Sir, As a lifelong catlover, I was rather piqued by Grace Wynne Jones's article, "A Girl's Best Friend" (April 15th), which focused on the accelerating affinity between felines and single women. However, I am a male, and now more conscious (and conscience stricken) than ever before as to just why certain of these women favour the companionship of felines to that of men. These are deemed to be "demanding and selfish", "smelly, messy and hutch", and most of whom are classified by one lady as "great clod hopping things".
Long associated with canines (animals universally prized for their, well, doggedness), many men can and do love and highly esteem the beauty, grace, agility and inimitably majestic poise so perfectly and naturally embodied in cats. I therefore feel most urgently that such men should increasingly slink forth and openly avow our largely clandestine affection for these incomparable mammals. After all, a very great deal can he learned by we first cousins of the chimpanzee from their refined behaviour, particularly their scrupulous cleanliness.
So firmly burns this ardour, kindled by Ms Wynne Jones's article, that I herewith propose to establish a Society for Cats' and Men's Protection in Ireland (SCAMPI) the hitherto neglected rights, responsibilities and prerogatives of cat loving males in this country, married and unmarried, young and not so young, ought not to be overlooked or undervalued, but dearly cherished and greatly enhanced, as evidenced by several catty remarks about men in the article.
Suggestions and proposals, from both genders, to the address above, are gratefully welcomed concerning the immediate foundation of SCAMPI. Cat loving male comrades, let us pussyfoot no longer. Yours, etc.,
High Road Letterkenny, Co Donegal.