I love cats. I grew up with them. They attract my attention, even while travelling. Never mind if they are big cats, like snow leopards on a travel magazine. Unlike my experience in Italy, I did not see as many cats in Uzbekistan.
In the heart of Tashkent city is a one-storey fine mansion built for Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich (1850-1917). He was the grandson of Nicholas I, the Emperor of Russia, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland. In 1881, he was deported to Tashkent, where he settled down and had a busy life as a businessman. He spent the rest of his life in Uzbekistan.
We could only see the exterior of the fine building. The appearance of a friendly cat relieved our disappointment at not being allowed to enter the premises.
Chorsu (crossroad) Bazaar in Tashkent is one of Central Asia’s largest and oldest markets. In the Middle Ages, it was also one of the important destinations on the Silk Road. The variety of things on sale was mind-boggling. There is plenty to see and experience. I would allocate half a day to wander around this vast market.
While visiting the market, I saw a cat on the landing of a flight of steps. As I approached her, she got up to snuggle against me. What a warm welcome to the market! She made my day.
Sadly, I could interact with only two Uzbekistan cats, and there weren’t many around anyway. However, I saw many printed and woven versions of my furry friends in Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Tashkent.
Not long ago, we credited the ancient Egyptians for domesticating the cat about 3,600 years ago. In 2004, archaeologists uncovered a 9,500-year-old burial of an adult human and a cat in Cyprus. As cats are not native to Cyprus, people must have brought them over by boat. This discovery suggested that people in the Middle East began keeping cats long before the Egyptians did. But where do these cats, our present-day domesticated cats, initially come from?
Scientists have established that genetically, wildcats (Felis sylvestris lybica) collected in the remote deserts of Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are indistinguishable from domestic cats. Hence, our domestic cats arose in a single broad area – the Middle East, and not in other places where wildcats are also native. Now, why do humans want to have pets?
Our experience with animals is complex and affects our attitudes toward them. Research indicates that childhood experiences affect our adult relationships with animals. Most adults mention they own pets mainly because they had them as children. Their parents’ attitudes toward pets influence how they relate to animals.
Psychologists believe we live with pets because they make us feel loved and are good for our mental and physical health. We typically see our pets as reciprocating partners in an honest, non-demanding, and rewarding social relationship.
All in all, my life will be a bit poorer without my feline friends.
Vince
Dr Vincent Chong is a retired Professor of Radiology at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
