Through the ages, people have speculated on the origin of Cat, that most mysterious of creatures.  I have assembled here for your reading pleasure a collection of stories that speculate on the origin of our feline friends.

It is reported that the following edition of the Book of Genesis was discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls.  If authentic, it would shed light on the question, "Where do pets come from?"

And Adam said, "Lord, when I was in the garden, you walked with me everyday.  Now I do not see you anymore.  I am lonesome here and it is difficult for me to remember how much you love me."

And God said, "I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will know I love you, even when you cannot see me.  Regardless of how selfish and childish and unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourself."

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam.  And it was a good animal.  And God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and he wagged his tail.  And Adam said, "But I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and all the good names are taken and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."

And God said, "Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG."

And Dog lived with Adam and was a companion to him and loved him.  And Adam was comforted.  And God was pleased.  And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that Adam's guardian angel came to God and said, "Adam has become filled with pride.  He struts and preens like a peacock and he believes he is worthy of adoration.  Dog has indeed taught him that he is loved, but no one has taught him humility."

And God said, "I will create for him a companion who will be with him forever and who will see him as he is.  The companion will remind him of his limitations, so he will know that he is not worthy of adoration."

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam.  And Cat would not obey Adam.

And when Adam gazed into Cat's eyes, he was reminded that he was not the supreme being.  And Adam learned humility.

And God was pleased.  And Adam was greatly improved.

And Cat did not care one way or the other.

-- Unknown

A dog knows its master, a cat does not. -- The Talmud

W hen God made the world, He chose to put animals in it, and decided to give each whatever it wanted.  All the animals formed a long line before His throne, and the cat quietly went to the end of the line.  To the elephant and the bear He gave strength, to the rabbit and the deer, swiftness; to the owl,the ability to see at night, to the birds and the butterflies, great beauty; to the fox, cunning; to the monkey, intelligence; to the dog, loyalty; to the lion, courage; to the otter, playfulness.  And all these were things the animals begged of God.  At last He came to the end of the line, and there sat the little cat, waiting patiently.

"What will you have?" God asked the cat.

The cat shrugged modestly.  "Oh, whatever scraps you have left over.  I don't mind."

"But I'm God.  I have everything left over."

"Then I'll have a little of everything, please."  And God gave a great shout of laughter at the cleverness of this small animal, and gave the cat everything she asked for, adding grace and elegance and, only for her, a gentle purr that would always attract humans and assure her a warm and comfortable home.  But he took away her false modesty.

-- Lenore Fleischer (The Cat's Pajamas)

In the early mists of time, when the World was still new, there was great enmity between Mankind and Serpent, much as it still is today.  The Snake would bite Man's heel, and Man would smite and slay the Snake wherever he found him.

At last, one snake tribe approached the Creator, and asked, "Why does Man hate us so?  Among all Your creatures, we are most persecuted."

The Creator answered, "You are cold and unpleasant to Man's touch.  You crawl upon the ground and carry with you the world's dust.  Your hiss frightens Man, and your long fangs and venom harm him.  Therefore, Man fears and hates you."

"Yet you made us this way, Great Creator," responded the snake chieftain.  "Our form which so displeases Man was not of our own choosing."

"That is true," the Creator replied.  And the Lord of Creation pondered, and at last pronounced, "I shall give you a new form, one that is pleasing to Man.  He shall no longer revile you.  Instead, he will cherish and protect you."

And so the Creator transformed the members of this tribe into a new creature.  The Creator made them warm, and covered them in soft fur.  And gave them four legs, so that they did not crawl in the dust of the earth.  And bestowed on them a melodious voice.  And shortened their sharp fangs into teeth.  And lastly, took from them the venom that hurt Man, and in return gifted them with a rumbling sound, which Man would find comforting.

Man named this new creature "Cat".  He did not fear it, but instead took it into his abode to feed and care for it.  Even Man's littlest children were delighted with Cat, and loved and played with their new companion.

And so the Cats were content.  

Man did not notice how both the Cat and the Snake slew mice, or enjoyed milk, though in a later age both would become the pets of sorcerers.  To this day, the origin of Cats is still evident in their triangular heads, their lithe, snake-like tails, and (when they are angered and forget themselves) in their hiss.  If you overlook the fur and hold flat the two pointed ears of the Cat, you might see still the wedge-shaped head and the sharp teeth of the Serpent, poised there, under your hand.

-- Substantially reworked in this retelling from a tale
found in Delusion's Master, by Tanith Lee

Points to Ponder