CURIOSITY AND THE CAT
By Rebecca Kostik
How many times have you heard the phrase “ curiosity killed the cat ”? Fortunately for us cat lovers , the phrase is terribly misused compared to its origin . Our cat ’ s curiosity is a much-needed characteristic for survival amongst the feline species . Even though we think it ’ s cute to watch our pampered kitty “ attack ” the toy mouse , it all comes down to seven traits : intelligence , territorial , hunters , seeking protection , looking for attention , hunger and learning about their people .
In 1598 , English playwright Ben Johnson wrote “ Helter Skelter hang sarrow , care ’ ll kill a Cat , up-tails all , and a louse for the Hangman ,” from his play Every Man in his Humour . When Johnson said ‘ care ’ he was referring to ‘ sorrow / worry ’ rather than ‘ look after / care for .’
William Shakespeare was in the troupe that performed Johnson ’ s play . Therefore , a year later the quote “ What , courage man ! What though care killed a cat , thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care ” appeared in Much Ado About Nothing . Again , care references sorrow / worry , meaning being too involved in someone else ’ s business can get you in undesirable situations . Fast-forward to the 20th century , and we see the phrase take the contemporary form we know now : “ Curiosity killed the cat , but satisfaction brought it back .” As the quote transforms from sorrow / worry to curiosity , we completely miss the science behind feline curiosity .
A cat ’ s curiosity is pure instinct , though they are super intelligent . Although cats may be
36 Life Unleashed