Aspects and Prospects

When I first moved into the new apartment, I was worried that its view would be limited, especially when compared to that of the house. The house’s aspects were both east and west, and, since there were many, large windows, a cat could almost see north and south, as well. There were birds, leaves, cars, people and the occasional intruder-cat to watch.

The apartment is smaller and the prospects, I thought, were more limited. But are they? I have been watching the cats watch. Much of the time, they just lie placidly about on cat-trees, observing the world.

But the new residence does have its advantages. We have quite a few birds visiting the grounds just outside the windows. Magpies thrive here, which is, perhaps, unfortunate, as they are rather a bully of a bird and drive away others. But there are also crows, starlings, I think, and the ubiquitous sparrows. Many of them land directly in front of the cats while the latter are watching. The magpies strut about with impunity, probably knowing that they are safe from the fearsome predators behind the glass of the windows.

Present in the neighbourhood as well are several outside cats. There are five of whom I know, and they are all looked after by neighbours. They are fed and given shelter when it is cold outside. Most are black and white, though an orange one has come by.

A couple are friendly animals, and the others become so upon acquaintance but are otherwise timid. They seem to have no compunction about wandering right up to the windows of the apartment and greeting my beasts. Perhaps they, like the magpies, know that they are secure from any physical encounters with my cats. The latter have a number of responses, and I haven’t yet discovered if these responses are determined by which intruder cat presents itself, or by merely my animals’ mood at the time. (I don’t suppose it is fair to call the outside cats ‘intruders’, as they were in the neighbourhood first. Mine are the actual intruders.)

There are even humans to watch, neighbours across the narrow alley, and people who use it as a route from one street to another. The alley itself is L-shaped and, considering its brevity and angle, is travelled by a surprising number of automobiles. These do not bother me and they, as well as pedestrians in the little lane, provide some diversion for the cats.

So the new abode is not so limited in opportunities for viewing the wider world as it may have first seemed. It’s fun to watch the cats hasten from the sitting room to the library to the bedroom and perhaps back again, following a passing feline or trying to get a better look at a bird. My roommates have adjusted very well to the apartment, finding their snug snoozing spots and their vantage points. It demonstrates that the cleverest see advantages no matter where they are.