Cats And Kittens?

Yes please!

Cat Grass

Cat Grass is a plant that gives cats essential vitamins and minerals, which can easily be missing from their diets if spent indoors. For cats, it is eaten for its nutritional value and is known to be suitable to be fed to dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits.

The botanical name of cat grass is Dactylis glomerata and is an annual which fruits in late summer. It is also a frost tender plant which can be grown within small containers. At 7-10cm, cat grass is ready to be consumed and be used as a distraction from nibbling on houseplants.

If grown indoors, the seeds can be sown all year round and do not have to worry about frost. However, as a plant growing indoors it needs to be placed by a well lit window and turned daily. Grown outdoors, sowing is to occur within spring, summer or autumn. Cat grass grown outdoors should be kept out of both full sun and shade, where it is best grown in semi-shade.

Totems: Cat

I thought I would start talking of totem animals within my blog posts, but I will try to not to make it my main focus of this blog.
What animal in particular I will featuring is a domesticated animal that has been along side mankind for centuries, it has been both loved and hated with a rich mythology spaning from Egypt to Japan. An animal associated with mystery and independence, yet also thought to have magical ability. The create with much self-love and worth with an amazing ability to relax. This is the cat.

Cats have been thought of more of as feminine, this may have to do with the goddesses cats themselves are associated with, especially the Egyptian goddess Bast. Other goddesses in association are Freya and Liberty. In a previous blog post I have mentioned the Maneki Neko, or Beckoning Cat, which is a well known item of luck in Japanese culture that is gaining popularity in western culture.

When we see cats we may see them relaxing, resting. Putting time aside to rest and relax is a lesson we can learn from cats. People with cat totems may get an indication or two to look at our sleep patterns if we don’t get told straight out to look at it. Maybe we need to do what cats do and have naps throughout the day; this may be what a cat totem or guide may suggest one to do, as it is truth that sleep in important.

Cats have a great intuition, so why not use your own? Cats do well with it and so do people, it might even be a great benefit to use it more often. The intuition of cats is said to be a great asset to its survival, and it could very well be used to help you survive. As I once heard a to-do list, “Get out of bed, survive, go back to bed.” From experience, this seems to be what a number of cats seem to have for a to-do list while doing what they want.

Cats also are thought to have an ability to sense magic and the paranormal unlike people, especially with seeing spirits.  If you have a cat, when practicing magic you could have your cat by your side as it is said that keeping a cat nearby is a good source of protection, especially as they have their sensitivity to otherworldly things.

Cats are thought to have healing powers, and interesting, the calming purrs cats send out helps people deal with depression and anxiety within people. But also remember the independent nature of cats, to do what they want to do and when you have a pet cat you will learn sometime that the cat owns you, not the way round.  The power to heal and to be independent are lessons taught by the cat totem.

If a totem contacts you I find it rude to not offer it something, if you know cats you will probably guess but for those who do not, fish and various kinds of milk will likely make good offerings but also take in mind that cat food can make a good offering, just keep an eye out on what is enjoyed and what is not.

Maneki Neko

Maneki Neko, or the Beckoning Cat, is a popular charm of Japanese origins. They do come in various colours, the most popular being tri-coloured with gold, white and black one’s following behind in popularity. There is even red and pink coloured Maneki Neko’s, but are hard to find. When getting a Maneki Neko one would have to consider the colour of the cat to get as it does have meaning, but which paw is being lifted, too. Today you can find many of these cats across the world as they become more popular, many people leave offerings of water for the cat to this day. There is even something which I find interesting is called cat magic where it is said to be found in Japan where the magic is malevolent.

Not only that, there are some legends surrounding the Maneki Neko. One well known story tells how there was a monk at a poor temple who shared his small amount of food that he had with his cat. A samurai lord by the name of Li Naotaka of the Hikone district (near Kyoto) is said to have gone under a tree due to rain and a cat beckoned to the man who Lord Li followed into a temple only to have the tree he was under struck by lightning.
I also heard that instead of Lord Li being under a tree during rain he was with other samurai who took notice of a cat that was beckoning to them, so the samurai went into the nearby temple. Soon after a storm followed, saving the samurai from being stuck from getting wet and cold. However, both variations as I have heard it ends with Lord Li becoming good friends with the poor monk and the temple prospers.

Another legend tells how during the Edo Period of Japan in a place called Yoshiwara in eastern Tokyo there was a woman called Usugumo who loved cats and kept her feline companion at her side constantly. One night Usugumo’s cat was tugging at her kimono and refusing to let go. The owner of the building Usugumo was in suspected the cat of being bewitched and thus took off its head with his sword. The head flew to the ceiling where it killed a snake that was to kill Usugumo. Unhappy at her beloved cats death, a good person gave Usugumo an image of her cat in the form of a wood carving which is said to gain popularity as the Maneki Neko.

One legend tells how there were two competing ramen shops were directly next to each other, where one got a lucky cat in its window and got all the business until the shop next door got its own lucky cat.

I mentioned colours and lifted paws before with tri-coloured Maneki Neko’s being highly popular. Male tri-coloured cats are rare in the worlds cat population; this may be why tri-coloured Maneki Neko’s are popular. Some say white is of purity while black cats have been considered lucky in Japan with an apparent ability to ward off evil or cure illness in children, thus the reason for black Maneki Neko’s. Apparently, black Maneki Neko’s is gaining popularity among women to ward off stalkers. Red versions of this cat is for exorcising evil spirits and fight against illness while pink is for love. Red and pink cats were thought to have supernatural powers and actually were avoided in Japan’s past, which may be why there are few Maneki Neko‘s of such colours. The coloured Maneki Neko’s I come across most is gold, said to invite money.

I have heard that in Japan that about 60% of all Maneki Neko’s are lifting their left paws while the rest lift their right. I personally have come across a number of these cats and they are always lifting their left paw, where it is said that beckoning with the left is to bring business. With Maneki Neko’s beckoning with their right paws it is said that it is for attracting money and good fortune. Paw height is also of some importance as it is said the higher the paw the more luck for business or money and good fortune.