Good morning, Cat Lovers!
Welcome to my #Caturday post 😺
This summer, I had the chance to revisit the Netherlands. I’d already been to Amsterdam – I’d first visited thanks to HiveFest 7 – but as we all know, you can never really get to know such an interesting city in just one visit… Even if you stay for a month, there are always hidden corners and little details, people and customs to discover, learn about and experience.
I recently backed up the photos I only had on my mobile phone to the internal hard drive of my home computer, as, unfortunately, I’d already had a nasty experience with photos I’d only stored in one location; even though they were on a redundant system (RAID drives), it wasn’t enough, as they were only on two different drives rather than three or four, which made recovery impossible because both drives in the RAID array failed simultaneously.
And after transferring the photos to my computer, I had a very quick look through them. Of course, the fond memories came flooding back straight away, and even though this trip was only a few months ago, there are always details and connections that don’t immediately spring to mind, but which are brought to life by the memories captured in the images. That’s the magic of photography that I simply love.
There will certainly be posts to come, as there are plenty of photos, experiences and thoughts that I’d love to share with you. But a particularly lovely memory came flooding back when I saw the photos I’d taken of one of the two cats my host has, whom I spent time with during the week I stayed at her house.
Today I’m going to tell you about Tatchka. She’s a little cat who, apparently, doesn’t let just anyone get close to her, and who’s very skittish.
I once had a kitten, but that was many years ago… I was still at secondary school, and hadn’t even started my veterinary degree yet. Unfortunately, he was only with us until he was nine, as he ended up running away… At the time my parents didn’t tell me, but I later found out that they’d learnt he’d been run over on a road near our house. Since then, I haven’t had any more pets. But I’ve always had a special connection with cats. They are very sensitive animals, and not at all as ‘sold’ as dogs. They have a psyche – if we can put it that way – that is completely special and different, and to me very mysterious and calm. Of course, from a veterinary surgeon’s perspective, I prefer dogs, as their personality allows you to work out more quickly what they are thinking, which ultimately makes treating them simpler (in medical terms). As for cats, I end up comparing them in a way to women. Mysterious, sensitive dancers, who are always seeking their own space and setting their own pace, without imposing themselves or making their presence felt as strongly as a dog that always comes to greet us at the door. Not that a cat doesn’t do that too, but it’s more exclusive – if you know what I mean.
And Tatchka, right from the start – as soon as I got home – didn’t hiss at me or seem frightened. She always sought me out. I think I’ve always had that sensitivity and that knack for dealing with cats. I know how to give them space. I know how to read their expressions and see, to get inside their minds, and to recognise how their body language reveals what they’re feeling at that moment; if they’re not completely ‘at ease’, I don’t force my way into ‘their space’. And perhaps that’s why Tatchka seems to have understood me too.
At first glance, you can actually see that her gaze is somewhat distant in this photo taken outdoors. But then one night – I think it was the second or third night I’d been staying at her owners’ house, and my bedroom door had been left ajar – I was surprised when the little girl with the two-coloured coat came over to say hello to me in bed. She’d gone to see what was going on in the street, looking out of the window next to my bed, and then ended up lying down beside me. This little girl is such a sweetheart. I couldn’t manage to take a photo whilst stroking her, because as soon as I picked up my mobile to take a picture, she’d change her position, as if she’d guessed what I was up to, and made sure the world didn’t know that, after all, this girl with her own little quirks was a wellspring of tenderness! Hahaha
I’ll soon be sharing photos here of her housemate, a fair-haired tabby lad – not a black-and-white spotted one like her.
I hope you enjoyed my post in Caturday community!
