Vesa Linna
JOURNAL
Cat Psychosis
I’m in love. His name is Igor.
Igor is a cat, a five-month-old Cornish Rex—and he’s not even mine; he belongs to my son. But he lets me take care of Igor. (Not enough, though, which is why I now have Taika, a Cornish Rex of my own.)
Igor has short, silky hair that becomes curlier the longer it grows. His whiskers stick out in all directions. He makes sounds like Donald Duck: a sharp, loud sound that you cannot ignore. He smells of popcorn and butter.
I HAVE BECOME an obsessed grandmother. I take pictures of Igor all the time and share them with everyone.
I would like to treat him with endless delicacies, but my son has told me not to. I’m the grandmother who is always on the look for opportunities to sneak candy to her grandchild.
I almost bought myself a cat hat at a craft fair, but when I put it on and saw my pale face in the mirror, with felt ears standing out toward the ceiling, I decided not to.
IT IS FASCINATING to observe a beautiful animal. When Igor is watching birds on the windowsill, I watch Igor.
For some reason, I used to think that pedigreed cats are not interested in birds or mice. Well, they are—they enjoy them. Raw. Like any other predator.
CORNISH REX CATS love people, and they may be suitable for some people with allergies. Their body temperature is higher than in other cat breeds. When Igor sleeps under my comforter, I need to turn the radiator off.
I have always been annoyed by pet owners who call themselves moms and dads. When Igor was caterwauling for food a while ago, sounding as if he was in pain, I rushed into the kitchen: “Mommy will get you food right away!”
WITH THE CAT, I habitually find myself in an overly sensitive state of mind. At New Year’s, Igor was so scared of the fireworks that his heart was beating uncontrollably.
I held him in my arms and talked to him, and burst into tears. Love hurts.
I’VE BEEN TOLD that cats see people as peers—as cats that just look different. When a friend visited me at Christmas, they looked exactly like a cat.
Then I realized that I’m not a cat. Yet. That’s probably what is wrong with people: they are not cats.
© Anna-Leena Harkonen 2024