Whether it was in Persia or in Africa, the place is far removed from the land where my ancestors first cried “meow” and returned to the earth. By what fate they crossed mountains and traversed valleys, I cannot say — but at last they arrived at the place where “the sun rises,” beyond the eastern edge of the continent: a scattering of small islands, battered and washed by rough seas.
How many years have passed since my kin first took up residence among the humans of that land? From the age when oxen drew their carts to the age when electric motors drive them along, the experience of observing human society with a cold and level eye, all the while basking in the sun, is a privilege beyond price.
Here, then, I shall discourse upon the curiosities of human life from a polite distance. Rather than entangling myself in their affairs, I intend to offer an objective — that is to say, a properly feline — examination of the incomprehensible customs and ways of living of humankind.
In this I follow a great predecessor: a nameless cat who, over a century ago, surveyed a Japanese household with a satirist’s unblinking eye, and lent that gaze to a great novelist’s pen. It is in his shadow, and at a respectful distance, that I take up my own study.
I should note, however, one point of personal weakness: I am fond of fish. Let that much be stated plainly, before we proceed to loftier matters.
No human of true intellect would dare judge the whole leopard by a single spot. If you wish to perceive the full scope of our shared history, consider joining my stride. Subscribing ensures you never miss a rare feline dispatch.
Hello, Neko! How nice to meet you ☺️