The Cat on the Treadmill
The cat on the treadmill video where the cat just flops is a classic reinforcement of the perception that a good number of people have that the domestic cat is lazy. People who dislike cats add to that by saying that they are useless and they sneer at you, and so on. All rubbish, I am afraid!
Most often when writing about the "lazy cat" people make fun of it. It is one of those funny cat stories, photos or videos. This is the more serious side, in defense of the cat side - typical of me.
I don't think cats are lazy. Taking a global view, wildcats are certainly not lazy especially the small wildcats. They do a lot of hunting at night, frequently all night and they travel what we would consider long distances. The sand cat can travel about 20 kilometers a night searching for food. Lazy? When wild cats are efficient at catching prey or when prey is abundant they will have more time to rest and sleep - common sense it seems to.
As to the companion cat, the humble domestic cat, he or she was not always a full-time house cat being feed and cossetted by their human master. In the early days of domestication cats were outdoor cats and working cats, mousing for a living. It is said that the early long haired cats of Maine that were to become the beautiful, popular and pampered Maine Coon were barn cats hustling their way to a decent living. The Norwegian Forest cat was pretty much just that, a cat living in a forest before also becoming semi-domesticated and eventually a glamorous show cat from the 1930s onwards. The early days of domestication of the companion cat were not easy on the cat.
I won't linger on the subject of feral cats. We all know that life is brutal, grim and short. No time to be lazy.
So lets turn to the cat we know the best, our cat. Our cat lives in a land of giants who protect and feed her. No need to chase rodents, to "earn a living". It's all on a plate, literally. If she is a full-time indoor cat and the human companion is out all day or a good part of it, what do you do? You wait. You rest and snooze until something happens or someone turns up. Common sense it seems to me. A natural reaction under those circumstances but not a demonstration of laziness.
The cat on the treadmill is a large floppy cat. Well actually there are tons of cats on treadmills in Internet videos but the one below it large, floppy and I say a bit confused about what to do on a treadmill.
I don't think this cat is disinclined to exercise and be active. I just think he or she doesn't understand the concept of a floor that moves but yet is static! Or is this cat a Ragdoll mix (Raggies are pointed)!
Oh, one last thing. Most cats use a treadmill pretty nicely thanks. They love them. The kind of cat breed that is more inclined to be active is the wild cat hybrid. The kind of cat that is likely to be less inclined to be active is the Persian.
Most often when writing about the "lazy cat" people make fun of it. It is one of those funny cat stories, photos or videos. This is the more serious side, in defense of the cat side - typical of me.
I don't think cats are lazy. Taking a global view, wildcats are certainly not lazy especially the small wildcats. They do a lot of hunting at night, frequently all night and they travel what we would consider long distances. The sand cat can travel about 20 kilometers a night searching for food. Lazy? When wild cats are efficient at catching prey or when prey is abundant they will have more time to rest and sleep - common sense it seems to.
As to the companion cat, the humble domestic cat, he or she was not always a full-time house cat being feed and cossetted by their human master. In the early days of domestication cats were outdoor cats and working cats, mousing for a living. It is said that the early long haired cats of Maine that were to become the beautiful, popular and pampered Maine Coon were barn cats hustling their way to a decent living. The Norwegian Forest cat was pretty much just that, a cat living in a forest before also becoming semi-domesticated and eventually a glamorous show cat from the 1930s onwards. The early days of domestication of the companion cat were not easy on the cat.
I won't linger on the subject of feral cats. We all know that life is brutal, grim and short. No time to be lazy.
So lets turn to the cat we know the best, our cat. Our cat lives in a land of giants who protect and feed her. No need to chase rodents, to "earn a living". It's all on a plate, literally. If she is a full-time indoor cat and the human companion is out all day or a good part of it, what do you do? You wait. You rest and snooze until something happens or someone turns up. Common sense it seems to me. A natural reaction under those circumstances but not a demonstration of laziness.
The cat on the treadmill is a large floppy cat. Well actually there are tons of cats on treadmills in Internet videos but the one below it large, floppy and I say a bit confused about what to do on a treadmill.
I don't think this cat is disinclined to exercise and be active. I just think he or she doesn't understand the concept of a floor that moves but yet is static! Or is this cat a Ragdoll mix (Raggies are pointed)!
Oh, one last thing. Most cats use a treadmill pretty nicely thanks. They love them. The kind of cat breed that is more inclined to be active is the wild cat hybrid. The kind of cat that is likely to be less inclined to be active is the Persian.
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