A Cat is A Cat, No Matter The Size

Ernest Hemingway had one thing going for him and it wasn't the Nobel Prize he won in 1954. It wasn't the Pulitzer he won, either. Nor the pithy quotes people credit him, most of which he didn't say.

No. He loved cats. Were you wondering what Hemingway might have to do with a photo of cats? Silly you.

He didn't always love cats. Not until a drunken sailor gave him one.

Not even kidding. It had six toes on each foot and he grew to love that crazy cat so much he filled his house with them. His house is still full of them, and the staff care for and love them as much as he did.

There's a magic to cat people that dog people don't quite understand. See, dog people are looking for well behaved and loyal. Tail wagging companionship. Man's best friend.

Cat people, they're just along for the ride.

Now, if you happen to be a cat person with a penchant for taking photos of big cats, it doesn't take long to discover that big cats behave very much the same as the household variety.

But here. Let me show you.

“One cat just leads to another.” ~Ernest Hemingway

Big cats also do the meatloaf...

If you have a cats, you've seen them sit like this. It's called the Sphinx. Also, the meatloaf. Because you know they'd fit in the pan.

Cat fanatics belive it may harken back to some instinctive memory of being royalty. Big cats sit that way, too. For example, this mountain lion. Also called a puma or cougar.

You'd swear he remembers being a God. I didn't even have to work for this shot. He didn't move a whisker. I'd say he's a proud boy, but that's a bad word now. I hate when people ruin words.

Anyway, he is totally putting on airs. So we forget, if momentarily, how ridiculous he can be the rest of the time.

In ancient times, cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this. ~Terry Pratchett

Big cats also like boxes...

You know how it is with cats. You spend entirely too much on a fancy bed for them and where do you find them? In a box.

If those eyes could speak, they'd be saying "what" in that way a teenage boy says it the first time you smell Axe on them. They don't still wear that, do they?

All I had to do was be quick to get this one, because half a second after I snapped, he turned his head in total disdain.

It's not just boxes, as you know if you're a cat fanatic. Any vessel that was not purchased for their butt to sit in will do just fine thank you very much. Tubs work, too.

The Lynx has a perfectly lovely bed. Also, sitting platforms up the trees. And a hammock. I don't even have a hammock. So where does it sit? In the water tub. Whatever, it's frozen anyway.

The hardest part of getting this shot was accepting that it simply would not look at me. Nope. Not looking. I accepted the defeat.

It's inevitable. In every cat enclosure there's a box. Why fight it, I suppose. This one has straw in it. So the Lynx can be comfy while sitting in the box. Because of course the wash tub is for sitting and the box is for bathing. That's a cat for you.

"If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” ~Mark Twain

They all blep

That's what we call it when they forget to put their tongue back.

Spectacular creatures can look silly, too. You might think he was eating. Or licking his chops in anticipation at the sight of something he's going to chase down for dinner. Or something wild and free.

Nope. He's stretching. I was there. He woke up, licked his chops because cat morning breath is bad, and then he stretched. But along the way, he forgot to put his tongue back. Blep.

“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.” ~Leonardo da Vinci

They groom a lot!

Did you know cats spend a third of their life grooming? I suppose if we had to wash with our tongues, it would take significantly longer than a quick jump in the shower.

I've known cats who most certainly did not follow that unwritten rule of fastidiousness. Saturn isn't the only planet with rings, if you get what I'm saying. No one is going to run for a wash cloth for this guy so I guess it's good that he washes a lot.

They wash their ears the same way as house cats. Lick the arm, rub it across the ear. Repeat. Standing there watching, I had to wonder how they know when it's clean enough. Do they just do it until they're sick of it? Do they have a certain number of licks that means clean?

Honestly, these photos were so easy to get. He was ignoring me. Can't say I'd react the same way if some stranger was standing there with a camera while I did my bathing and grooming, but I was grateful that he made it so easy to get these photos.

“I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat.” ~ Edgar Allan Poe

They all look ferocious when they yawn

All those teeth make them look ferocious. But they're just yawning. Trust me, a roar looks different.

You know that MGM Lion? Probably a yawn and a voiceover. Just saying. lol

Honestly, he could use some Crest white strips, but I told him he looked ferocious just the same. It was the least I could do after taking photos of his grooming ritual.

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” ~Ernest Hemingway

The only thing cats do more than groom...

Is sleep. Most cats sleep twelve to sixteen hours a day, and that's big and little cats. It's the only thing they do more than grooming.

Here he is saying his bedtime prayers...

Kiding! He's not really saying his prayers, but it sure looks like it. Those big paws are as close as it gets to room darkening blinds when one lives in the great outdoors, I guess.

But what do I know? Maybe he's praying that the weird lady with the camera will go away and stop taking his photo.

If you've ever had a cat, you know they sleep in the weirdest positions. Big cats are no different.

Honestly, I feel kind of guilty. I didn't even have to work for these. I was just in the right place at the right time. It felt a little stalker-ish, but at least I was quiet and didn't wake him up.

Who sleeps like that and how is that even comfortable? He's sound asleep, draped over a fallen tree. If he rolls off, he's going to land in a snow bank. But he's a cat, so he probably won't.

Last but not least, we have the sink and sleep position. It's not just cats that do this. Human children do, too. One minute they're playing and the next, they've fallen asleep in some strange position.

If you lean in close enough, you can hear the gentle rumblings of sleep. Not snoring. No. Rumblings. That much dignity, I can give him.

Thank goodness no one takes photos of me when I'm sleeping. I promise you, he would be the more dignified of the two.

And so you see? Big cats are not much different than small ones. A cat is a cat, no matter the size.

“I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through.” ~Jules Verne

* * *