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Our Mews Bulletin

Felines in the Headlines

3/8/2019

 
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Grumpy Cat
​With the first cat appearing on YouTube in 2005 the accomplishments of famous felines extend far beyond the well-known humour of the simple cat video.

In September 2012 a cat named ‘Tartar Sauce’ rose to fame when her owner’s brother posted the cat’s picture on Reddit. Dwarfism and an under bite gave the cat a trademark scowl, and after a YouTube video proved her expression’s authenticity the cat's fame—known thereafter as, ‘Grumpy Cat’—grew from countless memes and newspaper articles to television and talk show appearances, sponsorships, and even a job at Buzzfeed.

While social media continues to propel the modern cat to stardom famous cats have long made headlines by other means.

In March 1996, the story of Scarlett—a cat with five kittens—made international headlines when she carried each of her kittens out of a fire that had broken out in an abandoned garage in Brooklyn, New York. It was reported that Scarlett’s eyes were so severely blistered from the fire that after rescuing her kittens she touched each of them with her nose, “to ensure they were all there”, and then promptly collapsed.

Other cats made famous by their bravery and bizarre circumstances include Simon of the HMS Amethyst as well as a cat known as Unsinkable Sam.  In World War Two the remarkable Unsinkable Sam allegedly survived the sinking of not one, not two, but three ships over the course of six months. Whilst ship's cat, Simon protected the food stores from rats aboard the HMS Amethyst while the ship remained trapped in enemy waters and under fire for over two months – a feat that made Simon the only feline to earn the PDSA Dickin medal for bravery.

As incredible as the thought of a cat in a sea-battle is, cats have also found appointments in equally astounding positions all over the world.

Since the 1500's the English government has kept a ‘Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office’ (Larry), in order to quell their recurring rodent problem. In 1963, Félicette was the first and only cat to successfully go into space. Appearing on Time magazine’s website, Cooper from Seattle has claimed fame for becoming a photographer – a digital camera on his collar allowing the cat to document his adventures. Finally this year Buzzfeed hailed the character of the cat ‘Goose’ as the star of Captain Marvel – the release of a video depicting the feline readying himself for the red carpet premiere only furthered the cat’s popularity.

It seems the ability to capture the interest and admiration of the ever-curious public is a talent the feline species has down to an art form. And as for that simple cat video? Fret not. For as of 2015 the combined view count of all of YouTube's cat videos comes to a grand total of over 24 billion.

The Sacred Cat

17/7/2019

 
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The Sacred Cat
“Of all God’s creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the lash. That one is the cat,” so said the great American novelist, Mark Twain.

The cat's role in society has seen dramatic change throughout history from fierce goddess to female nurturer, pest control to protector of the underworld, and (of course) that of the beloved domestic companion and occasional household ruler.

The relationship between humans and felines may have begun as early as over 12,000 years ago. According to a 2007 published study, cats may have first been domesticated when humans used them to eradicate mice from their grain stores. Amusingly enough one author of the study pondered the idea that cats “domesticated themselves” after delighting in the vast supply of prey eventually becoming the docile and clever creatures we know today.

This view of the cat as a sophisticated and even sacred animal comes to us from one of history’s oldest accounts of the species: Ancient Egypt.

The National Geographic Museum and The British Museum are among those institutions that preserve several cat related artefacts including statues and tomb paintings recovered from Ancient Egyptian burial sites. From as far back as third millennium BC it was once a common funerary practice to include not only artefacts but the mummified remains of cats in Egyptian tombs.

The cat itself was revered by the Ancient Egyptians, as reflected in their worship of cat-like deities. The most well know of these being the cat goddess, Bastet—a goddess associated with love, motherhood, and protection—who was honoured with the entire city of Bubastis. Located in the eastern Nile Delta the city contained an impressive Bastet temple while the city itself was considered sacred by Bastet's followers. Mummified cats were sought after commodities by such followers – often used by the Bastet cults as sacrifices to honour the goddess.
​
Despite banning the exporting of cats the Egyptians' sacred and favoured animal was smuggled out of the country and has gone on to become  one of the most popular domestic animals of the day. The ancient belief in the cat's superiority is echoed in modern domestic equivalents from the internet cat videos of cat versus dog to home decor pieces carved or stitched with witty quips such as, “dogs have masters; cats have servants”. Interestingly enough even the Ancient Egyptians often kept their sacred animal as a beloved pet. The discovery of a pet cemetery in Egypt—complete with over 80 cat skeletons maintained and buried with wealth and obvious affection—shows that the cat is an animal who was always meant to be showered with love, respect, and care.

Should we elect cats rather than politicians?

12/3/2019

 
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Larry, Chief Mouser, 10 Downing St
In today’s ever more interlinked and fast-moving world, politicians of all political colours or persuasions frequently seem to be cat-napping on the job - detached, out of touch and less and less capable of addressing people’s needs. It’s therefore reassuring to know that just a short hop from the mother of parliaments, a growing band of quite hairy office holders are bucking the trend.

There are currently five cats in various UK government departments, recruited after staff and politicians complained, not about yet another Brexit-related conundrum, but something a little more tangible and perhaps even scarier - a rampant mouse and rat problem. 

King of the political cats is Larry, a brown and white tabby, twelve years old and now a rather handsome elder statesman. Before inadvertently assuming office in a balmy and pre-Brexit 2011, Larry was a stray. He was plucked from political obscurity by Downing Street staff who rescued him from perhaps the mother of all animal rescue organisations, Battersea Cats and Dogs Home. 

Without the need for any party room chicanery and with little fanfare, Larry was appointed the Prime Minister’s Chief Mouser. Not only was Larry parachuted into the heart of politics, rubbing shoulders with a visiting Barack Obama and stealing the ham from his sandwiches, he found himself occupying an extremely desirable home in the heart of Westminster with round the clock police protection. 

As Theresa May gamely clings on to power in the face of almost daily Brexit-induced challenges and vitriol from one source or another, Larry seems utterly oblivious to the increasing mayhem and angst enveloping his embattled tin-opener. Indeed, Larry continues to bask in a warm glow of mass popularity, affection and, yes, trust that he will faithfully do what he is employed to do, commodities that most twenty first century politicians, wherever in the world they ply their trade, can only dream of.

Larry’s rescuer, Battersea Cats and Dogs Home,welcomed its first stray dog over 150 years ago, in 1860, and since then has re-homed more than three million animals; an amazing achievement and testament to its unwavering vision that every dog and cat should live in a home where they are treated with love, care and respect.
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That mission statement should perhaps resonate more in the human world, including the world of politics, than it currently does and would perhaps go some way to restoring the public’s faith in governments and revolving door politicians. Theresa May’s Chief Mouser, and all currently or formerly homeless cats around the globe, would doubtless agree. In 2012, Battersea Cats and Dogs Home revealed that Larry's popularity had resulted in a surge of 15% more people adopting cats. No wonder he’s still in office.



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