September is dedicated to celebrating our feline overlords, in all their photogenic, goofy, majestic glory. Cats are among the most successful species on earth, with felines found on every continent except Antarctica. Whether running for president, healing their human companions or collaborating with musicians on viral videos, cats are endlessly entertaining and deeply embedded into the cultural fabric of society.
Cats tend to be associated with femininity and women’s interests across many cultures and time periods. Representations of the Norse goddess Frejya show her in a chariot being pulled by cats. In 19th and 20th century England, both pro and anti-suffragette images featured cats prominently, often as a symbol of willfulness and silliness. Modern stereotypes such as the “crazy cat lady” conflate both the perceived independence of cats and the singlehood of older women, who would prefer the company of a cat to another human.
Outside of their associations with women, cats also serve as cultural touchstones. Artists such as Louis Wain did much to popularize and humanize the image of cats in Europe and the US, placing cats in anthropomorphic situations such as shopping and household squabbles. The very first cat video ranks among the earliest movies ever made. Cats have also served as symbolic commentary, such as the conductor cat in Stephen Vincent Benet’s classic “The King of the Cats.” As arbiters of taste, judgment and physics, cats are unparalleled companions and mirrors of society.
Cats in Japan have held sway as both mysterious creatures and protectors of the nation. Emperor Uda, writing in 889 (in what is the oldest existing Japanese diary), described his black cat as “peerless.” After the death of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1613, the shrine built in his honor, Nikko Toshogu, features an exquisite carving of a sleeping cat. Known as Nemuri Neko, it is believed that the cat guards the shogun. An alternative interpretation is that the cat predicts a future of peace for Japan, owing to the fact the cat is flanked by two sparrows. Established ukiyo-e artists such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi frequently depicted cats in their work, both as companions and as metaphors. In addition to more tranquil images of cats in art, cats were also depicted as monsters or demons. Known as bakeneko, these cat demons continue to influence Japanese art forms such as manga and anime.
Shifting focus from visual art to literature, Japanese novels have included cats for centuries. While Murasaki Shikibu featured cats in one of the chapters of her masterwork The Tale of Genji, Natsume Soseki wrote a novel entirely from the perspective of a cat. More recently, however, a flood of novels featuring cats as protagonists or plot devices have sprung up. Books such as “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat” and much of the work of Haruki Murakami feature cats. In fact, an entire genre of books, iyashi-kei, or healing fiction, depict the human-cat bond in ways that respect the personality of the cat while tending to the needs of the human characters.
Want to know more about cats? The IU East Campus Library has expanded its holdings of cat-related books for you to check out. From cat stories and works of Japanese fiction to histories and a cat care manual (banned in Tennessee), the library is interested in serving all your cat-related needs. It’s purr-fect!