Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Cats also make a great companion for old people

Rasha-al-Raisi
Rasha-al-Raisi
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Rasha al Raisi - To end this series of animal behaviour that started five weeks back, one must discuss an important aspect of animal’s intelligence and personalities. Keeping cats for almost 12 years had given me the chance to deal with different types and levels, just like human beings.


To mention some personality examples, there are: attention seekers, bullies, clingy, quiet, talkative and not to forget psychos too. Take for example my stray cat Manoosh. He’s the popular type who has a small group of buddies (three other male cats).


Whenever he comes to feed, the group of buddies will leave whatever they’re doing and hurry to the gate to welcome him and walk him to one of the plates. The three of them then will eat from the same plate happily.


Manoosh will be followed by his buddies around the garden till he leaves. Other cats salute him with the usual head bumps. Manoosh always reminds me of the charismatic politician who’d win the heart and votes of others effortlessly.


Bullies and psycho cats are the hardest to deal with. Bully cats not only practice the art with their fellow cats, but also tend to extend it to their owners too. Psychos are never predictable, one minute they allow you to stroke them and then next they bite you for doing so. The nice ones are what owners always pray for, as they’re the best companions in health as in sickness. My cat Bahlool used to curl himself into a ball and lie beside wherever aches while purring gently. No matter how hard you try to push him away, he’ll always come back and continue his nursing job. So we learned to relax and enjoy it!


As for intelligence, the IQ levels vary from one cat to the other. Speaking of Bahlool — whose name means silly in Arabic — although being nice, he was very stupid. He thought that every door in the house would lead him outdoors, including cupboard doors and anything else with a handle. While the rest of my cats sat in front of the main door meowing for it to be opened, Bahlool did the same, yet in front of my closet door. I always used to kick him gently towards the main door, in a failed attempt to teach the exit’s whereabouts. Once he got himself locked in the closet as he went in and sat waiting patiently and quietly for someone to open it for him. If it wasn’t for my other cat Mansoor who started scratching the closet’s door frantically, nobody would’ve known the whereabouts of Bahlool!


Cats also make a great companion for old people. In her final years, Ammah got depressed due to old age. It took so much time and effort to convince her to get a cat. Ammah was never a cat person as she had her own theories regarding them, but finally she gave in and said in a warning tone: “I’ll get the cat but if I don’t like it, I’ll throw it back to the streets where it belongs. You hear me?”


The Persian cat never saw the street of course. Instead he was given a royal treatment and a female companion too. Ammah made sure to complain about them whenever I called. “But it’s too late to throw them out now. Where would those poor souls go?” she’d add. Yet, whenever we went visiting, we’d catch Ammah watching a Hindi movie in a loud volume with one of the cats curled up on her lap. She’d be stroking it gently with a content smile and a peaceful expression on her face.


Rasha al Raisi is a certified skills trainer and the author of: The World According to Bahja. rashabooks@yahoo.com


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