified, beaten, and thrown from the tops of high places at the persuading of various priests and monks; all as a part of the horrific purging against these supposed evil spirits.
Cat Superstition
Along with persecution, cats were associated with poignant superstition; the color, the frame, and even the gender of a cat had potential of contributing to foolish, unnecessary destruction and fear of this animal. The most feared color of all was the infamous black, as cats of this color were claimed to have special powers for good or evil. There are three foundations for the British belief of one having a good fortune should a black cat enter his house or cross his path. The first comes from the ancient Egyptians belief of the 'sacred cat' imparting blessings on the home that watched after it; whereas the second foundation comes from the medieval ages, where it was believed that if a cat crossed one's path and left him unharmed, he had been incredibly lucky. It was also during the medieval times that people would treat the black cat with utmost respect to avoid its wrath, even by letting it in their house and feeding it rather than provoke Satan. The last foundation for British belief comes from an old British saying that states: "Whenever the cat of the house is black, the lasses of lovers will have no lack;" referring to the female cat's attracting large circles of male admirers.
It is especially interesting (due to transatlantic inconsistencies) to note that while the British believed the cat was good luck, the early American pioneers did not. When one reads of the witch trials and superstitions that ran rampant throughout early overzealous American colonies, it is clear to see how the black cat's unholy presence was avoided like the plague by terrified and superstitious colonists, whereas the white cat was the complete opposite, and was treated more as a gift from God. As a result of the black cat being avoided in early American society, modern Americans will still hear superstitious sayings referring to thirteen years of bad luck should a black cat cross their path.
The Victorian Age
However helpful cats may have been to the early American settlers, it was not until the 19th century that cats were truly and completely rescued from their life of turmoil and fear. It was the Victorian era (through the sentimentality of the age) that is credited with once again making cats loved and cherished household pets; and it was mainly during this era that pedigrees were first formed and new breeds were documented. Today the cat is known as a common household pet, although this could be a contradiction of terms since "no animal has developed such an intimate relationship with mankind, while at the same time demanding and getting such independence of movement and action." It is said often that owners do not actually own their cat, but that their cat owns them. This thought comes mainly from the perception that the cat is simply an independent spirit, but the domestic cat needs its owner more than one may think.
Cat Mutations
New cat breeds either come about through a chance mutation that is encouraged, or a planned breeding process. Currently there are four unusual breeds of cat that fall into the 'abnormal mutation' category, and they are the Scottish Fold cat, the Canadian Sphynx cat, the Californian Ragdoll cat, and the American Peke-face cat. The Scottish Fold is the only cat with ears that fold forward rather than sticking straight up. It is said to have come from a mutant kitten that appeared in Scotland during the year 1966, and then it was exported to the U.S. in the early 1970's. The Canadian Sphynx is an interesting cat indeed; it has virtually no hair, although it does have a soft fuzz that grows all over its body. The modern Sphynx comes from a mutant kitten that was born after 1966 in Ontario, Canada and is rare outside of North America. The Ragdoll is a beautiful cat that resembles a Birman, but has a unique predicament with its muscles; its muscles completely relax when it is picked up. It came from California in the 1960's mainly through the efforts of one woman and is fairly rare outside of the U.S. The Peke-face has an abnormally ultra-snub nose that is set back in a furrowed muzzel and has a distinct horizontal indentation between its unusually prominent eyes.
Other cats have slight changes in their anatomy that come from mutated genes. The Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex are both cats that have curly hair, these two breeds probably came about through a chance mutation that was encouraged. Long-haired cats also come from breeding mutations that have been cultivated in the past, and are commonplace today. The Manx cat is unusual, as it actually enjoys to swim and is born with no tail. Interestingly enough, mutations are what have created many of today's favorite breeds.
Conclusion (here is where the paper ends)
If one can see the cat as inspiration, cybernaut, an individual, companion, wild, superior, honest, and perfect; they are truly a cat lover and should be viewed as such. Some cat lovers will pamper their kitty to the best of their ability and read countless how-to books to give their pet the best possible care that they are capable of giving. Other cat lovers simply give their cat what their cat truly wants and needs the most: a loving home. If the reader of this paper would like his own feline, the newspaper is a great source to look at, for it holds many 'free for free' ads containing kittens that no one really wants.
HAHA ack this paper needs help.
"If you want to conquer the world you had better not share not even a moment with an animal that refuses to be conquered at any price, by anyone." Cats have been said to portray the epitome of independence, as they have always been said to show strength of mind and disdain for the things that of which any dog would gladly do. Judging by these statements, it is not any wonder to learn the Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Alexander the Great (all of whom wished to conquer the world) were all renowned cat haters, fearing even the sight of these playful, spirited animals. However, it is interesting to note that the amount of people that love cats far outweighs the amount that hate them, thus there must not be too many 'conquerors' in the world today. Now read on, and learn a little about these cat lovers, and the history of the animal they love.
Cat Watchers
Cat societies have been formed for the love of cat watching and thus cat watching has been in effect since ancient times, as many people enjoy taking part in the fun that watching their animated cats brings into their lives. This membership of cat watching "...has included kings and pirates, sailors and scientists, sculptors and cartoonists, photographers and poets, to say nothing of millions of just plain everyday folks who get a kick out of watching and watching over cats." Single-handedly the United States family cat count has grown to approximately twenty million, and others premise that the latter estimated population has already doubled and tripled the twenty millions. It is evident through these estimates that these spunky little creatures have most certainly wound their ways into modern domestic society and into the hearts of their owners across the globe, making them the top pet in the United States currently. Many will even go as far to say that having a cat in one's home will add years to each of the occupant's lives.
Cat Owners
It is interesting to read through accounts of the many different famous cat owners and see the effects that each of their cats had on their lives and careers. For instance, Sir Isaac Newton is said to have invented the cat flap because he happened to notice how unhappy his cats were with the restricted movement they receive when unable to move freely in and out of their home. Just as remarkable to discover is the story of Edgar Allen Poe's wife, who was dying of consumption with only a large tortoiseshell cat and her husband's coat to keep her warm, inspiring Poe's writing of a creepy story called 'The Black Cat,' which warns of the consequences of interfering with the life of something as valuable as a cat. Excessively conscientious cats beset the work of Charles Dickens on several different occasions as his white cat, William (later renamed Williamina), would bring kittens into his study and leave them at his feet; also, one of the grown up kittens which he named 'The Master's Cat' would later snuff out Dicken's candle in order to avert his concentration toward her. One last example of a famous cat owner and his cat is Theodore Roosevelt with his cat named Slippers. Slippers was a persnickety old cat that would disappear from the White House often, only to return at inopportune times...during one of these inopportune moments, Slippers decided to return and take a nap in the middle of the hallway rug. Roosevelt, leading a formal procession down this same hallway, was faced with a difficult decision: disturb his favorite, finicky old cat, or avert the whole procession. Like only a great cat lover can, Roosevelt chose the latter route; he bowed to his partner, led her around the cat's sleeping body, and the entire procession followed suit.
Cat Domestication
Scholars have deduced from ancient records found in the Nile Valley that cat and man have certainly lived together for at least the past 5,000 years. Domestication of today's cat appears to comprise its origins from the Middle Eastern area, and has spread throughout the continents by way of exportation and rodent control purposes. Even though cats have been domesticated for several thousand years, man did not begin breeding cats or creating pedigrees for them until around the 19th century, or roughly the last 100 years; even today, one can choose from numerous beautiful breeds of cats that each have their own unique personalities. The English are the ones who can be given the credit for being the first to see the need for breeding standards in cats and creating the first well-defined breeds; the like of which one can see in customary breeding societies of today.
Cats were probably first brought to the United States in the 1600's by way of the Puritan's ships as they sailed with their rodent-killing companions to the 'New World.' In later years (approximately the 1800's) rugged Maine sailors on sea-going vessels gathered various breeds of cats from around the world for their own pride and desires for companionship, resulting in the handsome coon cat, a common and popular breed today of which the Maine folk are fiercely proud.
Cat Worship
"Behind the handsome face and piercing gaze of the cat there is always that tantalizing, inscrutable something, the exotic and secret center that harks back to an ancient connection with sacred cults and the black arts." It is common knowledge among cat lovers that ancient Egyptians have worshipped the cat form in graven image and being for centuries. Even if a cat had lived its life and died naturally where it was raised, it was still mourned to the point that every Egyptian who lived in the house wherein the cat dwelt would go into full mourning by shaving off even their eyebrows and wearing sackcloth. Egyptian worship went to the extremes when one discovers that the slaying of a cat was punishable by death in Egypt; this is shown though a historical account of a Roman soldier being torn limb from limb for merely harming a cat. Egyptians went even further by prohibiting cats from being exported from their country, which led to the Phoenicians mass plunder of felines from Egypt in order to gain a profit on the black market through shipping cats at high prices to the affluent living through the Mediterranean regions, primarily Italy.
Cat Persecution
This contrasted sharply to the behavior that the Middle Age Europeans displayed towards the Egyptians treasured 'gods.' Unlike the Egyptians, which treated the cat with honor and fervent worship, the medieval Europeans rather treated cats with hatred, fear and persecution. Since the pagans had used cats in their pagan rituals during latter times, the Europeans from this age proclaimed them to be spirits of witches brought directly from the bowels of Satan, thus making them to be viewed as the direct enemies of Christ. This resulted in the church's abhorring the cat's existence, and the cats were incessantly persecuted during this time. Exemplified by the public burning of living cats on Christian feast days, myriads of cats were flayed, roasted, crucified, beaten, and thrown from the tops of high places at the persuading of various priests and monks; all as a part of the horrific purging against these supposed evil spirits.
Cat Superstition
Along with persecution, cats were associated with poignant superstition; the color, the frame, and even the gender of a cat had potential of contributing to foolish, unnecessary destruction and fear of this animal. The most feared color of all was the infamous black, as cats of this color were claimed to have special powers for good or evil. There are three foundations for the British belief of one having a good fortune should a black cat enter his house or cross his path. The first comes from the ancient Egyptians belief of the 'sacred cat' imparting blessings on the home that watched after it; whereas the second foundation comes from the medieval ages, where it was believed that if a cat crossed one's path and left him unharmed, he had been incredibly lucky. It was also during the medieval times that people would treat the black cat with utmost respect to avoid its wrath, even by letting it in their house and feeding it rather than provoke Satan. The last foundation for British belief comes from an old British saying that states: "Whenever the cat of the house is black, the lasses of lovers will have no lack;" referring to the female cat's attracting large circles of male admirers.
It is especially interesting (due to transatlantic inconsistencies) to note that while the British believed the cat was good luck, the early American pioneers did not. When one reads of the witch trials and superstitions that ran rampant throughout early overzealous American colonies, it is clear to see how the black cat's unholy presence was avoided like the plague by terrified and superstitious colonists, whereas the white cat was the complete opposite, and was treated more as a gift from God. As a result of the black cat being avoided in early American society, modern Americans will still hear superstitious sayings referring to thirteen years of bad luck should a black cat cross their path.
The Victorian Age
However helpful cats may have been to the early American settlers, it was not until the 19th century that cats were truly and completely rescued from their life of turmoil and fear. It was the Victorian era (through the sentimentality of the age) that is credited with once again making cats loved and cherished household pets; and it was mainly during this era that pedigrees were first formed and new breeds were documented. Today the cat is known as a common household pet, although this could be a contradiction of terms since "no animal has developed such an intimate relationship with mankind, while at the same time demanding and getting such independence of movement and action." It is said often that owners do not actually own their cat, but that their cat owns them. This thought comes mainly from the perception that the cat is simply an independent spirit, but the domestic cat needs its owner more than one may think.
Cat Mutations
New cat breeds either come about through a chance mutation that is encouraged, or a planned breeding process. Currently there are four unusual breeds of cat that fall into the 'abnormal mutation' category, and they are the Scottish Fold cat, the Canadian Sphynx cat, the Californian Ragdoll cat, and the American Peke-face cat. The Scottish Fold is the only cat with ears that fold forward rather than sticking straight up. It is said to have come from a mutant kitten that appeared in Scotland during the year 1966, and then it was exported to the U.S. in the early 1970's. The Canadian Sphynx is an interesting cat indeed; it has virtually no hair, although it does have a soft fuzz that grows all over its body. The modern Sphynx comes from a mutant kitten that was born after 1966 in Ontario, Canada and is rare outside of North America. The Ragdoll is a beautiful cat that resembles a Birman, but has a unique predicament with its muscles; its muscles completely relax when it is picked up. It came from California in the 1960's mainly through the efforts of one woman and is fairly rare outside of the U.S. The Peke-face has an abnormally ultra-snub nose that is set back in a furrowed muzzel and has a distinct horizontal indentation between its unusually prominent eyes.
Other cats have slight changes in their anatomy that come from mutated genes. The Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex are both cats that have curly hair, these two breeds probably came about through a chance mutation that was encouraged. Long-haired cats also come from breeding mutations that have been cultivated in the past, and are commonplace today. The Manx cat is unusual, as it actually enjoys to swim and is born with no tail. Interestingly enough, mutations are what have created many of today's favorite breeds.
Conclusion (here is where the paper ends)
If one can see the cat as inspiration, cybernaut, an individual, companion, wild, superior, honest, and perfect; they are truly a cat lover and should be viewed as such. Some cat lovers will pamper their kitty to the best of their ability and read countless how-to books to give their pet the best possible care that they are capable of giving. Other cat lovers simply give their cat what their cat truly wants and needs the most: a loving home. If the reader of this paper would like his own feline, the newspaper is a great source to look at, for it holds many 'free for free' ads containing kittens that no one really wants.
HAHA ack this paper needs help.