Although I’m not a huge fan of the species Canis lupus familiaris, I do appreciate those cats who have some doglike behaviors. My first cat, a black charmer named Pangur, who lived 18 years, would fetch sticks when they were thrown. Here’s an even more awesome behavior from a Russian cat (Russia seems to be producing some awesome cat videos lately): this one actually brings a ringing phone to its owner.
Posting will be light here for about ten days, as I’m attending the huge evolution meeting in Ottawa. As usual, Matthew and Greg will be filling in for me, and of course the weekly felids will make their appearance, since I haven’t missed one since I started this site 3.5 years ago (has it really been that long?).
Cats could always do these tricks. They just chose not to. Now it looks like cats are devolving to the level of dogs, where they have no choice but to please. What a shame.
Retriever kitteh retrieves.
Ottawa!!! Peterborough is only 150 miles from Ottawa, and Peterborough has lots of cats, birds and the Canoe Museum. Take a side trip to Peterborough and I’ll treat you to coffee and all the natas you can eat.
What is a “nata”?
A pastel de nata is a Portuguese egg tart pastry, made and sold at Natas, a popular restaurant in Peterborough, Ontario.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastel_de_nata
Wish my cats were that helpful.
I look forward to hearing about huge evolution in Ottawa.
Glad to hear you are coming to our little ville.
Pangur! Pangur Ban is a white cat, not a black!
I know but his name wasn’t “Ban”, (white), just Pangur. First cat name recorded in written English, I think.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangur_B%C3%A1n
The poem is in Old Irish.
See:
Helen Waddell
‘The Wandering Scholars’
Yes, the name is ‘white Pangur’, but still, Pangur as name for a black doesn’t sit well.
As an afterthought, this attests the mutation ‘full white’ (W/w) rather than ‘white spotted’ or ‘piebald’ (S/s) as early as the 9th century.
Perhaps first cat name ever recorded for an individual cat.
Awesome trivia. And an excellent name. Do you have a picture?
Not particularly dog-like. Cat’s have been delivering mice, birds, and small reptiles to their owners for ages. It’s easier to pounce on a ringing cell phone than on a sparrow.
Pangur: I presume you are familiar with Samuel Barber’s beautiful song?
“Pangur, sweet Pangur…”
One of Barber’s “Hermit Songs”. For those unfamililar but curious, perhaps the best recorded performance is that by the young Leontyne Price ca. 1953. Sony has reissued this at least twice on commercial CD and it appears to also be available as an MP3 download via Amazon.com.
Indeed I know that song. But I believe the lyrics are “Pangur WHITE Pangur”, since I think “Pangur Ban” means “White Pangur” in Celtic (or whatever language that marginalia was written in.
I think you’re right about white, not sweet. Your memory is better than mine.
But whatever the exact words, beautiful song, no? One of those Sony CDs also contains a more or less contemporaneous recording of Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915” sung by Eleanor Steber. The recording is not very good, technically speaking, but the musicianship is beyond praise.
The cat just thinks the cellphone is a mouse. It sneaks up on it and drops it in front of the owner just the way cats do with mice.
Both Bryxie and Fifi used to chew on the phone cord when the phone would ring. “What?”, you say? Yes. There are still such things as coiled phone cords.
I like the meow at the end! *wonders if Fat-Thing aka Kimberly would ever bother to retrieve my phone*
I wonder if the ring tone trigger “kittens calling” instinct?