Thank God for Cats!

Chapter 1

WHY GOD MADE CATS

I praise you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

PSALM 139:14 NIV

Have you ever wondered why God made cats? Picture poor Noah, trying to get all the animals safely inside the ark. Just as God tells Noah, "The water's rising, so bar the door," at least one cat immediately needs to go out. Again.

Or maybe one of the pair has dillydallied so long that he's sopping wet by the time he gets back inside the ark. We all know that a soaking wet cat is likely muttering more swear words than your average parrot. With his fur slicked down, he looks like a grumpy human in his birthday suit, but his attitude is quite catty. God must have rolled his eyes with all that caterwauling.

After forty days and forty nights of nonstop rain, Noah sent out the dove to find dry land. The dove brought back an olive branch, but the cats weren't impressed. One was overheard complaining, "That bird should've brought back catnip."

By the time civilization got started again, the Egyptians had enslaved the Israelites and worshiped cats. All through history, although their main job was mouse patrol, cats meowed their way into our homes and into our hearts.

Cat people love the kitties that choose them, and we're thankful for their many attributes. But do we know a cat's inner workings? What makes a cat tick?

Awesome Anatomy

The good Lord surely knew that felis catus would be a huge hit. Cats' senses and abilities seem almost magical-flexible spines make it possible for them to fall from high places yet somehow land on their feet.

Cats have 230 bones-humans only have 206. Many of these extra bones are vertebrae: thirty bones of the neck and spine, plus twenty or so caudal, or tail, bones (except in the Manx). These additional spinal bones allow cats much more flexibility than humans have. That's why cats can twist into pretzels and still sleep comfortably.

Cats who happen to jump or fall from high places can twist and right themselves, adding to the myth that cats always land on their feet. In reality, cats don't always land on their feet-some seem as clumsy as humans as they plummet. But with the additional spinal vertebrae and the added stability of their tails, most cats have a much better chance than their humans of landing safely and then calmly walking away.

Cats are digitigrades, meaning that they walk on their toes. Try walking on your toes-you'll quickly learn why God didn't make you a ballerina or a cat. Plus, cats' claws, besides being deadly weapons when they climb your pantleg, are protractible. They have to decide to unsheathe those murder weapons on your favorite drapes.

Another Creator masterstroke: cats' shoulders are free-floating-they're able to pass through any opening that their heads will fit. The good Lord may have known humans would love shooting videos of kitties with their heads stuck in the tissue box. Many a chonky kitty has gotten his hind end stuck in an opening that his head fit through.

Their skulls are unusual in the animal kingdom, too, with large eye sockets and jaws specially aligned for small prey such as mice. Or that hunk of chicken on your plate. When you scold your cat, those oversized eyes immediately give you their best persecuted look to make you feel like a heel.

In the darkest night, a cat can see a mouse running in tall grass. Those reflective, spooky eyes are God's version of night vision.

So why do so many cats miss their target when jumping from the bed to the shelf? It's a mystery even spookier in the night when their eyes reflect like giant alien lasers.

And the ears! Thirty-two muscles swivel cat ears 180 degrees, and each ear moves independently. It's cat radar. This is why you can't sneak into your kitchen for a snack without attracting cats from every corner of the house. In the olden days, all cats knew the sound of a can opener and came a-running.

Nowadays, the reason cat food companies make pull tabs on their cans is to give humans a two-second head start.

Part of our attraction to cats is how awesome God made them, and for centuries humans have tried to emulate them. We try to become stealthy as cats, canny as cat burglars, and quiet as kittens in a quest to be less clumsy or, in some cases, less bull-in-china-shop destructive. Unfortunately, we can't see in the dark, swivel our ears, or fit in any space our heads fit through, although some people have had their hands caught in the cookie jar.

Our Cat Teachers

Our feline furbabies can teach us so much about living. If we pay attention, we see God working through our kitties to help us be more compassionate, show more kindness, grow our hearts to hold more love even after we've pounced on one another or swiped at inanimate objects.

We can practice how cats sense when we're feeling down and go curl up next to a lonely friend. Most friends, however, would prefer you not camp out directly on their heads. We can appreciate the head bumps they give us and show kindness to strangers, but if you try to groom a stranger, you'll get a rude awakening. The loyalty and steadfast love our cats show can spur us to love God and our neighbor more and more-hopefully, without too much shed fur.

Back on the ark, Noah surely was relieved on the day all the animals streamed back onto dry land. Cooped up inside for about a year would drive anyone crazy. But the cats, true to their nature, stood at the ark's door for hours, debating whether it was best to go out or stay in. At last, Noah must have given their little patooties a gentle shove. Then the kitties spent the rest of the day grooming and basking under the rainbow of God's promises, soaking up the sun, purring as loudly as possible.

The fact that cats purr is perhaps the most mysterious quality of all God's creatures. Did you know that cats can either roar or purr but not both? Most of us prefer purrs, hands down. Our house cats' purrs bring down blood pressure and elevate our moods. We could do worse than to imitate them. Of course, most of us don't purr as often as we should.

But that's why God made cats.

Why God Made Humans

Ask any cat why God made people, and he'll likely answer that cats needed someone to open the cans of tuna. Of course, felines are prone to see themselves as the center of the universe. Now and then, it's a good idea to remind our privileged pets that God created mankind in his own image and called us "very good."

These days, more and more people feel worried, anxious, and lonely. We're unsure about the future as waves of calamity hit us more often than we can remember. It's natural to hunker down, circle the wagons, and guard our hearts against hurt and rejection. But God says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6 NIV).

Cats seem to sense that God created us not for anxiety but to love and be loved. Still, as any good barn cat knows, you can't catch mice without the chase. Rewards don't often come without risk. Only as we risk our hearts to love God and love one another do we find a peace that transcends all understanding (v. 7). Then, along the way, we might find a sunny spot to rest our cares.

When cats mysteriously rise up and appear on our doorsteps at lonely times, they may appear needy.

But while we love them into trusting us, a strong, invisible bond forms as they love us back. We tell ourselves we chose our cat companions when we know deep down that they've chosen us. And in the same way, we can choose God. As Psalm 119:30 reminds us, "I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws" (NIV).

If you've ever been ill and your cat wouldn't leave your side until you felt better, you've received real love. If you've taken in a sick kitten or fed a feral, you've freely given love away. Cats don't always show it, but they love their humans and are deeply loyal.

Eleven-year-old Jingles is Kris Brown's faithful Ragdoll who helped watch over Kris' mom, who had Parkinson's. Jingles meowed loudly to wake Mom if she slept too long and amused her with antics. When Mom passed away, Jingles became listless and sad. Then Kris herself became very ill. Jingles' spark came back, and she perked up to care for Kris as she once had for her mom. Kris is better now, but Jingles still provides daily laughter, companionship, and oodles of snuggles. Kris will always be thankful for Jingles, a caregiver cat if ever there was one.

God approves of those who seek out the lonely, oppressed, or overlooked. Again and again, Scripture admonishes us to care for the widows and orphans, the needy and the disadvantaged. Watch closely and you'll see how our cats love us unconditionally. We humans could do worse than to imitate our furry friends as they love us into giving over our half of the bed.

Prayer

Lord, help me to remember that when I'm anxious, you take me into your arms, smooth out my ruffled fur, and offer your peace that passes understanding.

Paws-itive Faith Steps

Give your cat(s) extra chin scritches and tell them how much you love them.

Tell your family the same but swap chin...