The Cat

Meet Diva. The time had to come eventually. After 1,269 blips entirely devoid of any feline content I've finally blipped the cat. She demanded the attention today. I was working at home this afternoon, waiting for a plumber to arrive, when the sun came out and she just casually walked over from the bed (her usual spot) to pose for me here above the staircase. It's hard not to imagine that she was challenging me. "Can you really resist me and my shadow?" Damn you cat. I could not!

I don't have the greatest rapport with Diva. I'm not sure we've ever really understood each other. There are times when she appears to be completely stupid. There are others when there is no doubt in my mind that she exhibits an astonishing intelligence. I guess our difficulties of communication are as frustrating for her as they are for me. And as for her seemingly fickle nature, I suppose us humans are not really so different, moving just as easily from the idiotic to the sublime. Perhaps I shouldn't be so disparaging.

She is Diva by name and a diva by nature. A real princess of a cat. And a real black cat too. Anyone remember Gentle Giant from the 70s. Black Cat was one of my favourite tracks from that era. It was a complete revelation when I heard it played on my very first stereo system, built around an Amstrad Cassette Deck. Finding this on YouTube and listening to it tonight has thrown me right back to college days!


There's a cat prowling through the streets at night
And she's black and her eyes are burning yellow
Fierce and bright
The lights are darkened,
Senses sharpened,
Wide awake

As she acts out her past of Jungle days
When the night was her friend in many other
Different ways
It gave protection
Of detection
By her prey

With a sway and swing she walks away
And the look in her eye it never seems
To say
The way she's feeling
No revealing,
Black cat ways