What do animals mean in the life of humans? This is an increasingly
asked question, especially when so many households own at least one
pet. Studies abound which demonstrate that pets can save lives or
at least sanity, and that people can grieve more for their lost pet
than the loss of human companionship. It is interesting then to
hear about some of these experiences, and to try to understand in
more depth how our furry friends weave themselves inextricably into
our homes, our lives, and our existence. This special volume, on
the meaning of cats in women's lives, is the second in a series of
collections on what companion animals mean to women around the
globe. The book includes pieces from women from several different
countries, and of different ages and cultural backgrounds. The
types of pieces included reflect this diversity. We have funny, sad
and clever pieces. We have pieces that address the political and
socially serious side of having cats as pets. We have pieces that
reflect the sometime silliness of domestic life with cats. We have
poems, short stories, reflections and essays. What has emerged is a
clear picture of the different relationships women might have with
a feline companion, simply because of the distinctive
characteristics of cats as animals, and cats as individuals. They
enrich in different ways simply because they are not humans, they
are not dogs, birds, horses or monkeys. Cats mean distinctive
things to different women. What is the nature of this relationship
and meaning? Some tried to describe it by differentiating the
characteristics of cats from those of dogs. The saying' "Dogs have
masters, cats have staff" was quoted several times. Another idea
was that of the cat as 'familiar', alluding to an almost mystical
relationship with a creature who is only part of the human world.
The naming of cats, and the special task of creating the name which
would capture the magnificent, regal and independent character of
that woman's own cat, was also a notable thread in many stories.
Contributors include UK authors, poets, academics, activists,
artists and politicians alike, such as: Barbara Becker, Claire
Pickard, Nancy Winters, Sal Hampson, Suniti Namjoshi from Bradford,
Oxford, Devon, and London; other contributors include Marge Piercy
(USA), Fide Erkin (Turkey) Finola Geraghty (Germany), Beryl
Fletcher (New Zealand), Liselotte Lassig (Switzerland), Beth
Burrows (Canada), Kerry Greenwood, Lin van Hek, Sandy Jeffs,
Patricia Sykes, Coral Hull, and Susan Hawthorne (Australia).
General
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