Ailurophile or Ailurophobe?

The smallest feline is a Masterpiece.”  Leonardo Da Vinci (1452- 1519) 

“I do not like them ...

When one hears them praised,

It goads one to expressing one’s hatred.”

Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)

Are you a Cat Lover, an Ailurophile?
Or are you a Cat Hater, an Ailurophobe?
Here are the actions and deeds of several famous people and some of their cat predilections you may not know. 

Sir Winston Churchill always refused to eat his dinner
Until his favourite orange tabby feline, Jock, was present.
St. Gregory the Great required absolutely nothing but his cat
Holding it in his arms while he prayed he found very pleasant.

President Abraham Lincoln’s pet, Tabby,
Was the first of several White House cats.
Sir Isaac Newton loved his cats so much
He invented ‘the cat door’ as a matter of fact.

Florence Nightingale, the very devoted nurse
Was devoted to Bismarck, her very large Persian.
French Artists Renoir and Monet both loved their cats
And felines are found in many of their artistic versions.

Although Edgar Allen Poe wrote about cats as very sinister
He owned many cats which he said made him very happy.
Raymond Chandler always talked to his black Persian, Taki
And since she helped him write - he made her his secretary.

Pope Leo XII adored his cat, Michette
Who was actually born in the Vatican.
Edward Lear was devoted to his cat, Foss
Whom he sadly laid to rest in his garden.

Dancer Isadora Duncan happened to live next door to a French cat sanctuary
When they wandered into her garden she had them drowned most hideously
Noah Webster described the cat as a ‘deceitful animal,’
And in their very presence, he was thoroughly appalled

The Bard William Shakespeare truly vilified and hated the furry feline
Remarking, “I could endure anything but a cat, and now he’s a cat to me,”
Pope Innocent VIII made a point of noting, when condemning witches,
That “their companion cats should also be burned at the stake with glee.”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a very cruel feline hater
Ordering his staff to shoot them on sight at his home in Gettysburg
Pope Gregory IX denounced cats - especially those that were coal black
Setting the course for centuries of terrible cat abuse – which is truly absurd

Since I love earth’s creatures, including the feline
I think the list of cat lovers above is truly inspiring
But the mentioned historical figures who absolutely hated cats
I find some of their actions truly despicable as a matter of fact

Two other famous ailurophiles were T.S. Eliot and Ernest Hemingway
Two more ailurophobes were Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte
A modern day fireman in Wisconsin has proposed that all cats now be shot on sight
The cruelty some humans display for our earthly neighbours should fill us all with fright

Ferocious or Faithful Felines – Are They Truly Your Personal Friend or Foe?
As a cat lover, all I ask is that if you don’t like them – Please Leave Them Alone

Visit Ed's website here: http://www.authorsden.com/edkostro

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