[CATS: Stories by Mike] I - A Tail of Two Cities

A Tail of Two Cities

There are days when you see them everywhere and days when they are nowhere in sight. Cats are temperamental some people say.

The residents of old neighborhoods like Al Lewebdeh, particularly at Paris Circle, know better.

They have after all been living side by side for the past 90 years but as a result of urban expansion and the economic crisis that have been plaguing the world, the region and Jordan they have been seeing less of each other.

Can't you remember how the children of our neighborhood used to chase after cats or how they affectionately huddled around one that just delivered kittens?

Nothing can stir a well of emotions better than the sight of newly born kittens with faint meows, especially if you can overcome one minor detail, which is the mother's cannibalizing the weakest kitten to preserve her own strength so that she can nurse the others.

Some cats can be spotted relaxing on the high walls of old buildings; others waiting outside kitchen doors anxious to receive that generous handout: Chicken leftovers, a can of sardines or tuna, rice, and bread covered with beef stock.

Less and less people are feeding cats like they used to do, which is why some alley cats have claimed the neighborhood's trash containers and bins as their own kingdom. Of course less unfortunate individuals did the same—if only these trash containers and bins can talk.

Who needs a throne when you can sit on a wall overlooking Amman's haphazard edifices, right?

Living is easy during the summer. If you feel hot you can buy ice-cream or a cold beverage from the supermarket around the bend, or simply crawl under a water tank in someone's garden.

Not many people know that stairwells are the coolest spots in a residential construction, which is why at times it is not unusual to spot a cat lying idly there or a kitten or two running around freely not minding human unlookers.

People assume that winter is a bit of a hassle but has anyone seen a frozen cat? Cat behavior during winter is a mystery to most as they are rarely seen—probably because of water based weather elements like rain, fog, sleet and snow.

Today is just one of those ordinary days. Everyone is preoccupied in putting food on the table or extracting it from the sticky bottom of a garbage bin.

Paris Circle over the years has become a place frequented by people and cats seeking a quiet abode in a bustling city. The trees scattered amidst the bronze Parisian monuments offer its visitors a thin veil that rarely fends off prying eyes. Here and to our delight the wind blows freely through the circle's plants and the sun warms up its concrete pavement.

What's the use of a blanket when you have fur?

Still we only get to hang around Paris Circle in early morning hours and late nights when most of the areas' residents are fast asleep in their beds allowing us to roam freely in our city within city.

Oh, got to go. I just spotted a fat looking mouse scampering under a van parked next to Stop n Shop that I sure would like invite to dinner. See you around or not!