There was a brief period of time when I thought I might be a dog person, but that was when Henry was around. I was a Henry person, really, not a dog person. In my heart for as long as I can remember, I have truly been a cat person. Their beauty, grace, and otherworldliness never cease to amaze and humble me. Now, there are some cats that I'm fonder of than others. A perfect example of this is Smidgen. She's such a unique feline individual. When she wants attention, usually from Aunt Tudi, she'll sit up and rub her ears. What made her decide that this would get attention is beyond me. I was lucky to finally capture this strange behaviour on film.
Now Motley is a cat that needs no human affection. She was born feral and forced into domesticity because of her being so ill when she was a young kitten. She never quite got over being an independent wild cat. Her disdain for humanity is easily shown on her face, which isn't nearly as pleasant as Smidgen's. Smidgen has an angel face whereas Motley has a bulldogish face with strangely reptilian eyes. When she looks at you, if she finds you vaguely interesting enough to merit her attention, you can almost feel her cold gaze upon you. When I came home, I spied her nestled under the canopy of the contorted filbert, certain in her catly summations that she was well-hidden from any and everything. I took a picture of her hunkered under the filbert, then I called her name. When she looked at me with those green reptile eyes, I took another picture.
( Motley Dot - Ferocious Feline )Of all our cats of the Indoor Pride, Smidgen is my favourite and Motley is my least favourite. That doesn't mean I don't adore Motley. It's just that Smidgen has been incredibly special to me from the moment I scooped her up with two fingers. My affections for the Indoor Pride are allotted thusly:
Smidgen
Shmoop
Steve
Aloysius
Motley
This doesn't mean that I'd send Steve to the pound before I would send Shmoop; rather, it just means that I'm more prone gush on Shmoop than I am Steve. It might not be the most fair position, but at least I'm honest about it. I love all the cats that grace my home, both the Indoor and Backyard Prides. Each cat is wonderful in his or her own right and I acknowledge that.