Ok, so, to start I love all animals but I need a topic for this blog and I’m looking at my cat memed binder so today it’s cat blog day.
Out of all the animals in the world, I think cats are most like humans. Mostly it’s because no two cat have the same personality like people. Some like to lie in the sunlight, others are lazy, most can be nasty, and the wonderful few are the friendliest you’ll ever meet. See! Just like people! They’re also enthusiastic eaters like us! Ok, we don’t hunt down our food and leave it’s guts on our masters’ front steps.....but that’s not the point.
Here’s the Japanese aspect in this blog today. Japanese bobtails are very prized in Japan usually because many Emperor have owned one. There’s a well known legend that tells the tale of why they have short tails. Apparently, a cat was sleeping by a hearth (fireplace) when it’s tail caught on fire. Panicking it ran through the whole city liking all the wooden buildings on fire and destroying the city. The Emperor was so angry, that he decreed that all cats have their tails cut off. Note: this is a legend and probably not true so there’s no need to worry about the poor kitty cats.
Another famous cat in Japan is the Maneki Neko meaning ‘beckoning cat’. Perhaps you’ve seen it. It is the waving cat that stores put in the front window. Depending on which paw is waving, it means wealth, luck, or just welcoming a customer. One of the most well known stories about the origin of Maneki Neko goes like this:
“A feudal lord - some say it was Naotaka Li, lord of Hikone district - was passing Gotoku-ji when it started to rain. As the lord took shelter under a tree on the grounds, the priest's cat peeked out of the temple and raised a paw to invite the lord inside. The lord was curious about this unusual behavior and walked to the temple courtyard for a closer look. When Naotaka Li was standing in front of Tama in the courtyard, lightening struck the tree under which he had been sheltering. The lord's life had been saved, and he immediately believed the cat to be an incarnation of the Goddess of Mercy.” That’s why they are considered lucky. This is why I love cats, they aren’t all nasty hissing wild animals. They can be helpful and fun.
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