Vladimir the Pheline Philosopher
Vladimir is a domestic short hair, fully black with no hint of grey, 17 years old and in prime condition although prone to the occasional bout of yech breath.
An avid blogger, he thoroughly enjoys the web and indulges in nocturnal surfing while his can opener is asleep. He recommends cat-authored sites only and shares his favourite feline bloggers with you. A deep thinker, Vladimir muses on the intricate relationship between human and cat, global warming and its relationship to arthritic joints, the delicate balance of nature and the Meaning of Life.
But why am I telling you this? Vladimir prefers to tell you himself. I relinquish the keyboard from this point on ......
Read my lips .... it's dinnertime
Vladimir's Favourites
Vlad surfs the web
I turn the spotlight on the upper crust of literary felines for your perusal.
Thoughts on Black Cats
Vladimir gives his views on humans and black cats
Black cats are often looked upon as a symbol of bad omens, and I hear you harbour superstitions of a black cat crossing your path. You believe this brings bad luck! Once upon a time you said it brought good luck.We've come a long way down the slope since the days of ancient Egypt haven't we. Back then we had real power. We were sacred animals. Boy oh boy, did we get some respect! No one dared to move us out from that warm patch in the sun or stop us sharpening our claws on the couch.
We even had our own goddess. The great cat goddess Bast.
But the respect given to us gradually waned. So did all those other Egyptian sacred animals, we weren't the only ones to go down in the dark. Sometimes, in a dark and weary mood, I hanker for the old days.
Spotlight on Jazmin
- Jazmin Personified
- Jazmin, Princess of the Tuckaway Cove cabin
Another thought on Black Cats
I can understand that, as a simple human, you could get a bit of a chill about this. You get confused, old race memories kick in, and you imagine we are an omen of death.
Better to think of a black cat as an omen of great change, of a threshold being crossed, a door being opened, a new life awaiting in a liminal moment.
Of course, depending upon your individual pyschological framework, this could be a good thing - or a bad thing.
The Two Talking Cats
Did you know?
.... that if you dislike cats you come back as a mouse in your next life?
The Two Talking Cats : Translation
We Taught Humans the Art of Music
You humans have a way of conveniently forgetting or altering facts to suit yourselves. Take this nursery rhyme for exampleHey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed to see such craft
And the dish ran away with the spoon
The second line, of course, should read 'The cat has the fiddle.
We are the ones who are musical, not you. The truth is that it was us who taught you to appreciate the finer aspects of the artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner.
Examples of Classical Cat Compositions
While idly perusing the music collection in my own household, I discovered this collection of feline-inspired pieces. Exhilarating stuff, even if not fully feline-composed.
I recommend it to you .. Purrfectly Classical.
Purrfectly Classical
Notable humans reveal their adoration of cats
*Weyse: Cat Cavatina - *Chopin: The Cat's Waltz
*Martinu: March Of The Cats In The Midnight Solstice
*Ravel: Cat Duet - *Faure: Mi-a-ou -- *Rossini: The Cat Duet
*Ketzel: Piece For Piano Four Paws - *Bizet: Puss In The Corner
*Tchaikovsky: Puss-In-Boots And The White Cat
Rossini: The Cat Duet
Purrfectly Classical
Amazon Price: $18.98 (as of 01/09/2009)
Chopin's cat walked across the keyboard and Chopin liked the melody so much that he created an entire piece called The Cat Waltz around it.
Domenico Scarlatti's cat, Pulcinella, composed a fugue while prancing about on the harpsichord, known as Fugue in G Minor, L499; better known as The Cat Fugue.
(Scarlatti may have helped a little, but the first few bars, at least, are convincingly the work of a talented cat.)
Hear these, and more .....
Spotlight on Darling Millie
- Darling Millie
- The continuing adventures of me, Millie, the kitty Malcolm rescued and cat bloggers all over the world helped save.
I will never threaten your popularity by barking at three in the morning and I won't attack the mailman. I won't eat your drapes, although I may occasionally climb them to see how the room looks from the ceiling.
Essential reading for People
The Mythology of Cats: Feline Legend and Lore through the Ages
Amazon Price: (as of 01/09/2009)
If you're lucky enough to have a feline animal companion, I know you will thoroughly enjoy this book. The authors discuss cats by breeds, with literary excerpts, folklore and legends and will help you in your efforts to understand us better and treat us with the acclaim we deserve. (You may even forget the lamentable alleged demonic affiliations).
The book is 'light' reading, not a scholarly tome aimed at educated cats and, as such, easy to follow for any human.
Vladimir's Views
Vladimir, Special Correspondent
Fetching RSS feed... please stand bySpotlight on Angus Mhor
- Angus Mhor
- A three year old Pixie-Bob who wrestles with deep questions from time to time.
Spotlight on Daisy
- Daisy the Curly Cat
- Journal of Daisy, a dilute calico Devon Rex cat.
Is that food in your hand?
Thoughts on Food
My food has to be the right balance of the six major nutrient groups; proteins, fats & oils, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates and water. Preferably in a combination that tastes good.I usually get a mixture of both wet or dry food over the day. I insist on my cooked breakfast, or at least a can of wet food as my morning meal, but the dry food has to be left out for me to snack on when the impulse takes me. And plenty of fresh water around. Inside and Out.
What would be perfect for me is to have about 10 little dinners each day of little bits and pieces, each meal about the size of a mouse but I've never been able to train the woman to do that. So I get a meal in the morning and a meal at night and nibble on snacks of dry food during the day. We must make the best of what Life brings to us.
You may think me fussy, indeed the term finicky has been used of me, but a cat can never be too careful, especially in the senior years. I make a point of exercising for at least 20 minutes every day, regardless of how I feel, and I overcome post-prandial lassitude by sharpening my claws on the woman's leg.
Spotlight on Grr, Midnight and Cocoa
- Grr, Midnight and Cocoa
- Three cats who blog
Recipe : My Morning Meal
* 1 cup cooked minced ( ground ) beef
* 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
* 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
* 3/4 cup ( creamy ) cottage cheese
Mix together and serve.
Vale Scarlett
R.I.P : You'll always be a heroine of mine
She died on October 15th in the home of her adoptive family, much loved, much cared for, and now at rest.Her story was one of bravery, uncompromising love and triumph over all odds. She captured the attention of regional, national and international outlets as far away as Japan, including the most powerful voices of CNN and Oprah Winfrey.
She was the subject of numerous books and articles and appeared in the first aired segment of Animal Planet.
Scarlett was also was honored by Great Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Full Story : Scarlett, the World-Famous Brave Mother Cat Who Survived a Fire and Saved Her Kittens, Passes Away.
What a wonderful cat, I feel that I knew her personally. I sent her a fan letter a long time back, when I read of her terrible ordeal.
Law of Inertia
A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force - such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.
Spotlight on Cat House
- House of the (mostly) Black Cats
- The musings and meowings of 3 Black & White Tuxedo Cats, a Light Black Tuxedo Kitty, 1 Black Cat
Crass Commercialisation of Beauty
Vladimir's Views on Beauty Contests
I have strong objections to these Beauty Contests and to the commercialisation which drives them. They promote a dogmatic, unrealistic and shallow standard that sets the precedence for future generations of kittens to 'be like beauty contest winners' if they want to be regarded as beautiful. Next thing you know, young cats will be striving to be hollow-eyed, pale and gaunt. These most unappealing attributes are considered de rigeur for the catwalk.
Beauty contests are degrading both to the viewer and to the contestant and can only be compared to a cat-tle market.
If considered from a philosophical point of view, beauty would simply be known as aesthetics.
I am a philosopher. And I have forgotten why I once thought the female of the feline attractive.
Cat-tle Market
Have a Safe and Happy Christmas with your Cat
Vladimir gives sound advice for cats and their companions especially relevant to Christmas.......-
Christmas with your Cat
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Christmas is a time of myth and make believe, a time to make a special effort for those we hold dear, our family and friends. My old cat is my friend and part of my family. For many years now, I've been a resident in my cat's house and he's a pretty...
Say Hello to Vlad
Leave me a comment, question or a tickle under the chin.
mbrownauthor wrote...
I enjoyed this lens and lensrolled it to my cat lens. 5*s. Great!!!!
Posted November 24, 2008
BigGirlBlue wrote...
I enjoyed reading your Vlad lens (the story of Scarlet was so sad). I knew about the goddess Freya but did not know she was pulled around by cats. I'm definitely from the stand point that change is good... when I'm ready for it. :) Cheers!
Posted October 27, 2008
Thanks for dropping by........
Thanks very much for dropping by and reading about Vladimir. I am privileged that he allows me to share his life, especially in these, his senior years. The two of us are growing old together.You're more than welcome to leave a note in the guest book above and, if you're a member of Squidoo, you can also rate this lens :)
It's all much appreciated, Susanna.
What is the Meaning of Life?
Feral Squid
Through a lens darkly
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