Hello again, CUP family, wishing you all well! This week I’ve been spending a lot of time listening to the podcast This Is Love by Phoebe Judge. With topics ranging from a town that stayed quiet for a month to an artist with a photographic memory, there is no shortage of entertainment and surprise when it comes to Judge’s storytelling. While I very much encourage you to listen to the entire podcast, I’m here to talk about one furry-friend focused story in particular. “Silvia and the Cats” (listen to podcast here) follows the story of a Roman monument’s caretaker and the many cats that have overtaken it. As a younger woman, Silvia Zerenghi encountered their previous caretaker lamenting the difficulties of taking care of the cats with such limited funding. An immediate friendship was born between the two cat lovers. Silvia took it upon herself to collect enough money to take care of the cats living there but to set up a system of support, complete with a battalion of cat-loving volunteers. At first thought the image of it all may seem ridiculous, two hundred plus cats making camp on this historical site. In fact, some people thought it so absurd that they petitioned to relocate the cats. Still, Silvia fought fiercely and earned the cats a permanent home in this unique sanctuary.
Any cat owner knows they have a tendency to snuggle down in unusual spots. Whether it’s your computer keyboard or an abandoned cardboard box, cats will figure out a way to get comfy.
(Evidence of This Feline Principle) While we may sometimes find ourselves frustrated with this habit, perhaps we should take a note from Silvia and just embrace the cat takeover.