Hades, a portrait

http://j.mp/2kelnxc

Humdrum Life?

Every now and again I find my cat, Edmund, wandering about my tiny little apartment. For 15, 20 sometimes 30 minutes he does what I call the "great circle" path over an dover again. This isn't his normal frantic scurrying between the patio doors and the bathroom window when something outside has his him all axcited. It's a slow, deliberate yet not deliberate wander that takes him along all the major thoroughfares of my bachelor apartment. Were it not for the inherent gracefulness of a cat, I would call it plodding.

It makes me think of the tigers I have seen at the Toronto Zoo. When you get to their enclosure, you can see one of them pass by you every couple of minutes as they walk along this path that has been worn into the circumference of their home. As it passes by, again and again, it sort of seems as if the tiger has just said to itself “Fuck it. I've got nothing better to do.” It seems so pathetic and devoid of hope that it makes me so sad I don't want to stick around and watch a magnificent animal I would normally be fascinated with.

When I see Edmund walking about like that, I hope that he isn't as despondent as that tiger at the zoo.

Walking the cat?

From Edmund

When my friend Jennifer called earlier this afternoon and asked if I wanted to go to the mall, I jumped at the chance because I had been practicing from my MCSE certs since about 7:00am — my poor eyes were going buggy!

At the mall, we stopping at the pet store since Jenn had just gotten a hamster for their kids a couple of weeks ago. I finally got a new collar for Edmund, my cat. Edmund has long since grow out of the collar he came with as a kitten, a little over 2 years ago, and the only time I tried to get hi a new one, it was too small. That actually surprised me, because is not a big cat.

Anyways, Jenn found this nice–sized leash which snaps open with about a pound less force than what Edmund weighs. That way, if (when) he escapes again, if the collar gets caught on something his struggling with snap it open and he won't choke himself. And that's a good thing.

I also got a H–type harness for Edmund and a leash so that I can take him for a walk now and again. First I took him out out into the apartment hall, but he seemed sorta nervous and maybe even a little scared out there. He crouched down, crawled around on his belly and wouldn't leave the door. As soon as I opened it he ran straight back into my apartment. I thought maybe he'd prefer to go outside, so I bundled up and took Edmund out on to my patio. Once a gain he crouched down and crawled along on his tummy. He didn't stay right next to the patio doors, but neither did he want to go off the concrete pad that is my patio — about half a metre away. I even picked him up a couple of times and carried him down to the road, but both times he ran right back to the patio.

I did some web–surfing, and apparently rather than taking him outside right away, I should have gotten Edmund used to the harness somewhat more slowly. First let him wear just the harness for an hour or so every day for a few days, giving him a treat each time I put it on him. Then attach the leash and follow him around inside with it slack. Then a few days of just sitting out on the patio until he finally gets the urge to go exploring.

I'd never expect a cat to behave like a dog (heaven forfend!), but I had thought that Edmund would have been ecstatic at the thought of going Outside. After all, if he's not sleeping in my lap, on the back of my chair propped against my shoulders or laying beside me on the bed, he's sitting at the patio doors wondering what this invisible substance is that prevents his escape.