Читать книгу Every Cat Has A Story: True Stories Exploring the Spiritual Connection of Felines with Their Beloved Owners - Jasmine Kinnear - Страница 10

Introduction

Cats love one so much – more than they will allow. But they have so much wisdom they keep it to themselves.- Mary Wilkins

I’ve been an avid collector of true cat stories for many years. The first story ever told to me, The Cat in the Woods, appeared as a priceless gift in my early 20’s. It came through a surprising source with the memory of a colleague’s experiences remaining with me but left unwritten for many years. It now seems appropriate to present this vivid recollection in the first volume of Every Cat Has A Story.

I have felt like a feline magnet throughout my life as I’ve been told the most amazing and awe inspiring stories. These gems were often provided by people I had the pleasure of meeting in a curious matter of chance. Such was the case with Esther Sustersich as we stood in a long queue of book lovers one cold March morning. Her devotion for her beautiful Bowie had already compelled her to write his story. I requested if she would consider submitting her work for this book and she most graciously provided her story of Universal destiny and an unconditional love of cats.

It is also with great appreciation that I have included submissions from readers who provided their personal stories through my web site or directly to my publisher. I have felt compelled to share these true stories because as all cat people instinctively know, there is much to learn when one cat lover shares their heart with another. For me there is no greater truth than Blaga Dimitrova’s quote, “A cat stretches from one end of my childhood to the other.”

There are some people lost in the enchanting world of felines however through personal endeavour they eventually find direction, as did Emma in The Mysterious Miss Kitty. I feel blessed to have either served a role in these stories or to have had them most graciously shared with me. From trips to the gym to cashiers in grocery stores, cat questions were asked or stories provided. No doubt a favourite pair of cat earrings or the cat t-shirt I’d worn to the gym may have prompted other cat lovers to partake in feline conversations. However in other circumstances there was little evidence to suggest that I was a cat lover until the conversation began.

There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person.- Dan Greenberg

I take pleasure in listening to many endearing feline stories shared with great enthusiasm by their owners. I watch people actually glow as they provide intimate details of their beloved cat’s idiosyncrasies. As I’ve been told such interesting stories over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the synchronicity which compels them to enter my life. I’ve confided to my husband that when a story touches my heart, as did The Cat in the Woods, then I hold on to the memory for all time.

I hope to use the other stories gathered over the years in the second volume of Every Cat Has A Story. It was not from a lack of interest or importance, but rather due to space restrictions which my publisher deemed necessary for this volume. Therefore this is just the beginning. The first 16 stories within this volume vary from my personal experiences to those submitted by writers in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

I have been delighted with the quality of stories submitted by other writers. Reading Nick L. Sacco’s story about the Blue Angel, I’m left with a lump in my throat and a desire to know more about this gentleman. I sense his life’s travels have provided him with a compassion not always accessible in every man. I would enjoy reading more of his experiences and other stories that have inspired him in his journey through life.

Recently pet owners were dealt a severe emotional blow of possibly purchasing and feeding tainted food to their pets. I too worried through the pet food scare and researched every morsel my cats consumed during the period of contamination. In reading the story True Reflections, I understood the need which compelled Sande Kay to share her own personally intimate True reflections.

Just as we are all born uniquely different, so are the felines that enter our lives. There are a thousand intimate moments which create the loving bond that exists between a cat and their person. Whether that feline is introduced as a small kitten or adopted as an adult, there are lessons to be learned by both as the relationship evolves. Time plays a great factor when bonding, as some relationships will simply taking longer than others. In circumstances of Universal intervention, it’s the cat who displays great excitement of an instantaneous recognition when first encountering their new owner. Each relationship is an exceptional experience and as the stories in this book demonstrate, forms a spiritual bond between a cat and their person. In Mia and Catherine’s story this became their experience as they reconnected in Finding Karma at the SPCA.

Discovering the idiosyncratic nature of your feline’s personality is one of the more endearing aspects of a new relationship. The lessons of love coupled with the individuality of your union are distinctively personal. My kitten Caterina and I may have experienced a delay in bonding, but I will be eternally grateful for the Universal intervention which enabled our paths to cross. Upon our first meeting we failed to recognize each other, but to my great fortune she was simply the last Seal Point Himalayan female available in her breeder’s cattery. As the years passed though, I have accepted this precious girl to be an extension of myself in the form of a cat; for we grew to understand each other intimately and she will forever remain my Feline Soul Mate.

Some stories required hours of interviews, with days and weeks to complete them. Great care has been taken to ensure that I was respecting the unique bond shared between an owner and their cat. As these stories have originated from all over the world, to alter a phrase I believe would also alter the integrity of the story. Therefore whenever possible I have attempted to maintain the dialect of the cat owner because I believe much would be lost should their story not be written using their own words.

Readers have asked which of my personality traits best contributes to my writing. The answer is obvious, especially for those who know me well. “It’s my sensitivity,” I will respond, however I then feel compelled to admit that unfortunately that same sensitivity is also my greatest obstacle to overcome while writing. One roommate sadly confided that my preferences in both literature and movies were simply too heart warming for her tastes. The fact that she said this with the same expression as one sucking on a sour lemon was food for thought. Nevertheless to thine own self be true, for this is the essence of who I truly am.

You will also find a multitude of compelling cat quotes scattered throughout these pages. Emma, as featured in The Mysterious Miss Kitty, once gave me a small desk calendar filled with cat pictures and quotes. Until that time I wasn’t aware of the many cat quotes that had been written by the famous and yet to be famous ailurophiles. As there are surely other feline lovers who have yet to be exposed to these wonderful quotes, they have been placed throughout this book when the words met the intention of the story. One particular favourite quote of mine is:

Cats won’t lie on a book that isn’t well written.- Harold Weiss

I will never claim to have written a book that is completely free from grammatical errors; however this is a book that honours all cats. One reviewer, upon reading my first book, went so far as to claim that my love for cats “seeps through the pages.” I was grateful for her insight for she identified the essence which is my personal truth and may become evident to you as the reader of these pages.

Therefore should your cat select this book to rest upon, I will then consider it a great compliment. For although it may not be due to my writing ability, possibly your cat will sense that a profound affection for felines resides within, and indeed seeps through the pages. My hope is that you will enjoy these stories, and may that enjoyment compensate grammatically for whatever may be missing.

Perhaps cats and writers simply go together because the cat is the perfect companion for the solitary, sedentary artist.- Linda Sunshine