Cats Can Heal

Till our daughter brought home her cat Jenny, we never knew what it felt like to have a cat around the house. Having been used to a pet dog, a cat around the house is quite different. In fact the only time a cat makes its presence felt is at meal times. The rest of the time it will be out of your way and wish you too would leave it alone.

When you think of a cat you think of character traits like fierce independence, curiosity, cleverness, alloofness, unpredictability. They have acute hearing and are highly intelligent. But they also have a unique and special ability to heal. I was amazed when I read this at http://www.sayahda.com/cyc1.html

The energy field of a cat rotates counterclockwise, opposite to that of a human. As a result they have the wonderful ability to balance and align our energy fields by neutralising any energy that can affect us negatively. When you feel low and the day's events have run down your energy negatively, your pet cat can help you. Just let her hop on to your lap and spend some time there. When a cat sits in your lap it realigns your energy field and help you to restore any inner poise or balance that may have been lost at the end of a tiresome day.

Little wonder that ancient Egyptians used cats to guard their temple gates because they believed cats could ward of evil.

They say if a cat comes into your life, it means mystery and magic in your life. After Jenny's first visit to our house, a marmalade cat came daily to perch on our window sill. Probably she had smelt Jenny's presence. She was cautious and wary of us but slowly got a bit friendly and would leave only after we fed it some milk and bread. In fact this became a routine for aleast 3 months. She even decided to walk in one day with her other mates, who used to romp on our bed just next to the bedroom window. They would disappear as fast as they came as soon as they heard a foot fall.

I do not remember any mystery or magic but this marmalade cat soon turned friendly enough to allow us to pet her occasionally. It became a regular routine for her to come early every morning and demand her share of food. Till one fine day when she failed to make an appearance. I waited for days on end, keeping milk and bread for her at the window sill. But it remained untouched. I guess she fell prey to street dogs or got killed by a passing car. Missed her a lot for sometime.

Whenever I come across a marmalade street cat, I often wonder if she is the same one who came to our window, drawn to our house by Jenny's presence.

This Cat Loves a Beanbag

When my daughter and son-in-law come to spend a short holiday with us, they bring their cat Jenny along. In fact wherever they go, the cat goes with them!
The first time they brought her, she was just 2 months old, small and rather wary of new places and people. It was winter and rather cold. After initial exploration of the house, she decided that going under the quilts was the best way to stay warm. She would snuggle herself under one and even get beneath ours when we were sleeping, crouching close to keep the cold away. She soon became familiar with my husband and would climb on to his chest and fall asleep! When they left, we missed her loving, warm presence.

Jenny was picked up from the roadside as a palm-sized, undernourished tiny kitten with half-burnt whiskers that was probably unknowingly abandoned by the mother and siblings. She has now grown into a grey tabby, very cute, with a distinct personality of her own, full of life and curiosity like any other cat, so domesticated that a trip outdoors can set her heart beats and pulse rate racing!

She spends her day alone when her owners are out working. The high kitchen shelf is her favorite prank spot. She loves to get in and rummage around. The shelf is therefore, put to little use. Cupboards are fun to get into and curl up in. Leave a cupboard door open and if you don't find her anywhere, she's sure to be in it! It's fun watching her sitting on the window sill, her tail swishing angrily ready to prey on the birds outside. This is one of her favorite pastimes. But come dusk, she becomes keenly alert about a footfall on the staircase, almost like a dog awaiting its master's return. And when my daughter comes home, she licks her face like a dog would, purring all the while, hardly being able to contain her joy.

She has a thing about beanbags. She just loves them. Loves to feel cosy when she settles herself in the black one that came to us as a gift from our daughter. But this time when she came over, she made it her domain and left her energy signature behind by peeing on it! My daughter says, she does the same at their home, setting her claim on the beanbag as her exclusive property!

It's almost three months now since their return and no matter how many times I have cleaned the beanbag with Savlon and disinfectant, a faint whiff of her terrritorial imprint still tickles my olfactory nerves when I settle down with a book, in its cosy comfort! I guess cats and beanbags were just made for each other!

Do I see The Rain Gods Smiling?

Yesterday while taking a walk in the college campus grounds next door, we noticed a pair of lapwings closely guarding their eggs. Lapwings are called Titeri in India or Titodi in Gujarati. We tried to go closer and have a look. They responded with their shrill cries, guarding the eggs more than ever. The eggs are barely noticeable and laid directly on the earth, not in a nest like other birds. Their colour seemed almost camoflagued against the earthy backdrop. It is believed in Gujarat that when a female lapwing lays eggs it is a sure sign of the coming showers of rain; almost like an invitation to the rainclouds inviting their benevolence!Looks like the rain gods have finally relented! It is nice to see them smile this year particularly after the sultriness of the past six weeks. There was a good down pour last night at about 1.00 PM,with the place cooling down considerably. Things look greener and more cheerful. Am keeping my fingers crossed that the spell of showers continues and the monsoon even if late repairs the damage of the overly extended summer.The positive energy of hope comes alive once again! Yesterday while taking a walk in the college campus grounds next door, we noticed a pair of lapwings closely guarding their eggs. Lapwings are called Titeri in India or Titodi in Gujarati. We tried to go closer and have a look. They responded with their shrill cries, guarding the eggs more than ever. The eggs are barely noticeable and laid directly on the earth, not in a nest like other birds. Their colour seemed almost camoflagued against the earthy backdrop. It is believed in Gujarat that when a female lapwing lays eggs it is a sure sign of the coming showers of rain; almost like an invitation to the rainclouds inviting their benevolence!Looks like the rain gods have finally relented! It is nice to see them smile this year particularly after the sultriness of the past six weeks. There was a good down pour last night at about 1.00 PM,with the place cooling down considerably. Things look greener and more cheerful. Am keeping my fingers crossed that the spell of showers continues and the monsoon even if late repairs the damage of the overly extended summer.The positive energy of hope comes alive once again!

Was It A Pre-Monsoon Shower Last Night?

Last night brought on a shower of rain, good enough to give some relief, but not enough to feel the impact of the monsoon. Was more like a pre-monsoon shower. Flashes of lightning lit up the skies at about 1.00 AM but without the crackle of accompanying thunder. This morning the trees and leaves look a bit green with the dust just washed away. The koels (cuckoos) and peacocks have expressed their joy with louder, somewhat more energetic calls! It's humid once again and looks like there will be good spells of rain today. The skies are overcast though not quite as dark as one would want them to be. Hoping the evening will bring relief and bring down the mercury cooling down the place for some pleasant weather that is the need of the moment!

Where Have All The Rain Clouds Gone?

Wonder where the rain clouds have disappeared. No rains this side of the country. Farmers are waiting with baited breath in the hope that the rains will breathe life to a failing crop in an already bleak scenario. The weatherman blames it all on El Nino. Rains are the lifeblood of our Indian farmers and hope for housewives that vegetable prices will come down. But with the monsoon playing truant all this seems a remote possiblity.

The days are more sultry than ever and the much wanted respite from the heat seems reduced to just wishful thinking! The singing koel (cuckoos) and dancing peacocks have suddenly made themselves scarce or are they hiding far from sight to beat the heat of a prolonged summer?

The two of us generally take a nice long walk with the first shower of rain and love to drench ourselves down to the bone, if you will! It's good fun to do so and forget your age for a change this one day of the year as we enjoy the first showers of monsoon like kids and then come home to enjoy a good cup of hot coffee or mug full of hot soup.

But this year its a different story. It's already the 8th of July and no rain so to speak. The cuckoo's cry has a distant quality, or do I hear a cuckoo call its mate while still urging the rains to come on with a parched throat?

I'd rather be positive and not give up hope that the much awaited rain showers will soon make their appearance and cool down the place. We still have three weeks of July and the whole of August to hang on to hope like never before and look forward to the thrill of getting wet like children once again!