Animal Signs: Cat

I had a conversation with a cat the other evening. More than that actually, I had an encounter with a cat. It seems like people often want you to choose whether you are a "dog person" or a "cat person".  I guess if I had choose I would have said I'm a dog person.  As a kid, we always had cats which I totally and completely loved.  We got to select a kitten from a barn cat litter. After coxing them out from the hay loft, or the porch, or some impossible place, and they became the family pet.  There were a few of them.  Cuddles was the first one I really remember.  Then when the tears were dried from Cuddles demise,  came Fearless,  who fearlessly led a short life. Most notable for his human qualities and his wonderful loving nature was Christopher Columbus. Those cats were part of our family and we loved them totally, but I always really wanted a dog.  There was something about the interactive nature of a dog I wanted.   Although I tried it with all the cats, they never really would walk with me on a leash. I wanted the unconditional love of a dog rather than the earned respect of a cat. I desperately wanted to go for a walk with a dog on a leash. Ironically,although we had wonderful walks and adventures, none of the dogs I've had since I have been "out on my own"  ever walked on a leash very well- way too "free-spirited" for that. Hmm...

So, I really wasn't looking for a cat the other night.  I was doing the common parental activity of "waiting in the car" between drop off and pick up. It was a beautiful warm sunny evening and I was quite settled to enjoy the wait. I picked up a salad for my supper and I had a good book ready to go.

I noticed a ginger colored cat when I parked the car but didn't think anything of him.  I rolled down the car window to enjoy the night air and opened my salad. The cat immediately sat up and starting talking loudly and decisively as he walked purposefully across the street never taking his eyes off me.  He continued to talk from just below my window while he sat there.  I told him I didn't think there was any part of a salad he would like.  He disagreed.  He thought there were some very nice pieces of chicken in there he would enjoy, and in fact, he probably deserved.  I said I didn't think I should be feeding someone's cat, maybe his owners wouldn't appreciate it. He reminded me that no one "owned" a cat and he was a little vague about whether or not there was a supper dish somewhere awaiting him- sort of seemed to not think so. I'm a pushover. Which is probably why my dogs have never walked well on a leash!  I tossed out a couple of pieces of chicken.  He ate them pretty much before they hit the ground.  As soon as they were gone he asked for more. He got a few pieces of chicken, a piece of cheese, and the final dredges of salad dressing.  Then I closed up the empty container, said "You're welcome", and opened my book.

I heard a thump on the car that scared the heck out of me, having seem all those horror movies about what happens to people alone in a car on an old deserted road. After all, I was reading a murder mystery.  I looked up to see the ginger cat on the hood of my car.  He made no apologies for walking around up there or scaring me. He looked right in my eyes and kept walking up the hood towards me.  He looked nothing like the cut little kitten in today's picture.  I was thinking about tigers and feeling very "prey-like".  A Bach consultation I did for a person's cat flashed through my mind. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/08/alternative-healing-for-pets-getting.html This woman's cat would go from a loving cuddly lap cat, to a sudden ferocious predator within seconds and without warning.  He stalked her from behind the jungle type plants she had her house and would bite and scratch and really attack her.  He settled down with some Bach flowers, understanding, and awareness, but I didn't have any Bach Flowers with me in the car!

The ginger cat sat on my hood for awhile and seemed pretty contented to give me a bit of space to get used to the idea.  Then, just when I went back to my book, happy enough that the cat was just keeping me company, he got up, walked around my windshield wipers, balanced on my open window ledge, and dropped into my lap. And purred. I patted him as he shed all over me and considered how thin he felt underneath that layer of quickly disappearing hair. He rubbed his head into my hand and I felt like he'd actually been on quite a journey and a lot further away than some one's nice soft couch. I wondered if he was a stray needing a home but he didn't seem needy; by contrast he seemed to be giving me something. Hmm...

Unlike may other sources, Steven Farmer in his "Animal Spirit Guides", includes some domestic animals as totem animals or animal spirit helpers. He says when a cat shows up you should:

"listen to your intuitive guidance, as it's most likely an ancestor who's one of your spirit guides trying to communicate with you"

Farmer suggests the cat may signify a magical, mystical time when you should pay attention to omens and signs that are there to guide you.

I like that idea so I'm going to go with it.  I think I'll go one step further.  "My cat" that night was a ginger colored cat and that resonates with the Root Chakra. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/11/chakra-foods.html  So I'm going to accept that cat energy as being comfort from my ancestors that I am safe and secure, protected in the world, with good solid guidance from above.

My ginger colored traveling cat disappeared the moment someone opened a door in the building across the street.  I didn't actually see him leap from my lap and out of the window. I didn't see where he went. He just disappeared. He did leave me with evidence. Cat hairs are still in my car. But he also left me with a feeling of connectedness and comfort.  For a few moments I had a very dear friend , pleasant dinner conversation and an exchange of love and affection with no strings (or leashes) attached.

Maybe I'll make a batch of Wise Woman's Ginger Cookies from Sweet Shack and Bach Bar (the recipe is in Chapter 1) to take with me next time  instead of salad  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/02/sweet-shack-bach-bar-book-review-from.html I think the ginger cat has likely moved on though.  He left with me everything I need.


Safe travels!