During my trip to Iran, I saw people who had dogs for pets but none who had cats. I’m sure many Iranians do keep cats as pets, I just didn’t meet them. I did see a number of ‘pishi’ cats though when I was out and about wandering around. Specially in Tehran. (By the way, a cat is called ‘gorbeh’ in Farsi, but ‘pishi’ is a cute somewhat childish slang for cat — the Persian version of “kitty,” I guess.)
But anyway, here’s goes the very short story of a particular Persian cat:
Professor Hessabi’s intersection. Tehran, Iran
One time, I got to go to this place called Bagh ‘e Mouzeh ye honar (Iranian Art Museum Garden) — a beautiful space with (among other things) a sprawling garden with mini replica installations of famous Iranian monuments. In the Ellaiyeh neighborhood in the north of Tehran. Right around the Professor Hessabi intersection.
Iranian Art Museum Garden has several facilities and attractions but on that particular day, one of its greatest most irresistible draws was a cat …
A cat taking a sun bath, napping soundly and adorably, sprawled on a metal sculpture.
Everybody and their aunts, including yours truly and accompanying relatives, stood transfixed, staring at this cat, going: awwww! And we all took pictures. It was impossible to resist the impulse to immortalize the cuteness.
The Pishi Papparazzi Posse (sorry, couldn’t resist the alliteration)
I couldn’t help snapping a photo of this family who, like the rest of us, were gobsmacked by the cute kitty cat.
Can you spot the sleepy pishi cat?
I went back to the Art Museum Garden quite a number of times. One time there, I saw a huge production which turned out to be a shoot for a commercial.
now you see him now you don’t. nary a pishi in sight!
But never again did I see a maloos pishi catching some sun-soaked Z’s on the sculpture.
And that’s the end of the tale of this particular Persian cat given to languidly reclining in a park. A slumbering pishi dreaming of mahee and panir and moosh.
Have a lovely weekend & may you slumber soundly & dream of your favorite thing.
