Door Annet Breure
Over the past years, I’ve been visiting Tigrou’s house in the French countryside regularly. It’s a cats paradise with plenty of mice, a cat loving lady and a fireplace. This is the first time I’ve come in winter and I can admire all possible sleeping poses Tigrou takes during approximately 22 hrs of the day. What strikes me is Tigrou’s strong preference for the blue armchair. At first it seemed logical to me: the blue chair is the closest to the fireplace.
But quickly I found out that Tigrou’s preference surpasses logic: even when the chair is moved further from the fireplace or if the chair is taken by somebody he knows won’t tolerate him on his lap (his lady’s husband), Tigrou won’t take another chair. He stays at his blue armchairs side, guarding it. Is it the color? They say blue is the color cats see most easily. Is it its scent? (His lady’s husbands scent: a forbidden fruit?) Is it some sense of ownership or some cat principle? Tigrou waits for his chair to become available again with his ears half lowered and a hurt look in his eyes. I must say: Tigrou is a patient cat, and -as they say in French- ‘têtu’ (stubborn).
