Puma, the Cat from Atlantis

Atlantis in our culture

When Discovery Channel wasn’t all about garages, gold rush and auctions, I was addicted to their (light) scientific broadcasts. This is how I learned about Ancient Egypt, about the Romans, about the Maya civilization and so on. This was also my first encounter with the story of Atlantis, that magnificent city which once, 10000 years ago, existed (maybe).

Then I saw that sweet movie, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). I loved Milo’s determination and  Princess Kida’s mesmerizing blue eyes. Apart from the fact that the movie has a lot of funny moments, it casts a warming light over the story of Atlantis.

Giant fruits and scientific wonders

Plato (c. 400 BC), the philosopher, mentions Atlantis in one of his writings. I think this is one of the oldest written references about the lost city. Some time later, the philosopher Francis Bacon has shown great interest in the discovery of the New World (America) and, consequently, in the story of Atlantis. He even wrote the novel New Atlantis in 1626. His book was published accompanied with this engraving:

This engraving shows the “wonders” of New Atlantis, but it alludes to our lost Atlantis as well. I remember that the thing that first stroke me in this engraving was the giant strawberry. Even though in the movie the Atlanteans are depicted as average people, the general stories tell that they were actually bigger than the people in the present time. Well, maybe they weren’t really giants, but perhaps they had a really good diet and life style, so they grew taller and stronger…

And this is how, if we continue this speculation, we reach the point where we could ask ourselves, couldn’t they also have bigger pets?

Pets in Atlantis

Since I’ve been following Messi’s adventures (I_am_puma Youtube Channel) I’ve been constantly amazed by how gentle and cute and what a giant kitty is, in fact, Messi.

Then I’ve got the idea that pumas originate in America, so I thought that maybe if Atlantis really existed and maybe if it was located somewhere between Europe and America, then maybe they didn’t have normal cats as pets, but pumas.

And the more “maybes” I add to this forever beautiful story of Atlantis, the more I like to think that pumas were actually Atlanteans best friends / pets.

This is a story and stories had kept our civilisations going for thousands and thousands years. They make us happier and the give us a sense of appurtenance and they also provide us with hope for a better future.

I really like to think that Atlanteans had pumas as pets and ate giant strawberries, but I certainly don’t support that we should have pumas as pets. Messi is the exception which confirms the rule.