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For "cats are very muchBased on works such as the poems "Prufrock" (1917) and "Ash Wednesday" (1930) and the drama "Murder in the Cathedral" (1935), American-born and naturalized British poet and future Nobel laureate T(homas) S(tearns) Eliot – also founder and editor of the literary journal "Criterion" – was already an established writer when, in 1939, he came up with this series of poems for children, which due to their timeless charm and humorous insight into the feline nature had long become literary classics for the young and old alike before Trevor Nunn and Andrew Lloyd Webber used them as a basis for their award-winning musical "Cats."
My favorite rendition of these poems, which were originally a gift from "Old Possum" Eliot to his godchildren, is the 1983 recording featuring Sir John Gielgud and his recurrent stage partner Irene Worth, who alternatingly read the poems and bring to life the likes of Jennyanydots the old Gumbie Cat (who at night displays a show of unexpected zeal in training mice and cockroaches in the art of keeping a clean house), the old "bravo cat" Growltiger (who, already having lost one eye and one ear in battle, one balmy night has "no eye or ear for aught but [the lady] Griddlebone," thus at last making himself vulnerable to his many enemies and "forced to walk the plank"), Rum Tum Tugger, the "curious cat," who very much has a mind of his own and always seems to want exactly the opposite of what you have given him ("For he will do as he do do, and there's no doing anything about it"), and Macavity, "the Napoleon of crime," who controls even notorious scoundrels like Mungojerrie and who is fatefully remeniscient of Berthold Brecht's Mac the Knife in rhyme, metre, name and character.
Sir John Gielgud and Irene Worth bring not only their entire impeccable theatrical training to the project but, more importantly, a great sense of humor and a true feeling for the nature of each feline protagonist – and for their canine adversaries; because, as nobody can seriously doubt any longer by the time when we have reached the last poem, "a cat is not a dog!"
So you truly hear that Chinese vase go "bing!" when Irene Worth tells the story of the eternal pranksters Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer; you see them turning the basement into a "field of war," and you hear the cook's desperation when she has to inform the family that there will be no meat for dinner because "the joint has gone from the oven – like that!" You can picture Old Deuteronomy sleeping or sitting in the sun, and see his slow, ponderous movements as you hear John Gielgud's rendition of the oldest village inhabitant's ever-unchanging comment: "Well, of all ... things ... Can it be ... really! ... No! ... Yes! ... Ho! hi! Oh, my eye!" Reading about "the Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles," Irene Worth does not merely give you the dogs' various kinds of bark; true to character she moreover endows them with their respective Pekinese, Yorkshire and Scottish accents. Similarly, hearing John Gielgud read the story of the great conjurer Mr. Mistoffelees (whose name is another one of the numerous literary allusions hidden in Eliot's verses – and of course this particular cat is "black from his ears to the tip of his tail"), there can be no doubt about the degree of amazement in which he holds his audience ("Oh! Well I never! Was there ever a cat so clever as Magical Mr. Mistoffelees!"); and of course it also falls to none other than great Shakespearean actor Gielgud to tell us about Gus, the old "theatre cat," and his thespian exploits, endowing the four-pawed stage veteran with a dignity that would do any of his human colleagues proud. Irene Worth does much the same for the St. James Street club-going, pompously condescending (and shall we say it? remarkably fat!) Bustopher Jones, whereas Gielgud's voice finally assumes a hurried, but regular pace – much like a train rattling over its rails – as he reads the story of Skimbleshanks, the "railway cat," who keeps the train in order from luggage car to passenger compartments, always ready to assist personnel and travelers alike.
The first and last poems, "The Naming of Cats" and "The Ad-dressing of Cats" are read by Gielgud and Worth together, both in turn taking a verse at a time – and unflappably pronouncing tongue-twisting, "peculiar" cat names such as Munkustrap, Bombalurina and Jellylorum, and lines like the closing of the first poem, which refers to a cat's meditation on his "ineffable effable effanineffable deep and inscrutable singular Name." – You can, of course, always pop in a video or DVD and watch the musical based on T.S. Eliot's poems – but for a closer interpretation of the originals, few versions are as enjoyable as this classic recording featuring two of Britain's all-time greatest actors, at the end of which you truly "should need no interpreter to understand [the cats'] character."
See Themis-Athena's select John Gielgud filmography and audiography
John Gielgud's biography at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
Indispensable."A cat is only technically an animal, being divine." – Robert Lynd.
"The twenty-first century may be the century of the cat," says Franklin M. Loew, former Dean of Cornell University's renowned College of Veterinary Medicine in this book's preface, citing statistics according to which even at the end of the 20th century, the number of cats in the United States alone already equaled that of the entire human population of Europe (and with sinking birth rates among humans, it is not hard to guess where that particular trend is headed in the near and midterm future).
Authored by the staff of Cornell's Feline Health Center, "The Cornell Book of Cats" is an indispensable reference guide for every cat owner who cares about his or her feline companion(s). The book provides detailed coverage on every aspect of feline life, from the cats' origin and breeds to cat (mis-)behavior, nutrition, anatomy, reproduction and all major instances of disease and infirmity. Particular attention is given to kittens, aging cats, skin and sensory disorders, internal disorders and medical emergencies. While the explanations do rely on a number of medical/veterinary terms, they are generally clear, comprehensive and easy to understand; in addition, most of the veterinary terminology is defined in a 22-page glossary at the end of the book. Numerous figures, tables, sketches, statistics and photos further illustrate the text; and treatment suggestions are provided for all diseases and disorders described. As the authors point out, this book is not intended to make a visit to the vet unnecessary in each and every instance (and sometimes, the remedies suggested here are only the beginning of the path to complete treatment) – but the book does help a cat owner determine when the often not inconsiderable expense of a visit to the vet is truly warranted. Moreover, it is a tremendous supplementary resource to even the best vet's recommendations, and it provides a wealth of background information on our four-pawed friends. Highly recommended.
"A house without a cat, and a well-fed, well-petted and properly revered cat, may be perfect house, perhaps, but how can it prove its title?" – Mark Twain.
Siesta and Tenderness."For those who would learn to siesta well, I advise taking a cat as a teacher," German photographer Hans W. Silvester writes in this book's preface. And anybody who has ever owned a cat knows that he has a point: Cats sleep up to 17 hours a day, preserving their energy for the moments when it is really needed – even if they live in an environment where they never need to hunt (there's still that all-important playing, after all!); and even if a cat's sleep is never so deep that it can't be stirred at a moment's notice (hence the term "cat nap"). While cats may change their sleeping places several times a day, they will always choose a spot that affords them equal measures of comfort and protection: warmth and soft ground or soft bedding, but also shelter from the wind and from unwanted intruders.
Silvester is a well-known photo journalist with an established track record for environmentally sensitive reporting (including, inter alia, a widely publicized report on the destruction of the Amazonian jungle). Cats have been a part of his life for well over 40 years; and his love and intimate knowledge of his subject is quite obvious from the photos in this magnificent coffee table book, originally published in France under the title "Sieste et Tendresse" ("Siesta and Tenderness"). Although based in the Provence, for this project he traveled to the Greek Cyclades Islands, where cats are virtually omnipresent: unlike their domesticated brothers and sisters elsewhere, carefree outdoor dwellers who may or may not be attached to a human family; nor, however, exclusively scrawny back-alley bags of bones. The presence of cats is an everyday fact of life in Greece; humans and felines coexist without (for the most part) human attempts to over-domesticate their feline neighbors. Cats are appreciated for their help in keeping rats and mice in check, and while the local approach to animal control can occasionally be drastic as well, overall feline life in Southern Europe (and particularly in Greece) is probably much closer to their natural existence than in many other Western societies, where they are all too often either pampered and overfed indoor dwellers or abandoned, raggedy, disease-ridden skeletons who have learned to expect nothing but evil from humans. The photos in this book depict outdoor cats in unposed, natural circumstances; and yet in positions and situations every cat lover will instantly recognize.
On almost 130 pages, Silvester thus chronicles cats of all colors and sizes curled up with complete abandon on rooftops, windowsills, concrete and wooden stairs, balconies, flower pots, cafe chairs, benches, sofas, a fruit vendor's empty cardboard boxes, wooden boxes, trailers, fishermen's boats, the hood of a car, high grass and next to a chapel bell, stretched out in the middle of a street, next to a wooden fence, on a balustrade, a quai or a wall, squeezed into the branches of a tree or beside a building's wooden beams, perched into a corner, a group of large rocks, a spot of soft earth in the middle of a meadow, a cast-iron balcony roof grid, an abandoned tire or the wheel of a concrete mixer, piled up on top of each other, yawning, playing and exchanging little tendernesses, and even a few pictures of kittens happily feeding from their somnolent mothers. While the photographer's focus is clearly on his feline subjects, many of his pictures also show the unique flavor of the Greek islands where they were taken; the Cyclades' sun-drenched landscape, the deep blue of the Mediterranean, the white of walls and houses, and the peeling blue, green and red paint of wooden fishing boats, doors and window frames. This is a book to contemplate, smile and, occasionally, laugh out loud – a marvelous gift for cat lovers young and old.
Feline Mini-Masterpieces.Looking for that perfect stocking stuffer for the cat lovers among your friends; or for that little extra on top of another gift? Look no further, I think you may have found it.
"Pussycats" is the cat-themed entry in the mini-picture book series from the Hallmark/Hulton Getty photograph collection (whose dog-themed entry is incidentally entitled, you guessed it, "Puppy Dogs"). But despite its title and although published by Hallmark, the photos compiled in this little book don't have any of the saccharine flavor otherwise frequently associated with the products of that company. These are gorgeous black and white photographs, some from as early as the 1920s, others from the late 20th century, depicting cats in all manner of poses and situations. Some cats are shown with their famous owners, such as actors Oliver Reed, Ann Todd and James Mason, or (inter-)acting with human co-stars in a movie (like the cat held up by Anita Ekberg in a scene from "La Dolce Vita") or in a commercial (like the 1980s' cat food commercial star Arthur); but most of them are just doing what they do best – being cats. There's the title photo kitten weaving his way through a row of milk bottles taller than himself, cats watching gold fish bowls, sitting next to a garden pond marked "no fishing," and with their paws in creamers and their noses in cups and buckets full of fresh milk; looking out of briefcases, baskets, suitcases, windows (one next to a "no vacancy" sign!), out of post office shelves and, feline wet dream of wet dreams, a fridge; playing with toy mice and balls of wool; dozing on pillows, human laps and next to a birthday cake; tiny kittens not larger than the size of a hand; and a cat stopping traffic by walking across a busy street completely unconcerned by the cars. (That particular photo is from 1934 – I'm not sure a similar scene would still work out quite the same way now.) There are cats slurping milk out of the same saucer as a dog, tiny kittens standing between much larger dogs' feet, and cats sharing the spotlight with children, ducklings and dolls. There's the cat answering a 1930s' model telephone (who but for the type of phone could almost be one of mine – I'm sure many a cat owner will recognize their feline loved ones in these photos) and, last but not least, the one trying to open a milk bottle with his teeth.
Each photo is juxtaposed with an aphorism or a quote from a famous cat lover; and often the combination of picture and text adds an extra touch of humor or poignancy. A picture of two cats greedily watching their food being cut up, for example, appears next to the English proverb "In a cat's eyes, all things belong to cats;" and the photo from "La Dolce Vita" showing a fur-coated Anita Ekberg holding up a cat is set against Théophile Gautier's quote: "The cat is a dilettante in fur." And who could doubt Mark Twain's statement that "[a] cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime" when looking at the picture of a cat rising on his hind legs for a big chunk of freshly caught fish? Who would dispute Rob Kopack, who said that "[i]f cats could talk, they would lie to you" when looking at the two cats sitting in a fridge; and who dare contradict Scottish writer Hector Hugh Munro's ("Saki's") assertion that "[t]he cat is domestic only as far as it suits its own ends" when watching a cat being fed with a large wooden spoon by a pint-sized human kitchen helper at some point in the 1930s?
All photos are individually credited at the end of the book, but there is nothing else in the way of text or information: this is, as the subtitle aptly states, "a photographic celebration;" nothing more, nothing less. But it is a pure delight to leaf through, and will surely give great pleasure to any cat lover receiving it. And after all, that's what cats are best at anyway, aren't they?
"Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you later." – Mary Bly.
"The smallest feline is a masterpiece." – Leonardo da Vinci.
Kool Kats, superbly captured.Cats are cute. Cats are cuddly. Cats are funny. Cats are playful. Cats can be naughty. You will sometimes find your cats in the most impossible places in your home (if you find them at all). Because most importantly: Cats are individualists! And while all of these are clichés, the photos by British photographer David McEnerny that make up this calendar show all sides of our beloved felines – and yes, cats really do have class!
There is Fit Cat, for example, lazily draped over a set of weights almost as big as he is. There's Pocket Puss, a kitten peering out from her owner's jacket pocket. There's Kool Kat, sporting sunglasses with (you guessed it) kitty head shaped glasses. There's Catchy Kit-Kat, fresh from kitty junior league, baseball cap with "Cats" logo and all. There's the tiny princess of summer slumber, relaxing in a doll-sized lounge chair, and the kitten taking a comfortable nap in a hammock that looks as if it had been custom-made for him. There's the aspiring chess queen, declaring "chess mouse" to her opponent on a board with figurines almost matching her own height. There's the kitten going "overboard" in a little rubber ring. (Who says all cats are afraid of water? My Holly will tell you that's absolutely not the case ... she's fascinated by it!) There's Captain Jacques Kati, sporting a beret and a striped sweater (and standing by to rescue the kitten in the rubber ring? He certainly looks the part!) There's the recent graduate of "cat studies," sprawling over a stack of books three times his size and still sporting his black graduation cap. There's Top Draw, peeking out from – well, not the top but what actually looks like the second drawer of a wooden chest. And last but not least there is bow-tied Beaukitty, a beauty queen already at the tender age of what can't be more than three months.
Like all great portrait photographers, David McEnerny, who discovered his own love for cats years ago with a ginger tabby named Sylvester, brings out the best, funniest and most adoring in his four-pawed subjects. He opts for pictures in black and white rather than color – expression of both Mr. McEnerny's confidence in his talent (really good results in black and white photography, especially in portrait photography, are decidedly more difficult to achieve than in color) and his respect and love for his feline models. These photos are true portraits, done with the same skill and care that goes into good human portrait photography; and yet none of them looks staged in any way, even those that show their subjects in truly funny, curious or unusual situations. (Like I said: You sometimes do find your cats in the oddest places.)
If you have owned previous incarnations of this calendar, you will recognize some of these photos from prior years; e.g., Pocket Puss, Kool Kat, the chess champion, the kitten going "overboard" and Jacques Kati are featured both in the 2002 and 2003 editions of "Classic Cats." But I, for one, honestly don't mind! On the contrary, these cat characters have become beloved little friends to me; and especially in my office (where I keep this calendar's desktop edition – in addition to the wall calendar I have at home!), turning each page really does have a little of the joy of meeting a real-life friend, who I know will keep me company while I can't be with my own three cats at home. (As I write this, my silky-haired black Gypsy is sprawling on my lap as only he can, purring comfortably; and I can be sure of his indignant protest when I put him down to get up – he is absolutely convinced of his God-given right to stay in this position all day long and has little sympathy for the idea that this is not always compatible with my own schedule.) So right now, I'll see if I can find Tiger, who has the endless ability to find places in my apartment that even her older brother and sister haven't discovered yet, and then I'll go to join Fit Kat and his exercising weight. And I'm already looking forward to seeing Pocket Puss, Kool Kat and all of my other friends from Mr. McEnerny's archive again, and curious who will be featured in next year's edition of this calendar.
Ah, that big move to Europe. Gypsy, Holly and Tiger truly have taken it in stride, and quickly adapted to their new home in a manner that has filled me with new love and admiration for them. Alas, there is one item now sorely lacking in their lives: Pounce Tuna Treats! For as long as we've been together (and in the case of Holly and Tiger, that means their entire life, after all), there has not been a better way to reward them or just show them my affection than by giving them some of these – the kitties loved them, and I knew that due to the treats' many healthy ingredients I was actually doing them good in addition to making them happy. But Pounce is nowhere to be found on the shelves of German stores! My trio is not generally picky in their food choices; they willingly accept most everything appearing in their food bowls. But they have made it quite clear to me that a decent substitute for Pounce is yet to be discovered. In the meantime, what's a poor cat owner to do???
Themis-Athena, Gypsy, Holly and Tier's favorite cat mystery on the Akif Pirinçci page of this site
and the movie based on the book
Themis-Athena, Gypsy, Holly and Tiger's other favorite cat things
Themis-Athena's guide to cat ownership
Meet Patty Baret, Gypsy, Holly and Tiger's favorite petsitter!
She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply say I am without adding a this, or a that, without saying I am Indian, Guyanese, English, or anything else in the world. Sharon Maas: Of Marriageable Age.
Through our maps, we willingly become a part of their boundaries. If our home is included, we feel pride, perhaps familiarity, but always a sense that this is ours. If it is not, we accept our roles as outsiders, though we may be of the same mind and culture. In this way, maps can be dangerous and powerful tools. Debbie Lee Wesselmann: Trutor and the Balloonist.
I believe in such cartography – to be marked by nature, not just label ourselves on a map like the names of rich men and women on buildings. We are communal histories, communal books. ... All I desired was to walk upon such an earth that had no maps. Michael Ondaatje: The English Patient.
Maybe your country is only a place you make up in your own mind. Something you dream about and sing about. Maybe it's not a place on the map at all, but just a story full of people you meet and places you visit, full of books and films you've been to. I'm not afraid of being homesick and having no language to live in. I don't have to be like anyone else. I'm walking on the wall and nobody can stop me. Hugo Hamilton: The Speckled People.
Copyright 2001-2009: Themis-Athena, all rights reserved.
