Could these cats who seem to seek solace and serendipity in the lap of Buddha be doing so because the statue happens to BE a Buddha statue? Not quite – cats have been observed resting and/or sleeping on marble statues of Roman emperors and bronze statues of mythological figures that have no relation whatsoever to Buddha or Buddhism. It would seem then that statues themselves, regardless of their “affiliation”, pose some attraction to cats. Could it be that the anthropomorphic form of statues is recognized by cats who have enjoyed resting in the welcoming lap of a living, breathing human?
One might posit that a statue’s lap has certain advantages over the organic model that would appeal to cats. For one thing, statues never have to get up and go to the bathroom, turn down the heat on an almost-boiling-over pot, or grab a cold brewski from the fridge. Don’t you just hate that? I’m talking to the cat, not you.
