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I have loved cats since I was five years old, petting the neighbor’s cat and bringing strays home on my way back from school. But I was deprived of having one as a child because of my dad. “Cats belong in a barn,” he always said. We lived in an apartment at the time. But as soon as I left home, I adopted my first cat. I have enjoyed their company ever since.
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Unlike dogs, who love unconditionally, cats are very picky about who they like. Some believe they can read a person’s aura (the magnetic field surrounding all living beings), and they develop supernatural powers as they age. If an adult cat comes to you and chooses you to take care of him or her, it means you are a good person, kind, peaceful of heart and mind, and trustworthy. I would never trust someone who hates cats.
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| Pasha, the current blue-eyed guardian of my home |
Cats are believed to watch over dreams, sense spiritual energy, and guard thresholds. Some say they have nine lives, others that they are shapeshifters. They have a knack to appear in sealed rooms with no explanation. No closed door or high balcony ever stopped a cat. I often find strange cats on my balcony on the third floor with no apparent access.
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While black cats are sometimes vilified in the west, because long ago they shielded witches from evil spirits, in Scottish folklore cats in general are considered good luck and believed to bring prosperity. In China, cats and big cats (like tigers) are a symbol of wealth. In Japan, the Maneki-neko (beckoning cat) is a symbol of good luck, prosperity, hospitality, and happiness. It graces homes and waves at you from the windows of most Japanese restaurants, or it wishes you a Happy New Year on your Social Media feed.
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| Maneki neko (photo: Tokoname ware - Amazon) |
In Egyptian antiquity, cats were the guardians of the underworld, preventing the evil dead from escaping and wreaking havoc in the world of the living. They were considered divine, and the Goddess Bastet, with the head of a panther, warded-off evil and protected mothers.
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But many other cultures around the world venerate the cat. Celtic lore mentions the “Cat Sith,” a large black cat with a white spot on his chest, said to change form nine times in his life (possibly the origin of the nine lives legends).
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In Siam, many temple cats reside in sacred spaces safeguarding the souls of the deceased as they move to the afterlife. In Nepal and Tibet, temple cats are nurtured, fed, and loved. In return, they get rid of vermin… physical and otherwise.
In my latest novel, Chi Warrior, many cats dwell in the monastery of the Celestial Gate, protecting the monks and the Acolytes, even curling up on their crossed legs as they meditate.
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If you like cats, definitely check out my science fiction novels. Some of my cats are big, others small, some are genetically engineered, and some wield supernatural powers.
Happy Reading!
Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author
Kick-butt Sci-fi Heroines, cats, romantic elements
