RED HOOK, NEW YORK — For more than ten years, sisters Annette and Sue Amendola have put up a Christmas nativity scene in a lot at 344 Van Brunt St. in Red Hook, right next door to the home they live in.
The traditional nativity, which features statues of the Virgin Mary and Joseph kneeling in front of a hay bale that serves as the Amendolas’ manger, is filled with the traditional scenes honoring the birth of Jesus.
However, the Amendolas’ nativity has one extra feature this year: a colony of feral cats, which takes over the creche, nesting among the holy scene, as if protecting and looking after Baby Jesus.
When the Amendolas finally put out the statue of the baby Jesus on Dec. 25, the cats ousted Jesus from his manger, taking his place on the hay.
“People love it, but they really get a laugh out of the cats,” Sue Amendola said.
Read these characteristics which almost all cat lovers have in common:
INTROVERTED AND SENSITIVE
It’s the nature of cats that they are not friends with everybody, and the same trait can be seen in their owners too. Usually, they live alone and are happy with their independent lifestyle. They are introverts but are comfortable hanging around with other people. However, they would need some me-time to relax and recharge.
CAT LOVERS LEAN TO LEFT
It has been observed that people with liberal political leanings prefer cats over dogs. You might be a liberal dog lover or a conservative cat owner; if you’re a liberal, you love cats and vice versa.
CAT OWNERS ARE OPEN-MINDED
Five traits – conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness are often seen in most cat lovers. As compared to dog owners, people who have cats as pets are more open and therefore, have greater artistic creativity.
ATTENTION SEEKERS
Just like their pets, cat lovers seek attention from people around them. They like to be the centre of all conversations. At times, cat owners rely on their pets for emotional support.
THEY RESPECT CATS MORE THAN ANYONE
Cat people respect cats more than humans, in general. The saddest sight for a cat lover is to see the animal on the streets without a home. Cat lovers are often seen making a special effort to rescue or rehabilitate homeless cats.