The Resident Cat
As we explore some of the numerous restaurants in NYC, I’ve made an observation. Many of the restaurants seem to have a resident cat. Above is a kitten helping to bus a table at an unmentioned restaurant (I don’t want any retaurant owners or cats to get into trouble). The same kitten entertained us and our neighbors by attacking a napkin and shoe laces. It also sat in my lap and purred while I scratched under his chin. I wasn’t the only one completely enamored. Numerous people tried to tempt the little kitty to their tables.
I have a “Resident Cat” theory. My grandfather used to have a dairy farm and cats served an important purpose – control the mice population. Of course, I won’t mention what happened when the cat population got out of control. Well, there are mice in NYC. And rats, although rats are big and I think many cats are actually scared of the big ones. But my “Resident Cat” theory involves not rodents, but cockroaches. I think restaurant and store owners have cats to control the roaches that seem to be living wherever food and trash are in abundance. Cats can be ferocious little hunters. The only problem I would foresee involves cats liking to play with their catch before eating it. I can imagine that a few speedy roaches have made an unfortunate get-away. Thankfully, the feline roach-catchers in these restaurants are friendly, unlike the barn cats on my grandfather’s farm!
And since I’m on the cat topic, I had to include a couple of pictures of Chloe, one of our cats who has taken up residence on a window sill in our apartment. Occasionally Zoe steals her sill, but mostly Chloe owns it.
Chloe 
Dave E said,
August 17, 2006 @ 12:05 pm
The window sill looks like a great place for Chloe to take up residence. I see she is conducting some secondary source research on her new city as well.
It is bittersweet to see the cat shots as one of our cats has been sick this summer and we just had him “put down” this morning. It is amazing how pets become a part of one’s family (especially if you don’t have kids of your own.) We have shared our lives with Malcolm for over fifteen years and he was a very tangible tie to our collected past. I don’t think it will ever be the same to arrive home without the “original big cattie” sitting on the porch or trotting up to greet me at the car door.
Ricky said,
August 18, 2006 @ 12:30 pm
Seeing how I’m SO not an animal person, it’s funny that I found your blog on cats so interesting… but I did! Your resident cat theory is fascinating! I cannot stand roaches at all, and I would even get a cat if I had to live with roaches! Shocking, I know!
ambeitlers said,
August 18, 2006 @ 12:39 pm
Maybe it will take roaches to prove to you that cats aren’t so bad. You might even appreciate that they are obsessively clean and independent. It seems like a good personality match to me! Although I’m not sure I can see you cleaning out the litter box. Don’t worry, I don’t think roaches are a problem in Seattle. Watch out for the rats, though!