Working Cats
Have you ever considered the many
and varied roles the domestic cat has played over the years?
Aside from being a marvelous pet and
a close companion to families all over the world, the cat has also
had a more professional life. It has held several jobs, ranging
from the interesting to the unlikely.
Most cats will present their owners
with a dead rat or mouse from time to time, but some cats in ancient
times were employed specifically for this purpose. In Egypt, cats
protected the large amounts of grain which the country created.
Rats were a great danger to the grain, and would have severely reduced
the amount stored if the cats had not disposed of them.
It was perhaps due to this talent
that the Egyptians held the domestic cat in such high esteem. The
animal's importance was equal to that of royalty; indeed, just as
royals were mummified after their death, so were our feline friends.
Cats are still expert rat catchers
nowadays, and some people initially acquire a cat for this purpose
alone - though they often become part of the family anyway, just
as pet cats do.
For those fortunate ones among us
who live permanently aboard a boat, a pet cat is very much at home
on board. The proverbial Ship's Cat may seem like a cliché,
having been a sea-going animal for many centuries, but it is perhaps
the best pet to have when you are a sea-goer yourself. Apart from
being very adaptable to the surroundings, they will keep the boat
rodent free, saving you all kinds of untold trouble.
Cats have also been given some more
unusual jobs over the years. One lucky feline was a lady in waiting
for a cat loving Emperor in Japan, while another was paid to be
given the task of ridding the Home Office of any offending pests
- politicians notwithstanding.
Perhaps the best known working cat
today is Arthur, who has appeared on British television in several
advertisements for a well known cat food. He's the one who eats
his food straight from the tin, with the use of only one paw.
Of course, the cat has also had a
professional life in other forms. Cartoon cats, fictional cats and
diagrammatic cats have long made appearances on the screen and page
alike. It certainly seems the domestic cat is a large source of
inspiration for writers, artists, cartoonists and painters everywhere.
We may not praise the cat in temples
anymore, as the ancient Egyptians did, or mummify them when they
finally pass away, yet we will always respect them and acknowledge
the important roles they have taken on through the years.
After all, the job of chief rat catcher
must be one of the oldest jobs in the world.
