Cat watching

Cat lovers, like dog lovers, notice their favourite animals wherever they are. My sister Betty, when visiting from Quebec and separated from her beloved dog Molly, is always happy to meet a dog, give it a good pat, talk breed, age and habits with the owner, and watch her favourite critters romping in the dog park. Cat lovers have to be a bit sneakier, as cats aren't out in public so much, and there aren't "cat parks" where we can gather to admire them. (Although a new Vancouver cafe called Catfe offers cat-lovers not just coffee and treats, but a selection of pat-able, adoptable cats to enjoy.) Among the cats I've met recently during my walks around the city was one on a leash, which of course set the 1966 song "Walking My Cat Named Dog" ringing in my ears. It is a nonsense song if you look at the lyrics -- (Me and my cat named Dog/We're walking high against the fog) and (Dog is a good old cat/Now people what d'ya think of that) -- but somehow it sticks. Apparently the California singer/writer Norma Tanega who was responsible for it always wanted a dog but could only have a cat, so she called it Dog. I don't know what the owner of the leashed cat calls it; there was a bit of a language barrier so I didn't get the full story. But he was very patient as the cat took its time exploring, and I noticed that it had not just a leash, but a cat coat as well! I think this is one very well cared-for cat. Here it is, along with a couple of other cats I was able to surreptitiously snap. You will have to look hard for them as they blended so well into the background:

Patient owner waits for his cat to sniff everything.

With both a leash and a coat, this cat is carrying a lot of gear.

Dreaming among the cabbages: the cat is the grey lump on the picnic table. It was having a wonderful snooze in the sunshine.

The black and white spot to the left of the door is the cat. It blended almost perfectly with the colours of its perch.