Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Sharp Claws

Cats are supposed to have retractable claws. My solid black cat with the politically incorrect name may be unusual. He has the longest sharpest claws I have ever seen on a cat. Even at rest when the claws should be fully retracted they are still quite visible and very prominent.

Maybe his short jet black fur makes his clear white nails more visible. Maybe his life of utter sloth does not wear them down faster than they grow.

Completely asleep and oblivious to the world his four paws can still look pretty menacing. After a wild childhood and a blood letting slasher young adult phase, he has mellowed into a sweet affectionate occasional lap cat.















I was given the opportunity to do a Guest Rant today over at the fun and often provocative blog, Garden Rant. I ranted about the derogatory term Mow and Blow and the low skill set it generally implies to a large swath of the landscape maintenance profession.

Talking about lawns in any of its aspects often seems to get the claws flashed and the fur flying. Then the claws are retracted and the gardeners all go back to garden for peace, beauty, & the creative stimulation. Some crusty old gardeners may never be able to fully retract their claws though.

5 comments:

christin m p in massachusetts said...

If a wild animal ever attacks him, those nice sharp claws may save his life.

What I wouldn't give to have a life like your Darkie and Greyman -- pet cats sure have it good...

I like them when they're older too. Baby kittens are very cute, but I'm not crazy about that "wild child" phase they go through. If I ever go to adopt a cat, I'm going to pick one that's mellow and affectionate -- one that won't run around slashing up the upholstered furniture.

Anonymous said...

Oh my...

Talking about lawns in any of its aspects often seems to get the claws flashed and the fur flying.

I sure you hope you aren't thinking anyone was flashing claws. I rather thought your post was QUITE SUCCESSFUL!

You put up a good rant and stirred the pot. I was only trying to help!

That's a cool cat. (I don't "understand" cats, but I'd like to.)

Christopher C. NC said...

I have long thought if there is reincarnation I want to come back as a cat to someone with a garden like me.

Hank I very much appreciate your comments for my rant. There was maybe just some very mild claw flashing in the comments when compared to what I have seen in other places. That is a good thing. It means people are stimulated enough to comment.

Talking about lawns, their care and who cuts the grass always seems to generate a lot of response on the web. Probably because so many people have them and have such a love/hate relationship with them.

Annie in Austin said...

The Garden Rant and all the comments were fun to read, and you sure got a lot of response! Some of the posts just sit there.

Several cats lived with us years ago in Illinois, but we never adopted one here in Texas. Since our out-of-state children all have them... guess we have grandcats?

Annie

Anonymous said...

Yes, you were a terrific guest, Christopher - your post certainly didn't just sit there. But hey, if you ever see one that does, throw in a provocative comment, would ya?

Seriously, I'm so pleased that our readers can disagree in such a civilized way. I've quit listservs that were all-flaming-all-the-time.