"Totality"

Because I refer to Lucius as my BFF, I was curious when I saw the headline “Best Friend Forever” in this past Sunday’s New York Times Book Review. Was someone writing about my first cat? I had my suspicions.

Every Cat Lady knows that a dog is considered man’s best friend, but cats keep gaining ground. In fact, the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago has recently launched a new campaign about adopting felines, with the theme of “man’s new best friend.” I couldn’t agree more.

So who is the mysterious best friend forever? Rin Tin Tin, of course. Susan Orlean’s new book about “the life and the legend” of the famous German shepherd who took Hollywood by storm is getting lots of favorable press. While reading the book review, I was struck not only by the tenderhearted anecdotes about the remarkable Rin Tin Tin but also by the mention of journalist J. Allen Boone, who was “totally” obsessed with his beloved dog Strongheart, a German shepherd who starred in movies during the 1920s.

I put the word “totally” in quotation marks because just in case you are thinking that Boone was the male ancestor of the Valley Girl, think again. Boone had his own theory of the animal-human bond, which he named “Totality.” He would not accept anyone referring to Strongheart as “dead,” even after the animal had indeed died.

I like the idea of “totality,” of our perfect oneness with an animal, or two, or ten. Naturally, there are extreme exceptions to the rule—the reviewer comments that Boone is a reminder of “what real derangement looks like”—and then there are people like us who simply love cats with all of our hearts and souls. Whether we convey these intense emotions silently or boisterously, the choice is “totally” ours.

Query of the Day: Do you have a favorite moment of “Totality” with your cat?

Lost Cat, Found Hunk

Last night, after tucking in the cats, I turned on the TV in search of something new and stimulating.

You won’t be surprised to learn that what hooked me in the first episode of “Case Histories,” on Masterpiece Mystery, was the opening scene in which a tough, but kindhearted, detective tries to find a lost cat. Of course, a lost cat is neither a new nor an abstract concept to me. Been there and done that, times ten, plus another seven rescues—all from our backyard.

And, not surprisingly, the Cat Lady on screen played to stereotype. Nothing new about a nutty Cat Lady, complete with bulging eyes and disheveled hair. Cats surrounded her, except for the one that had got away.

But as for the stimulating—the tall, dark, and handsome actor named Jason Isaacs—well, I think every Cat Lady needs one like him in her backyard.

Query of the Day: Would you hire a private detective to find a lost cat?

Microchip Me?

I did not intend to be away from Ten Cat Alley for so long. My leave of absence was completely unscheduled, and Lucius did not approve it.

But in case you think you need to implant a microchip in my upper left arm to keep track of my whereabouts, have no fear.

In the immortal words of every stray tomcat I've encountered (and there have been many, as you know), I'll be back.