CATS: True Tails and Life Lessons From A Purring Companion by Pamela Wallin: Excerpt
“Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods and they have never forgotten this,” the old saying goes. Updated and modernized, this 20th anniversary edition of CATS: True Tails And Life Lessons From A Purring Companion by Pamela Wallin is the purr-fect read for cat-enthusiasts, those intrigued by the fascinating history and biology of cats, and for the many who don’t “get” the appeal of feline friends.
Fun, compelling and easy-to-digest, CATS will appeal to all animal-lovers—“dog people” included. CATS provides insights from experts, including veterinarians and animal behaviorists, which would appeal to those looking for a more informative and authoritative book about cats while still being entertained.
Wallin also delves into the unique bond that exist between cats and people, how they bring comfort and joy, and even healing to our lives, including interviews with cat owners, riveting fun facts and phenomenal anecdotes about feline friends and their behaviours —“Almost all of a cat’s behaviours, even washing behind its ears, are weather predictions.” With personal stories about how Wallin’s (now deceased) Siamese cat “Kitty” forever changed her, during some of her darkest moments, even 20 years after Kitty’s passing.
We are delighted to feature this excerpt from CATS: TRUE TAILS AND LIFE LESSONS FROM A PURRING COMPANION
EXCERPT
Someone once said that cats are simply deep wells into which we pour all our emotions. I believe it to be true because I did just that with my precious chocolate point Siamese, Kitty. I confided the most precious secrets, practiced one liners that I wish I had delivered in the moment and when I just needed company or comfort, she seemed my silent call. She would curl up into my neck in search of the pulse point and purr so loudly it drowned out all the competing noises in my brain.
I am told that both humans and cats have identical regions in the brain responsible for emotion. Our communion in those moments made me a believer.
I once asked singer Mary Chapin Carpenter to explain the title of her song “A Place in the World” and she replied that you only find your place because of the power of small moments.
“ The moments I am referring to are those where something happens to make you feel like you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, who you are, and where you are –they are moments of happiness – but mostly of clarity…It’s as simple as a lover saying something to you in a certain way, it’s the way light falls across a room… it’s a catalyst for those moments and all of a sudden you feel a peace, or a contentment.
An animal too offers those moments…of contentment and comfort.
Surgeon, author and medical historian, Dr. Sherwin Nuland spent a lifetime dealing with death as they faced their final moments and from them, he gleaned a powerful insight into the role that love plays in our lives.
“It has to do with our ability to express to those relatively few people, what their lives mean to our lives, what our lives can mean to them.”
Love takes many forms and of course, our attachments to animals can be just as powerful. I recall reading a wonderful line about relationships – the more traditional kind – that suggested a good marriage is one in which each appoints the other the guardian of his solitude. Few couples I know have forged that rare bond.
But it is amazingly easy with a cat – even the simple act of stroking the cat is an act of trust.
Such simple pleasures are, I think, a basic human need. Dr. Nuland argued that there is a biological imperative to nurture the human spirit:
“Things that have to do with beauty but that have no survival value. We see beauty, we create beauty, we value beauty. That is a spiritual need that only the human mind can conceive of.”
The cat is a beautiful thing.
Doris Lessing once wrote: “If a fish is the movement of water embodied, given shape, then a cat is a diagram and pattern of subtle air.”
Even the cynical, longtime Washington political observer (and cat owner) George F. Will said: “Like a graceful vase, a cat, even when motionless, seems to flow.”
Yet the cat offers both beauty and survival! Petting your animal can lower your blood pressure and heart rate!
Children growing up with a pet develop better social skills and have a greater respect for all living things and soon learn that animals are non- judgmental and show love and loyalty as well as experiencing pain, hunger and eventual death – a poignant preparation for life ahead.
So our pets become a test of our character, and perhaps a shaper of it.
“If we treated everyone we meet with the same affection we bestow upon our favorite cat, they, too, would purr,” said writer Martin Buxbaum.
My journey of self-discovery, as it often does, began by accident.
I had reluctantly agreed to kitty-sit for a friend. But when the kitty arrived, she claimed my heart. I didn’t want to give her back. Cooler heads prevailed but my connection with this darling creature was so profound that I began my search for a clone.
Kittens of all kinds were readily available, but not a female, chocolate-point Siamese. Finally, I found a woman who had two “girls.” As I came breathlessly through her door, the breeder explained apologetically that she had sold the female, then pointed to a corner where a tiny kitten, the abandoned runt of the litter, was huddled, looking utterly lonely and resigned. I wanted her. And as I carried the precious little creature away in the palm of my hand, it was toward a future neither she nor I could have imagined.
I believe it was Leonardo da Vinci who said that even the smallest feline is a masterpiece, and how true that is! My little Siamese had a brown mask, sable paws, a rich, dark tail and china-blue eyes. I marveled at the perfection.
She was at my side through many of the traumas that life offers up—divorce, illness, being fired—and the countless other emotional crises that have punctuated my life story. She listened as I talked about my life’s regrets and most precious moments but my confessions were for her ears only.
A cancer diagnosis always means an uncertain future. But in the darkest moments of the night, when the chilling hand of fear grips your entire body, she stayed close. She seemed to understand what I dared not say aloud. And the more I doubted my strength, the closer she drew to me and the quiet comfort she offered helped me rediscover hope.
Such “bonding” taught me a few life lessons. Patience is a virtue. A cat’s purring really does heal human hurts. And there are some things you simply can’t control.
When she left me, the loss was inconsolable. I could have never imagined the true complexity of the bond.
But she is the gift that keeps on giving. And now I simply cherish the memories of one of the most powerful relationships that a human and her Kitty can have. She changed me.
Excerpt reprinted with the publisher’s permission
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Pamela Wallin is a Canadian journalist, broadcaster, and author. Born on April 10, 1953, in Wadena, Saskatchewan, she began her career in journalism as a reporter for CBC Radio in 1974. Wallin went on to work for a number of media outlets, including the Toronto Star, Global Television, and CTV News, before becoming a co-host of CTV’s daily talk show “Canada AM” in 1985. In addition to her work in broadcasting, Wallin has been active in public service. She served as Consul General of Canada in New York from 2002 to 2006 and was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2008 by then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She is currently a Canadian senator and has been since 2009.
Pamela has written three other books titled “Speaking of Success,” “The First Man in My Life,” and “Since You Asked.” She received numerous awards and honours for her contributions to journalism and public service, including the Order of Canada in 2007.
Cats: True Tails and Life Lessons from a Purring Companion
Cats: Tails and Life Lessons from A Purring Companion is an affectionate and insightful exploration of the deep connections between cats and their human companions.
Through a series of personal stories, interviews with cat owners, facts, anecdotes, and adorable photos, Wallin delves into the unique bond that exists between cats and people and explores how these feline friends bring comfort, joy, and even healing to our lives.
With a blend of humor, compassion, and a deep understanding of cat behavior, Wallin shares her own experiences as a devoted cat owner and offers practical advice for creating a happy home for both cats humans.
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Category: On Writing
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