Alright, this might seem a little offbeat but hear me out. Let’s talk about cats. Cats are wonderful creatures. Sure, they may be naughty but they’re great at making people feel better. And they’re cute.
The internet is rife with pictures and videos of cats and kittens at various public transport hubs across the world, especially in Istanbul, Turkiye. Recently, videos went viral of a feline napping atop the turnstiles at a metro station in Bengaluru.
Since then, I’ve observed numerous felines across multiple transit points – mostly metro stations – across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune. In each case, someone either petted them or just gushed in excitement. I did both.
Cats are excellent creatures in public spaces. Apart from being adorable, they help in keeping pests under control. They’re natural predators and can easily take down mice, rats, pigeons and other creatures that can cause disease.
Take the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office in United Kingdom for example. It’s role, as the title specifies is to catch mice in the government office. The role originated in the 1500s and has been prominent given how London was rife with rodents – often carrying disease-causing germs – which also ate a lot of the governments documents. Of course, that may not be the case now, but who does go “awwwww” when they see Larry the cat? Or remember the story of James Bowen (who sold the street newspaper The Big Issue) and his cat Bob?
There are numerous examples of cats in public transport. They’ve been known to board buses, trains, or just sit at platforms and sometimes take a nap atop a turnstile. They’ve been seen across the world, not just in the UK or Turkiye, but in Japan, France and other parts of the world.
Contrary to popular belief, cats are not some evil, self-serving creatures, but extremely lovable and cute animals. And they’re extremely adorable.
So what’s your view on this?
Featured Image: A Cat sitting near a Train (Image generated via OpenArt using Flux/Cute Crayon)
