Josephine wrote to tell me she had a good laugh while reading yesterday’s blog post (click here if you missed it). My bidet story was a big surprise to her (so all those years of mortification were a waste of energy). Josephine is an animal lover. She sent me this recent photo of one of her cats, Frances (aka Bebé), in her exquisite Sicilian porcelain cat bed. Frances is 18 months old and deaf — all the time — as opposed to our cats who seem to suffer from selective deafness.
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Author: Moving with Mitchell
From Brooklyn, New York; to North Massapequa; back to Brooklyn; Brockport, New York; back to Brooklyn... To Boston, Massachusetts, where I met Jerry... To Marina del Rey, California; Washington, DC; New Haven and Guilford, Connecticut; San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Irvine, California; Sevilla, Spain. And Fuengirola, Málaga..
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What a perfect conclusion to a great tale, Mitch!
Jim:
I cracked up when I opened Josephine's email and saw this.
Loved yesterday's blog! Haven't laughed like that in a long time. Oh, to be skinny like you and have such thick long hair like you did.
What a cute picture of Bebe. Our cat has selective deafness, too. Wonder if it's in the cat genes? Thank for sharing your adventures. Hi to you and San Geraldo.
Jo:
Oh… to have HAIR!
I think selective deafness is a trait of all domestic cats. They're similar to teenagers in that way, I think.
I love your point about "feline selective deafness". I read once that blue-eyed white cats are usually deaf. I wonder if Bebe has blue eyes.
Ms. Sparrow:
I had no idea about blue-eyed white cats. Apparently, 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born deaf; 40 percent if the cat has one blue eye; 65-85 percent of all-white cats with both eyes blue. Wow!
Cute kitty, even if she does kinda look like a rabbit.
Stephen:
She does, doesn't she!
I heard many years ago the story that many, or even most, all-white cats are deaf. I didn't believe it then – the family had had one whitey but he definitely was hearing. Maybe there is some truth in it after all, or at least maybe a higher proportion are so than with other kinds.
Such a winner of a pic, though. She looks like an Easter bunny, albeit a short-eared one.
Raybeard:
I had never heard that, but Ms. Sparrow also mentioned it. I just looked it up and according to Cornell University Medical College, it is in fact true! See the details above.
a perfect fit.
Spo:
Wherever a cat decides to sleep is always a perfect fit.
Well I never! (re deaf white cats) So it wasn't just an old wives' tale.
Raybeard:
Isn't that something! I had never even heard the old wives' tale. Look how much we've learned!