When somebody is said to have let the cat out of the bag, they have revealed a secret, but – my oh my – ain’t that an unusual phrase?
So what, exactly, does feline freedom from sack imprisonment have to do with secrets being shared? If you have ever wondered about the origins of the phrase “Let the cat out of the bag”, read on and all will be revealed.
The generally accepted origins of the phrase date back to medieval England when piglets were sold in open marketplaces. To make it easier for the buyer to take the piglet home, the seller would hand it over in a sack. However, unscrupulous sellers would attempt to trick buyers by doing the ol’ switcheroo and instead of giving them the pig they had paid for, they would supply them with a bag o’ cat instead.
When a shrewd shopper would look in the bag and discover that he was being conned, out would jump kitty and the deception was revealed. The cat was literally out of the bag.
The Cat Blog ran a story last week about Clyde the Cat who went missing only to turn up thousands of miles from his Australian home. Now Scottish moggy Sampson is trying to get in on the action!
Sampson from Penicuik had gone missing over a year ago, only to turn up in Plymouth, England nearly 500 miles from his home. As with Clyde, it was thanks to a micro-chip that he was identified and reunited with his owner, Linda Jansen.
When Jansen approached Edinburgh-based Eagle Couriers to discuss how he could be returned home she relayed the full story to them and the generous firm offered to transport Sampson back home free of charge.
Maru the cat is a Japanese internet star. While I am happy to provide a link to Maru’s blog, unless you happen to speak Japanese, all you can do it look at some cute pics. When I saw this video, I couldn’t resist sharing it.
Next time you take a seat, don’t forget to check if it is occupied! In a Goodwill store in Huron, Ohio, workers were surprised when a recently donated sofa started to meow!
The concerned staff members immediately started tearing it apart to find out where the noise was coming from. As soon as a hole was made in the fabric, a grey kitten poked out his head!
It transpired that the little kitten has been hiding in the sofa when it was taken off to the store. The sofa’s doner called later to ask whether a kitten had been found as she was missing one!
Some cats travel well and others don’t seem to care for it much. But when it comes to cats on the move, an Australian kitty named Clyde takes the biscuit (or should that be cat treat?).
Clyde strolled into Cloncurry Hospital in Queensland a few months ago, where he was taken to a nearby vet. The vet discovered that the cat had been tagged with a microchip so that if he ever got lost, his owners could be identified. However, much to the surprise of everyone, it seems Clyde was, somehow, nearly two and a half thousand miles from his home in Tasmania!
Owner Katrina Phllips was very emotional when she learned that he kitty had been found, three years after his disappearance. It is not known what adventures led Clyde so far from home and it is unlikely anybody will ever find out. Philips is now raising the cash to get Clyde shipped back home.
Let’s hope Clyde has been collecting his frequent flier miles!
When somebody is said to have let the cat out of the bag, they have revealed a secret, but – my oh my – ain’t that an unusual phrase?
Next time you take a seat, don’t forget to check if it is occupied! In a Goodwill store in Huron, Ohio, workers were surprised when a recently donated sofa started to meow!
Some cats travel well and others don’t seem to care for it much. But when it comes to cats on the move, an Australian kitty named Clyde takes the biscuit (or should that be cat treat?).
