I like animals in general, but I am a cat person first. My mother would never give in to my begging for a kitten each time my friend’s cat had a litter, but I have made up for that in my adulthood. For the past 40 years, I have never been without a cat, and I have usually had more than one at at time. Above are the current three, the mellowest and most friendly cats I have ever had. They don’t hide when strangers come to the house. I have known them to immediately jump into the cable repairman’s lap the minute he sat down.
So when Tim Young of Contrast Podcast announced that this week’s theme would be “Cats and Kittens,” I could not let the fact that I was on vacation in China without my music collection stop me from contributing. Maybe it’s just as well that I couldn’t wallow in indecision by having all my cat songs to choose from. Tim and I quickly decided on this song by Twin Cats (now known as Royal Osprey) to accompany my introduction, which tells a story of my favorite cat, Agate, who I had 30 years ago.
Twin Cats: Norwegian Forest from Immortal Beaches (2008)
Royal Osprey MySpace | Royal Osprey Website | Label: The Orchid Collective
Buy at Orchid Collective Store | More downloads at Slowcoustic blog
Agate was without a doubt the smartest cat I ever had. How do you know a cat is smart? For one thing, a smart cat watches your face and learns to read your expressions. She isn’t just a furry lump on the couch; she has a big personality. Agate could hear her name in a conversation. She displayed thought processes that showed she understood cause and effect, if only from her own perspective. Agate was once angry with me for three days for bringing her hated rival, a younger cat named Spider, back from an overnight stay the vet’s office. She clearly had decided that when I came back without him, she was rid of him. Boy, was she pissed.
The podcast theme is in honor of the beautifully-patterned tabby kitten named Lola recently obtained by Marcy at Lost In Your Inbox. This is not my favorite track from this band, but it would have fit the podcast theme perfectly if I had remembered I had it. Here’s to happiness for Lola and Marcy!
Cats and Cats and Cats: Happiness For Lola from Victorialand (2005)
MySpace | Buy at Cats and Cats and Cats Store
Guess which one is the smart cat?
Quitzow: Cats Are People Too from Art College (2008)
MySpace | Label: Young Love Records | Buy: Young Love Store, eMusic
It’s easy to tell from their album covers that Psapp are cat people. They also have a wonderful cover of Al Stewart’s “Year of the Cat” on the British compilation album Take It Easy.
Psapp: Everybody Wants To Be a Cat from Rewind, Vol 5 (2006)
MySpace | Website
Buy at eMusic | More at Psapp Store
- alt-gramma (370)
- indie.mom (395)
- Uncle T (7)
i’m guessing the one on top? although she just looks more disgusted than anything! their markings are very unusual, btw. i love the streak on the bottom one’s nose.
speaking of cat people, my husband is decidedly NOT a cat person, but he loves our new kitty. he’s always calling me over to show me some cute thing she’s doing and twice today he’s told me to quick get the camera so i could get a picture of her. it’s pretty funny.
i’m so glad you got to be a part of the podcast. lola thanks you too!
June 6th, 2009 at 5:11 pm