COLETTE AND HER LOVE FOR CATS.

A WRITER LOVES HER CAT.

“I went to collect the few personal belongings which…I held to be invaluable: my cat, my resolve to travel, and my solitude.”  ― Colette

Why is it that so many writers of today and in the past, like Colette for example, love cats so much? We can find so many photos of writers pictured with their cats. Is there a special relationship between this proud animal and a writer? Is it because they can keep you company, sitting on top of your desk, while writing. Are they inspiration givers or do they give the needed distraction while having a writers blog?

Colette (1873-1954) the famous French writer wrote more than 50 novels. She has bought her famous grey Chartreuse cat in 1926 at a cat show where she fell in love with the cute animal. She was so in love with her “Chartreuse” that the novel “La Chatte” (the cat) written in 1933 was based on her.

A NOVEL “LA CHATTE”

La Chatte is a short novel about a love triangle involving three persons.  Camille Malmert, her husband Alain Amparat and his Chartreux cat Saha. Camille loves Alain, but Alain loves his cat. A cat he has known all his life. Saha comforted him through childhood. You could easily say he is more of a cat person, than a person person.

The story in the novel is about a person named Alain. Alain marries with Camille but they don’t have a place to live. They end up living in the flat from a friend which makes Alain very unhappy. Alain has problems leaving the memories of hi youth behind and living anywhere but in home he grew up in creates a feeling of unrest. His cat Saha – that still lives in the flat with them home – plays a central role as the representation of his childhood. Alain is obsessed with the cat leading to great frustration of Camille. At some point she can’t take it anymore and she pushes Saha of the balcone. Fortunately for Alain the cat survives but this tragedy disrupts the harmony of their marriage. He decides to leave Camille and moves back in with his mom.

It is said that the character of Alain is in fact based on Colette’s real brother. Saha the cat has been based on Colette’s own cat “La Chatte”, the Chartreux cat.

Could we conclude that for many persons and not just for writers, a cat gives us safety, comfort and  brings back the cosiness of our own childhood?
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“Time spend with cats is never wasted” — Colette