Cats have captivated humans for centuries, and I personally am fascinated by these creatures, displaying a slight phobia that I have of them. If you’ve read my other posts on the blog, you’ll note that phobias are a recurring theme, both in my personal life and in general, and cats are no exception. Though I’ve become more warm and accepting of them as time goes along.
I wanted to share some of my most interesting stories where cats are the main event. These are only five stories, but they are all true, and hopefully, you’ll enjoy reading them.
Why am I so fascinated by cats? Well, they played an important role in history. They are cute, funny, and surprisingly loyal. Yes, it’s been said that a dog is a man’s best friend. But I think that cats are remarkably faithful too and can leave their owner with many wonderful memories.
As far as their history, in ancient Egypt, cats figured prominently in art, literature, and life-and-death events.
Some facts about cats:
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History of Cats in Ancient Egypt
Practical Role
Cats were highly valued for their role in protecting food stores by controlling the population of mice, rats, and snakes. Their hunting skills made them indispensable to the Egyptians, who rewarded them with a high status in society.
Depictions in Art
- Paintings and Murals: Cats are often shown in everyday scenes, sitting under chairs or accompanying their owners. They are depicted as elegant and attentive, emphasizing their domestic and protective roles.
- Sculptures and Figurines: Many small statues and amulets were created in the likeness of cats. These objects were believed to bring protection and good fortune.
- Funerary Art: Cats were sometimes included in tomb paintings and sculptures to symbolize their protective qualities in the afterlife.
Laws and Customs
The ancient Egyptians implemented strict laws to protect cats. Killing a cat, even accidentally, was punishable by death. When a family cat died, the household would go into mourning, and members might shave their eyebrows as a sign of grief.
Whisker Sensitivity
Cats have highly sensitive whiskers that can detect even the slightest changes in their environment, helping them navigate in the dark and measure spaces.
Unique Nose Prints
Cats’ unique nose prints are like human fingerprints, each one distinct and capable of identifying them.
Feline Vision
Cats have specialized vision due to a layer of cells called the tapetum lucidum, which reflects light back through their retinas, enhancing their night vision and allowing them to see in very low light.
Fast Reflexes
Cats can make a vertical jump up to six times their body length in a single leap, thanks to their powerful leg muscles and flexible spine.
Quiet Communication
While cats meow to communicate with humans, they typically don’t meow to other cats, using their vocalizations primarily to get human attention.
Sleep Masters
Cats spend around 70% of their lives sleeping, which amounts to about 13 to 16 hours a day, helping them conserve energy for hunting and play.
Now that we’ve learned a few interesting things about these marvelous creatures, let’s read on with five of my most interesting cat stories. They range from bizarre and scary, too funny and even inspirational. But before warned, some of these stories may actually frighten you, so you may want to read them in a well-lighted room:
5 True Fascinating, Scary, and Funny Cat Stories
1. Garfield’s Doppelganger
This is by far the funniest of my stories. One day I went with my uncle on a visit to an acquaintance of his. We walked for about a mile before he started talking about the interesting cat that they had. I asked him to describe it but he didn’t comments that telling me that he wanted it to be a surprise. Well, we get to the house and much to my pleasant surprise, it was a beautiful looking cat. Immediately I noticed that he was similar physically to Garfield the cat, the cartoon. I asked my guests for the name of the cat, and almost chuckled when they said the garfield. I think I said something like, well that’s inappropriate name. But they can’t look exactly like the famous cartoon cat, with the black stripes and a shiny chain of orange coat. The only thing was, the cat was overweight and but other than that, it was Garfield’s twin.
2. The Eerie Library Walk
One of my best past times while growing up in New York City was taking the mile walk to the library. It allowed me to reflect on the day or a book that I read before heading out there. It so happened that this one day I I’m on the street two blocks away from the library and noticed some wailing sound. It was a sound unlike any I’d ever heard I can honestly, I didn’t know right away whether they were cats or whether a crime that occurred. But the wailing was horrific in the sense that I couldn’t tell what was happening, weather some cats were hurt or whether they were fighting. And I tried looking for the origin of the sound but knew that it was coming from somewhere within the bushes. Some parts of New York City in the 1980s through the 1990s at empty lots from which grass overgrew, and I was one of those areas. On that first day, I went to the library as usual to read and study. About 4 hours later I left and as I passed that section sound was still there. It was intermittent, and first I actually told myself that I would go to the grass and see what was up, but then refuse. I was too scared. The next day, on the way to the library, the same sound. Cats wailing, but this time it appeared as though they were going after getting angry at each other. I Believe by the third day when I went past there The sounds had already died out, but they remain fresh in my memory. One of the scariest sounds I ever heard.
3. Feline Fury
It was February 2002, my first day of work where I was going to start volunteering picking bananas. At dawn, I woke up to the sound of a horrific sound of a dog whaling. Didn’t know what had happened, and I did it immediately assume it have been a cat. That was my wake up call for that day. Anyway, I come to find out an hour later that a dog, which I believe belong to someone on the kibbutz, have been scratched by a cat. I believe the dog, if I remember correctly, belonged to my manager on the banana fields. I did see the scratch on the dog, and it was one of the most vicious I’d ever seen. That was the first time, I believe, that I started respecting cats for their remarkable power in terms of being able to inflict harm on another creature. Another sound that I’ll never forget.
4. Eyes Of Intrigue
About 6 years ago my brother brought a cat to our home. It was and is one of the most beautiful cats that I’ve known how and it was special looking at it when it was younger. One of the striking features of the cat when I first met it was its eyes. They would grow large whenever I would pass it, yet whatever it was clutched by my brother or someone who knew it well, the eyes would go back to normal. Only what it looked at me, or someone whom it did not know, with the eyes grow larger. And it was in creepy. I sort of wish that the cat still enlarged his eyes the way it did when it was younger, but instead I’ve got only those funny memories
5. The Agile Hybrid
In December 1996, during my stay in Los angeles, I was a guest at someone’s home. One day I noticed a cat bouncing around his sofa. I didn’t immediately notice the fact that it was a mixed cat, only that I knew, as I watched it with agility and finesse jump from the sofa to the floor and then to another sofa and around the whole living room, that it was a mixed cat. I asked my guest whether it was mixed, and he told me yes. I don’t remember what the other part of its mix was, I believe onyx, but it was one of those special cats that go for more money if you want to buy them. To this day, it is the most beautiful mixed feline that I’ve ever seen.