The Bestiary

CAT

Felis catus

The Cat is a mystery that has consented to live among us. In Egypt, Cats were gods; in medieval Europe, they were witches' familiars; in Japan, they are lucky. The Cat sees in darkness and walks without sound, coming and going as it pleases. It hunts not from hunger but from instinct, leaving gifts of mice and birds upon our doorsteps. The purr of the Cat heals both Cat and human, vibrating at frequencies that mend bone. A Cat may have nine lives, for it falls without injury and survives trials that would kill another beast. The Cat does not obey; it agrees, and only when it chooses. Thus the Cat teaches us that love given freely is worth more than servitude compelled.