The cat who walked by herself

The relationship between cats and humans is a ridiculously amusing one. Most people know how it works with dogs; it's not that complex. Feed it, pat it on the head, dog adores you. Cats on the other hand are like playing Russian roulette. Pet it one day, it might love you. Pet it the next, it might latch onto your face and bite your forehead. Tad Williams, author Tailchaser's Song, said it best:

"It took me a long time to understand the cat-human bargain. The dog-human bargain was always pretty obvious:

1. Human feeds and shelters dog
2. Dog worships human
3. Repeat daily

The cat thing, however, was a bit more oblique. As far as I could tell, it seemed to go something like this:

1. Human feeds cat
2. Cat looks at human as though cat has never seen human before.
3. Repeat daily."

I've met a lot of people who don't like cats for this reason. They like kittens because kittens are cute, but once they turn into full fledged cats, there's no more charm. I tend to disagree. I grew up with both dogs and cats, and I can't say I prefer one over the other because they both hold different candles. The dog is loyal to a fault, ears back and tail wagging. The cat creeps along the windowsill and brings me little dead things. I can't compare them.

So why a cat? Why something so aloof and selectively affectionate? Cats are a different type of proud, a different type of mystery. They look at you differently. The dog has blindsides. It will stare at you, see no faults, and love unconditionally.

A cat stares like it knows all your secrets. Like every terrible or wonderful thought and action created by you is sprawled out onto a slab right in front of it. I guess this is why some people find them creepy. That plus the little dead thing part.

But, consider this. There is nothing unconditional about a cat. If you hurt it, it will hate you. If you are kind to it, if you are patient, it will return the favor. Even though they stare like they know all your secrets, they will still purr when you scratch them behind the ear. They will still accept you if you deserve the affection.

I always felt there was some secret cat culture or something. A barely domesticated animal that lives with us, sneaks out the cracks in our walls, dances and sings in the moonlight.

Case in point, I guess I picked a cat because they're weird.