Seven Wonders of the Feline World.

Throughout time philosophers, historians, and scientists have compiled lists of world wonders. There are lists documenting the ancient world, the modern world, the natural world and the scientific world. Why, then, are there no lists documenting the wonders of the feline world? It's a purrplexing situation, to say the least; but I've yet to hear of any, so I've decided to compile one myself.

Completing such a task is trickier than one might think, even for an exceptionally clever, talented and gorgeous mog, such as myself. It took literally hours of research and deliberation, as there were countless factors to consider. Firstly, what is the most important thing to we felines? Is it our food, our shelter, our companions, or is it where we rest, where we scratch, or where we purrform our more mundane functions? Procuring satisfying answers to such questions is vital to the formation of an accurate list. No doubt they seem fairly basic, but if you try deciding which is most important to you, not to mention choosing fitting examples of each, I suspect you'll find that it's not as simple as it seems.

Before we continue, I'd like you to understand the way in which the list is ordered. Each item is bulleted from least to greatest. Sort of like on the Letterman Show, 7…6…5, and so on. So, the higher in priority, the lower in listing. That having been said, let us proceed.

· Every cat worth his claws enjoys a good scratching post. Wooden posts, preferably those with a bit of bark on them, are typically preferred, so imagine the wonder on the city kitty's puss when he stares up in awe at the wondrous Redwoods of Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California USA. It's estimated that the mighty Redwood tree can grow up to 130 metres, though the tallest falls short of that, standing a mere 112.7 metres.

· Even though there aren't too many moggies wandering out in the wilderness, the following shows that we cats can claw our way into the heart of the most unlikely companions. I can't think of any feline affiliation more wondrous than Muschi, a black, sophisticated moggy and her buddy Maeuschen, a half-ton Asiatic black bear. In 2004 these two were recognised world-wide when Berlin Germany zookeepers decided to reunite them after the bear had been moved to a cage while its enclosure underwent remodelling. No one is sure where Muschi (German for "pussy") came from, but in 2000 she befriended Maeuschen ( German for "little mouse"), and they've been inseparable ever since.

· Felines are furtive creatures, and good hiding spots are always appreciated. That's why I looked to the cougars of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, USA. Cougars are powerful predators who live solitary lives. When birthing offspring, mother cougars will often take shelter in caves or rock crevices, and as anyone who's ever visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park knows, some of the most wondrous caves in the world can be found therein. The cougar may not hide in the caverns, but I'm sure she's dreamt of it! After all, she is of the same genus (Felis) as we sophisticated housecats.

· No cat can live without his catnaps, and on a warm day, where better to rest his prickly-whiskered head than on a soft, cool bed of moss? The Cibodas Bryophyte park, part of the Cibodas Botanical Garden in Cianjur regency, West Java, opened its doors as the world's largest out-door moss garden on the 12th of April, 2006. The 1,500 square metre Bryophyte park contains 250 documented species of moss and will eventually be expanded to 2,500 square metres. A wondrously cushy garden, indeed. Unfortunately, they don't cater to kitties.

· Grooming is an integral part of the sophisticated housecat's life, so when we see this admirable trait in other areas of the world we take notice. In the world of grooming, I can think of nothing more wondrous than the industrious oxpecker. Oxpeckers are to be admired for the complimentary services they provide to both the cape buffalo and the lion. Cape buffalo, much like other planes animals, often suffer from annoying skin parasites. The much appreciated oxpecker feeds on these parasites thus freeing the buffalo of annoyance, while unknowingly reducing the volume of parasites ingested by the lions who eat the buffalo. The oxpecker gets his dinner, the buffalo gets a little relief, the lion eats the buffalo, and in the end everyone's satisfied!

· As everyone knows, felines are fierce hunters, but finding things to hunt isn't always easy. That's why I can think of no more wondrous prey than the portly pachyderms of Africa. The average male elephant can weigh up to 7,000 kilograms, but when attacked by a pride of hungry lions, size is no guarantee of safety! In Botswana's Chobe National Park, these mighty mammoths have fallen to the tests and tactics of the prime planes' predator time and time again. Now that's a true attestation to team work.

· Few things could possibly top the necessity of food; but what goes in must come out, and there's nothing worse than having to dig in dirty sand when the spirit moves you. That's why I've chosen the Sahara Desert as the most supreme wonder of the feline world. The Sahara, in North Africa, is the largest desert in the world, spanning an area of approximately 9,000,000 square kilometres. And even though only about 30% of the desert is actually sand, it's still more sand than I'll ever see all in one place, and I'd wager it's a great deal cleaner than some sandboxes of the smaller variety!

I hope you've enjoyed my list of feline wonders. If you have anything to add, feel free to join the HCW Reader's Group and share your thoughts with others.

Yours Purringly,
W.C. Humphries II (Mr. Fleez for short.)

READERS REMEMBER! You may now ask Mr. Fleez for his jaded opinion* on your personal situations. Please send enquiries to: housecatwisdom@yahoo.co.uk.

*DISCLAIMER: By contacting Housecat Wisdom you're asking a housecat for his personal opinion. If you require serious advice, please, write Ann Landers, Dear Abby, or consult a professional psychiatrist.