Cat and Neko, Home and Uchi

Cat and Neko

Cat calls to mind a slinky, powerful, feminine creature, with smooth glossy fur. It has a long, smooth tail with sharp motions, it is independent and aloof. It is associated with magic, owing to its sly and unpredictible disposition. Its eyes are a glowing yellow or green, its teeth are sharp and its nails strong. It is not as domesticated as the dog, retaining natural desires to hunt and kill. It usually first calls to mind a striped tabby, somewhat resembling a wild cat in its patterns.

Neko is smaller and rounder, it is usually shown in splotches of brown, black and white, resembling the patterns of other domesticated pets such as rabbits, gunia pigs and hamsters. Its tail is shorter and softer and less active. Its actions are delicate and understated. If abandoned as a pet, it does not return to the wild but continues to require human contact and protection.

Home and Uchi

Uchi is the Japanese word for home, as opposed to the word for house which is yie. Home and uchi are two different concepts. Home emphasises the physical structure, a warm, cosy place which creates a warm feeling between the people co-residing there. Both words also express the relationship between the people that live at home as well as the physical structure. Home suggests safety, belonging, and comfort. It is closely associated with a person's place in the world, and with the longing of the heart for the familiar and loved. From this idea come the word homesick, and sayings such as "home is where the heart is". When one is going back to one's own house, one says "going home" but a friend or outsider is invited "to my house". Even a close friend cannot come to my home, it is reserved for family members.

Uchi makes me think of a more isolated, darker, cooler place than home, possibly due simply to the physical appearence of Japanese homes. It refers to private space and to the self and its extensions, which include the family and the house. Japanese children will often say uchi instead "I" to indicate themselves. It also means inner and is in contrast to public space and public behaviour.