\We all know that, as humans, our love for cats spans across all time and history. We also know that many historical figures and famous legends were, in fact, cat lovers; from Mark Twain to Freddy Mercury, to famous chefs, cat dads, and cat moms. Who can blame them? It’s all but impossible to resist those little bean toes and furry bellies. In fact, some famous faces from the days of yore even went so far as to create books, songs, and works of art featuring cats as their muses. (Mew-ses? Did I make that joke already? There it is again, for good measure.)
Indeed, books such as T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (from which the Broadway production Cats comes), fairy tales such as Charles Perrault’s Puss in Boots, and paintings such as Hiroshige II’s A White Cat Playing With a String all serve as excellent examples of the fact that us humans have been mesmerized by our furry companions all throughout time and culture. Knowing this, let us now ponder on some of the most thought-provoking quotes that have come from the world’s greatest minds, and feast on the bite-sized anecdotes that so perfectly describe our affinity for felines.
A Cat In Time
How cats choose to spend their time has often been the source of much philosophical discussion. A plebeian unaccustomed to the habits of our kitty friends might think they’re “lazy” or “boring”. But Hayao Miyazaki, the critically acclaimed Head Animator of Studio Ghibli, thinks differently.
“Look how carefree she looks. You have no schedule”,
he jokes, as his cat sprawls out in the sunshine. Indubitably, we could all take a lesson from Miyazaki’s “carefree” kitty and sprawl out in the sunshine every once in a while, don’t you think?
“Time spent with cats is never wasted”
is a quote thought to have been said by famous psychologist Sigmund Freud, though the true source of this adage is still uncertain. Nonetheless, it is still sure to resonate with many; a reassuring quote to those who prefer to sleep in all day with Miss Whiskers snuggled next to them. And truly, who among us couldn’t benefit from basking in the serene presence of a cat every now and then? Truly a cleansing experience for the soul to soak up some of those sweet sweet kitty purrs for a few minutes. Or hours. Or, heck, in this quarantine, hunker down and spend some quality time with your kitty for as long as you like!
“In ancient times cats were worshipped as Gods; they have not forgotten this.”
Terry Pratchet tells it to us like it is. Truly, the ancient Egyptians really had the right idea about who was in charge, and nothing much has changed since then. The austere yet graceful sense of royal dignity that is particular to cats is one of great inspiration, and has been for centuries. There is no creature quite as noble as a cat. I say this, of course, while my own cat spends 9 full minutes hurling himself across the room for no reason and chasing his own tail. Indeed, so noble. So mysterious.
What They Mean To Us
“There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.”
These words, written by philosopher Albert Schweitzer, accurately illustrate what it means to have a bond with a cat. Verily indeed, cats are essentially four-legged serotonin machines, who effortlessly fill us with a joy that could not possibly be provided elsewhere. I mean, a joy that could, like, probably be provided elsewhere, theoretically. But who cares about that when you have a tiny bean-toed baby to snuggle, or admire from afar, as the case may be? Exactly. All you need is cats. (Famous quote by John Lennon. Super accurate, you don’t have to look it up, I promise it’s real.)
“How we behave towards cats here below determines our status in heaven”.
So like, remember back in 1567 when the Roman Catholic Church was like, “hey what if we sold these things called ‘indulgences’ to people who can afford it so that they’re sure to end up in heaven when they die? That’s a good idea, right? Absolutely no one is ever gonna call us out on that.” Yeah, so as it turns out, that wasn’t a great idea, but it doesn’t matter anyway, because your ticket to heaven: being nice to cats. Science Fiction author Robert A. Heinlein said it himself, and there it is folks. So keep that in mind, because if you mistreat any cat ever, they’re gonna snitch on you to God. And you wanna be in heaven, right? That’s where all the kitties are. All cats go to heaven!
A Cat’s Philosophy
Based on what we’ve learned, we can easily see that cats have always held a piece of our hearts, and our minds. They have been nothing short of a philosophical inspiration as much as a spiritual companion, helping us to navigate our way through the world. Of all the quotes listed here, one might sum this notion up the best, and that is when Hippolyte Taine said,
“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.”
