The first two I have frequently observed and consider to be correct but the third is yet to be validated

The first two I have frequently observed and consider to be correct but the third is yet to be validated.  Still, I stand by these theories and will continue to do so unless I am proven wrong, which might happen soon because I belong to a group that dines out a lot, and gets a chance to research the above-mentioned hypotheses at close quarters.

Meanwhile, on another note, the condominium that I live in is plagued by stray cats. When I moved to Portugal as a brand-new resident sometime back, it came as a rude surprise, this mass invasion of the felines. Each morning I woke up to a loud kitty-snarl and spotted one angry cat or another, objecting to my presence on my own doorway. It usually hissed at me before slinking under the nearest potted plant to continue its catnap.

Now, in this world, there are people who love cats, and then there are the rest of us. We adore dogs, rabbits, turtles, goldfish, canaries, hamsters, parrots, and all the other domestic pets one can possibly encounter, but where cats are concerned, we simply do not like them. Maybe it has something to do with their constant snarling and mewing. Or the negative superstition in many societies, like the belief that a black cat crossing the path leads to bad luck, or the fallacy that cats are actually witches in disguise. Who can tell?

I quote Wikipedia here, which says that the misconception about cats as a bad omen led to their widespread extermination in Europe during medieval times. But killing the cats aggravated the epidemic of black plague in places where there were not enough cats to keep the rat population down. The epidemic was spread by fleas that were carried by the infected rats, and thus once again cats were in great demand, along with the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who was considered a ‘rat catcher’ initially, but when the townsmen renegade on their promise and refused to pay him, he lured away the children of Hamelin and made them disappear. So goes the legendry tale that has survived eight centuries. But here I digress.

Killing a cat immediately brings seventeen years of bad luck, so one cannot even think about it. Not that I was thinking along those lines, not at all.

Unexpectedly, a notification arrived from our condominium maintenance office informing the residents to keep their domestic cats indoors or they would be confiscated! I was thrilled and could hardly believe the fact that the cat menace around me was about to vanish.

However, it is now one month since that circular was, well, circulated.

“What do you think is happening?” I ask my neighbour.

“With the condo announcement you mean?” he counters.

“Yes and I am still waiting”, I confide.

“The curiosity is killing me too”, he agrees.

“Also the subsequent query”, I say.

“Which is?” he prods.

I pause to draw a deep breath.

“Who will bell these cats?” I announce.

Nickunj Malik

Nickunj Malik’s journalistic career began when she walked into the office of Khaleej Times newspaper in Dubai thirty-one years ago and got the job. Since then, her articles have appeared in various newspapers all over the world. She now resides in Portugal and is married to a banker who loves numbers more than words.