"...there she was, on top of my bed, staring at the wall."
Everyone has a moment in their
lives where they act downright strange, and Nutmeg is no exception. Among her
many quirks is her ability to stare at something for an extended period of
time. It can be anything. This time, it was her faint reflection in the shine of the paint on my wall. I was tempted to bring her a mirror, but I
didn't want to scare her. She knew I was
watching her, but her eyes never wavered from the cat staring back at her. Blinking was rare. Cats can go without blinking for a
considerable amount of time when they want to.
They are bound by the same impulse to blink their eyes as often as we do, but can suppress the desire for extended periods of time if necessary. People unaccustomed to the
ways of cats can be easily unnerved by the unblinking stare of a cat. In fact, they stare only because they are interested in the subject. (Why do Cats Stare?) A word of wisdom to those of you who
aren't familiar with cats, never get in a staring contest with one, because
you will always lose. The only way you
will win is if the cat gets bored enough to look away. Nutmeg's quirks are what develop her
personality. She never ceases to
fascinate me.
Cats seem mysterious and fascinating to me. I've never owned one, but I've had a friend who had kittens and they are always doing their own thing, they seem stubborn and always want to be right. A bit careless and loves attention. I'm really not sure wasn't around a cat for a long time. But her just staring did you know or did she show how she felt? Staring at a painting maybe describe the painting.(: I'll remeber to never get in a staring fight with a cat.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how cats are their own little character. If your cat felt you watching her I wonder why she didn't stop to look back at you? I wonder if it could be the same motive behind a human not making eye contact with another human to avoid any awkwardness maybe? Or maybe she was too entertained by the painting that caught her attention to even bother to look at anyone or anything else.
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me of the deep soulful stare that the weasel gives Annie Dillard in the essay "Living Like Weasels"
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