Big and Little Cats

I am obsessed with cats–little ones as well as big ones. It isn’t that I don’t like dogs and other animals, but I continue to develop an affinity for cats including the ones that own me and the ones that own the universe.

Three types of cats dominate my life: bobcats, mountain lions, and housecats. The first two are a result of where I live in the mountains of Colorado. I interact with cats every day.

I see bobcats frequently where I live. In the winter, their tracks are evident daily across my driveway in newly fallen snow. These medium sized cats are territorial and solitary. They have black bars on their forelegs and black-tipped, stubby bobbed tails-thus, their name. This predator inhabits wooded areas and meadows. Bobcats hunt rabbits and hares, and consume insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents, and deer. Last week I opened my front door and saw a bobcat staring at me with a ground squirrel hanging out its mouth. It quickly ran off with its breakfast.

I have never seen a mountain lion in my years of coming to, and now living in, Colorado. They are tan to gray in color and can weigh full-grown between 90-150 pounds. They share the space wherever deer live. These big cats thrive in steep, rocky canyons and mountainous areas. People frequently ask me when I volunteer in the park if they should be afraid to hike because of mountain lions. These cats almost never attack adults as we do not resemble their natural prey. Someday I hope I see one from a great distance-100 yards or more. I sometimes come upon their tracks when I hike in the Deer Mountain and Lumpy Ridge areas of the park.

I write regularly about my adorable house cats. They would be happier if they could go outdoors but that is not safe where I live. They make me smile daily and bring me immense joy.

Talking about cats reminds me of a friend who passed away last week after well over 80 years of being a “cat woman.” Anne was in my weekly writing group and one of my biggest blog fans. Shortly after I met her, she announced to me that she was really a cat living in a woman’s body. She loved cats. A little sign along her driveway said, “Cattery West.” Friends found her resting peacefully in her bed having had an apparent heart attack. Her beloved old kitty, Max, was watching over her. I am sure he is grieving for the loss of this kindred spirit.

Little and big cats, and the people that love them, make the world a better place. They bring humans joy as we interact with them. Meanwhile, cats do their part to keep the social and ecological world in balance.