Prose

I am surprised to know that with utmost care and mostly confining them indoors, a cat can live up to 15-20 years. None of the cats I know about including the ones I call my own has survived a life of more than 6-7 years. The only exception within my knowledge is "Whitehead", a visiting male cat over 10 years of age, who inspite of having many near-death encounters is still there. Just when it seems I have seen the last of him, he reappears to confound me. Meanwhile he has lost all his teeth along with other natural drives of life other than the urge to live. His survival for over a decade without ever getting enough food is for me a wonder. As with Whitehead, I keep my cats outdoor and feed them a dual meal although cats are happier staying indoor (think about cold winter nights) if their basic needs are met. Whitehead is neither a regular nor a welcomed visitor to my home. He is satisfied with whatever scraps is left for him and comes now more out of habit (I would prefer to call it attachment for me) than necessity. But 15-20 years is still a long call for him.