Sherry Chandler » Imp of the Perverse with Cat
Imp of the Perverse with Cat
With my aversion to this cat, however, its partiality for myself seemed to increase. It followed my footsteps with a pertinacity which it would be difficult to make the reader comprehend. Wherever I sat, it would crouch beneath my chair, or spring upon my knees, covering me with its loathsome caresses. If I arose to walk it would get between my feet and thus nearly throw me down, or, fastening its long and sharp claws in my dress, clamber, in this manner, to my breast. At such times, although I longed to destroy it with a blow, I was yet withheld from so doing, partly by a memory of my former crime, but chiefly—let me confess it at once—by absolute dread of the beast.
—E. A. Poe, “The Black Cat,” text from Roger Caras’ Treasury of Great Cat Stories (Galahad Books, 1987)
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2 Comments
1. Rebecca Clayton replies at 2nd June 2007, 6:27 am :
Is this glowering presence the same sweet kitty of May 24?
2. sherry replies at 2nd June 2007, 10:26 am :
Yes. That’s Peanut. And that’s the way of cats, I suppose. Glowering & sweet by turns.
Peanut is 14 and has arthritis in his left shoulder and a cataract in his right eye — I try to photograph him in ways that don’t show that — so I suppose he’s earned his glower.
He was a mighty hunter in his day, known to bring a full-grown, live-and-fighting, rabbit to the back door as a gift. We were ungrateful enough to let it run away.
He still hunts, though his game is smaller now.
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