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My Honest Loyal Furry Friends: Dogs and Cats in Literature
Cats & Dogs News Channel
Judge a Book by Its Cover?｜Mysterious Urban Legends?｜The Most Hard-core Cat Person in Taiwan's Chinese Poetry Scene｜Keeping a Pet to Replace Marriage?｜Past vs. Present/ Cats vs. Dogs
The words "cat" and "dog" have transformed from simple nouns into nouns carrying certain levels of judgement due to people's interpretations of these animals. Cats & Dogs News Channel investigates all sorts of urban legends about their appearances and characteristics! There are also exclusive reports on things about cats and dogs that you have never heard of!
Judge a Book by Its Cover?
Cats and dogs are probably the first animals that children learn about. Thus, before being exposed to other animals, children turn all animals into cats and dogs; an extremely interesting animal world will thus be created. Physiognomy is an ancient discipline. There is physiognomy for humans as well as for cats. Meanwhile, when did the now commonly seen pet grooming first appear?
Cats with exposed claws can climb over rooftops; they are naughty. Cats with long legs love going out to play and not returning home. Cats with fat bellies eat up all the food at home. Cats with thick tails are like snakes; they are very lazy.
—Lin Ji-xi, "Cat Physiognomy"
According to the many years of research done by Lin Ji-xi from Chiayi, cats with these four features have their own characteristics and must be taken home as soon as possible!
Pet Grooming in the 1930s
According to the investigation of our reporter, the pet grooming industry has long existed. In 1934, there were already grooming salons in New York, which were dedicated to bathing dogs and cats and trimming them; there were even dry and wet bathing methods, which was very thoughtful and progressive.
—No. 398, 369 TABLOID, November 26th, 1934, Version 4.
✤ Manuscript of "Dog Philosophy"｜Shao Xian illustrates his views about life through the conversations with his friends. He thinks he is an old stray dog, so he can enjoy the world leisurely. However, this type of "dog philosophy" is difficult to promote because people choose to play different roles when encountering difficulties in life, such as a loyal dog, a small dog, a fawning dog, or a crazy dog.（From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection／Donated by Shao Xian）
✤ Manuscript of "Cats Bring Wealth and Dogs Bring Big Houses"｜Wu Man-sha depicts the different attitudes towards cats and dogs with idioms. In the past, most people thought cats and dogs would bring fortune to a family, so people should love and care for animals. However, at the time, he saw that many people in the south traveled to the north and captured pet cats to get rid of mice. There were also many people selling dog meat with the name of "delicious meat." It was an abnormal society that made profit through cats and dogs.（From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection／Donated by Wu Ming-yue）
✤ Manuscript of "The Dog and The Monkey"｜This novel written by Yang Kui tells a tale about a blind old lady and how her husband gets shot by the armed police raiding the village when she is young; she is also wounded and becomes blind. From then on, she begins to raise her son all by herself. The "dog" and "monkey" are used to symbolize the nosy village chief and the greedy neighborhood chief. Through the eyes of the old lady, the story depicts the ugly conflicts between the two.（From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection／Donated by Yang Jian）
≫ Cross-reference Manuscript of "The Dog and The Monkey," Yang Kui Literature Museum
Mysterious Urban Legends?
During the Japanese colonial period, "black cats and black dogs", "black cat woman" and "black dog man" were all expressions for flashy and indolent men and women with negative meanings. There are also expressions such as "two mouths and one dog constitute the word 'cry'", "ominous black cats and black dogs" and "white legs are ominous." The tradition of "hanging a dead cat on a tree and disposing of a dead dog in a flowing stream" has gradually disappeared with the increasing emphasis on scientific proof and awareness of animal rights.
Be it negative or positive, these expressions reflect the close relationships between humans and cats/dogs, as well as the change of attitude towards them. Writers also examine the relationships and boundaries between humans and animals with these proverbs or traditions.
People from the countryside think keeping two dogs is taboo; they say because the words of two dogs form the word "cry." However, some people are not afraid, so they only keep two dogs…I tried to convince myself that she's not a human anymore but a real, dog, yes, exactly. "Two dogs form the word 'cry,'" I said to myself.
—-Fang Qing-chun, "Two Dogs," ANIMALS
Fang Qing-chun's novel uses rich animal figures to illustrate people's lives through reconstruction, four-word expressions, idioms, and catchy phrases. Her work eliminates the boundaries between people and animals and highlights the "animalness" of humans.
The Most Hard-core Cat Person in Taiwan's Chinese Poetry Scene
We spend around 8 hours sleeping every day and our furry friends are our great sleep companions. The warm quilt makes the bed the best sleeping environment for our furry friends. Do you know who the most hard-core cat person was— "mao" (cat) "nu" (slave)—in the Chinese poetry scene in Taiwan?
Also, do you know that "mao nu" didn't mean a person? In classical poems, the word "mao nu" actually means a cat. "Nu" is only a suffix that indicates affection, which is not the same as how the word is used now.
The most hard-core cat person must be Lin Chan-mei (1821-1868) from Hsinchu. Lin wrote 9 poems about cats, of which 5 were about sleeping with cats in the winter.
It is too cold to sleep alone in the winter. It is one of the best things in life to put your feet next to your cat and let it warm up your bed.
On a chilly winter night, my cat slept next to my feet. We snuggled to get warm. We were close physically and mentally. Now come to think of it, I am more generous than Emperor Taizu of Song, who gave his throne to his brother— I let the cat sleep with me!
—Lin Chan-mei, "Use My Cat to Warm My Feet in Bed"
Keeping a Pet to Replace Marriage?
In the 1930s, a woman proposed to replace husbands with cats, dogs, or parrots. Did she actually see pets as family like how we do now? Let's listen to her story!
Our reporter recorded women's views about marriage on the street in 1934.
Woman A: Have you considered finding a partner again and getting married?
Woman B: I have a cat, a dog, and a parrot at home. This is enough. Why do I need to get married again?
Woman A: What do you mean?
Woman B: Think about it. My dog barks and my parrot talks every day non-stop. My cat often spends the whole night outside and doesn't come home. Aren't they the same as a husband? Why do I need to get married again?
—No. 383, 369 TABLOID, October 6th, 1934, Version 4.
Past vs. Present/ Cats vs. Dogs
Combat Power Analysis: Black and White Dog, Orange Cat, and Little Yellow Dog
Is it true that family members with a higher status in the family will have lower combat and defense power? Let's see the analysis on the most defensive and combative dogs in the late Qing dynasty and the analysis of the modern reliant dogs and cats.
According to our reporter, the status of pet cats and dogs at home is increasing, but their combat and defense power is decreasing. This change can be seen from the black and white dog of the Hsu Nan-yin family during the late Qing dynasty and from Chu Tien-yi's Orange Cat and Little Yellow Dog. Ever since the black and white dog arrived in Hsu's house, thieves and snakes dared not come again. It was a truly combative and defensive dog. In contrast, Chu Tien-yi's Orange Cat cried out in pain after being bitten by the snake, while her Little Yellow Dog was completely puffed up after being bitten. There are definitely huge differences between pets in the past and pets nowadays.
However, stories about dogs saving their owners and fighting off snakes might unintentionally reinforce prejudice against certain animals and cause irreparable harm when wild animals are in conflict with companion animals. Though in Chu Tien-yi's work, these snake incidents are depicted in a fun and interesting way, she also writes about her understanding that it is because she lives close to the snakes' habitat, resulting in the snakes' frequent unintentional invasion into her house. Snakes are often seen as poisonous or exotic species, so people without sufficient knowledge kill them with a stick or trap. In fact, as long as you don't bother them, snakes don't attack proactively. Understand and respect lives. Let's also show some love for snakes while caring for our cats and dogs.
Those who also have been attacked by a snake are the orange cat and little yellow dog. The two of them were bitten on the head. The orange cat cried out of pain, while the little yellow dog had its head completely swollen. When we were waiting at the vet, other pet owners asked curiously: "What sort of new dog breed is this?" I realize cats and dogs that have been bitten by a snake would never try to cross the line. At most, they would bark at the snake. However, sometimes there would be false alarm. Our queen dog "Huaguang" once barked at the skin of a snake. This experienced stray dog mama probably was once severely attacked by a snake. I try my best to drive away a snake or let it go……I wish I could speak the language of snakes, or the snakes could have the ability to understand my language so that they would not come into our dangerous territory anymore.
—Chu Tien-yi, "Original Residents," MY ANIMAL COMPANIONS IN THE MOUNTAIN
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