Eternal Enemies

The Cats and Dogs are often adopted by the people in the metropolitan as pets. They go pretty good as pets since they are known to be endearing animals. Some set of folks have their paramount love and passion for these animals. But back in the village, these two creatures are mainly spared space in the home to shoulder their own responsibilities.

For instance, the cat is entrusted with the job of dwindling or keeping at the sea bed, the number of rats referred to as naughty rodents in the village. And the dog cannot keep eating what the owner provides and sleep. At night, they have to escort the owners into the corn field and keep barking to keep away, the lurking night’s ambusher (deer, bears, porcupine, and wild pig etcetera). So, I see no overlapping of their right to food and duties.

But, many might have surely taken the notice of these two four legged animal never tolerating each other’s presence. One fine day they meet but await a big confrontation. The sight of one another invokes anger and makes their blood run hot in their veins. Soon, they charge each other and unfortunately cat is always first to go down on the ground.

Why do they fight? Why they never tolerate each other? Is it something an old score to clear? Is this something related to religious belief? Questions remain unanswered.

One can see the reason why their cousins in the jungles (Tiger, Lions, leopards) fight. Territorial rule, fight for the common prey would be the possible reasons. But here in the village, they have no territory to claim theirs. The doors remains dog’s and the kitchen belongs to cat.

My mum had her own interpretation for the fight. Every time I ask her, she carried enough patience to revive back the story. She had to say that, in the time immemorial, the dog burrowed a kg of maize floor from the cat. But, the dog never cared to return it. Hence, every vicinity of the dogs reminds the cat about the maize floor and charges…..phee….pheee (phee in Khengkha means maize flour)

But no matter how you keep interpreting it, the fight between them will keep raging and will never come to term, for reasons known and unknow.