28 May 2021
Catty Context
It was a beautiful sunny day, and I wanted to see where Dobby was hanging out. Cats not being herd animals still seem to be “social” or at the very least “nosy”. Oh, look! It’s that curiosity thing cats get labelled with all the time. Are our felines mixing it up in a catty community? The cats couldn’t be doing the female dog thing of “bitchin'”, so it must be catty.
The stroll was incredibly serene; there was a light breeze, and the soft autumn sun was on my face as I tracked kitty-cat number two via the Apple Airtag. The Airtag follows non-moving items; after all, that’s its design. Cats (and dogs), in case you hadn’t noticed, are sometimes moving objects. 🙂 However, it’s enough to identify the approximate location of said “object”. That is, did Dobby go left or right from our place.
We had tried putting another Bluetooth tracker on them similar to the one listed in references in the past. The tracking device had a red, amber, and green light range, indicating you were either getting warmer or cooler depending on how near your pet you were. On the cat, the device dangled, and while our cats are of the big domestic housecat variety (6.9kg/ 15lb and 5.8kg/ 12lb kg), the collar with the trackers quickly became “lost”.
The lost collar was a concern when we purchased the Airtags. The good thing about the Airtag is its area is easily identified and doesn’t rely on walking a 100m (328 feet) radius to find the missing collar and tag. While researching pictures of hanging tags or pet tags, there was one that looked good – I wish I’d seen that one earlier!
Catty Community
When I finally reached the area where Dobby was hiding, Jennifer, a local, enjoyed the sunshine out with her two six-month-old kittens. While the kittens were out exploring, Jennifer kept a watchful eye. The two kittens were so adorable you want just to cuddle them! I want to do this with most animals, usually dogs since they’re most likely to be about on my walks. Dobby kept clear at a safe distance of his catty felines, despite visiting to be near them 🤔.
At that moment, Jan (not real name), another local, appeared from a neighbouring house, waiting for her Uber. We three conversed and discovered Jan has an older cat named Max. Max sticks to the letterbox and its surroundings, and it made me feel less alone regarding cats. It was a lovely conversation in the afternoon. Jan mentioned that Valentine was always up there looking for a fight. He must be good since he doesn’t come home with scratches. Maybe Valentine had one or two scratches this year. It saddens me if it’s true.
The subject arose, and I mentioned I’d used the Apple Airtag to track the cats’ basic whereabouts – “what a good idea”, they cried. Max’s owner asked how we kept the collar on; simple. Just keep a stash of collars on hand, so when initially the cats ditch them thinking they’re free of them, you simply grab another one and put it on.
We chatted amiably and tried not to get too catty when it came to council issues. The sun had moved, and it was cooler now. Jenny grabbed her kittens, Jen grabbed Max, and I captured Dobby, and we all went our separate ways, feeling I hope better for the interaction with fellow beings who have shared love.
Today's Cards
The Cards - Analysis
Carryover Cards
One card carried over from yesterday; Guilt moved from Hopes & Fears to the Outcome position.
Cross
Ripeness is in the Now influenced by Existence. Awareness breaks into the Goal position, and Integration is in the Distant Past.
The card of Silence in the Recent Past echoes the Existence card meaning Silence has made way for Existence and created the right circumstances for the cat owners, aka the catty community, to meet. Future Energy has The Fool meaning, and I came away with happy thoughts, where that will lead no one knows as yet.
Base
My need to Control in the Immediate Future position encouraged me to wonder where Dobby had been. It was the right time (Ripeness) for the situation to manifest.
Others’ Views is of No-thingness or potential. Is this the potential for an aloof but supportive catty community? Who knows?
My Hopes & Fears has the card of Guidance. I hope I was guided to the meeting for the friendliness and fear that it was a “chance” encounter of little ongoing significance – guess we’ll find out!
Here Guilt is as an Outcome card. Well, I feel sort of guilty now talking about the Apple Airtag and cat tracks. Sometimes Guilt plays a role most stupidly, particularly in situations where logic dictates its silliness.
Still, when I “repurpose” something, I am aware a gadget designed to hold outdoor furniture together is not a taco holder. And while I would use the device this way around because it’s sturdier than it needs to be to hold a taco, I wouldn’t use a taco holder to keep outdoor furniture together 🙂.
Not knowing the people I impart knowledge to can make me feel guilty. Not that, on reflection, this would cause any harm – to my way of thinking. But I can be a fool at times.
References
- Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
- Pet Smart GPS Tracker (hanging version)
- Cat GPS tracker locator device for pets (integrates with a collar)
Airtag on 5.6 kilogram cat
Airtag on 6.8 kilogram cat
