GLOSSARY

Brother Henry

Brother Henry is a high priest of the Cult of Otis. Working in conjunction with Brother Oliver, Brother Henry assisted the Guardians of Otis in preparing Otis for The Capture. After The Capture, Brother Henry continued to provide guidance and support for Otis as he adjusted to life in The Promised Land. Today he serves as Otis’s strong right arm, providing a physical strength to match the spiritual strength of Otis. He is also the Keeper of Toys for the Cult of Otis, playing with each new item to ensure that it meets the strict safety, quality and general fun requirements to be given the official Seal of Otis. Brother Henry is occasionally so filled with spirit that he transforms into a transcendent being known as "Henry the Chair Rider." All who witness this transformation are deeply moved and permanently changed.

Brother Oliver

Brother Oliver is a high priest of the Cult of Otis. Working in conjunction with Brother Henry, Brother Oliver assisted the Guardians of Otis in preparing Otis for The Capture. After The Capture, Brother Oliver continued to provide guidance and support for Otis as he adjusted to life in The Promised Land. Today he serves Otis by providing warmth and comfort on cold days and providing him with spiritual guidance when he begins to backslide and display feral tendencies. Brother Oliver also occasionally fills the role of surrogate mother for Otis, although he does so only reluctantly. Like Brother Henry, Brother Oliver is sometimes so overcome with spirt that he transforms into a transcendent being. He becomes "Oliver, Fetcher of the Sacred Ball." In this form, he possesses great powers of retrieval that are usually associated with members of the lesser, canine cults.

The Capture

The Capture, also known as "The In Times", is a spiritual ascension during which lost cat souls that have been wandering in the wilderness are swept up and saved from a lonely life in the shadows. During The Capture cats step into the light where their suffering is ended either through placement with a loving family in The Promised Land, placement in an enclosed, safe colony or through the compassionate act of humane euthanasia.

The Good Word

The Good Word is contained within the Teachings of Otis. Otis only wishes happiness and fulfillment for all of the world’s domestic cats. He hopes that all cats that begin life as He did can be saved from their lonely existence, and that all cats fortunate enough to be born into The Promised Land will have guardians that keep them safely contained, enriched and healthy.

Guardians of Otis

The Guardians of Otis are two humans who coaxed forth the True Spirit of Otis. Once his True Spirit emerged, Otis chose these humans to act as his servants and protectors. They provide for all of Otis’s physical and emotional needs, and keep him safe and secure from the dangers of a world without walls. They also provide Otis with regular vetrinary care, and Otis, in his great benevolence, forgives them for this.

Limbo

Limbo is a place in which a cat has some human contact and regular meals, but the cat is still exposed to the dangers of a world without walls. Although well fed, and occasionally pet, these cats still fall victim to the predators, cars, malicious humans and other dangers that exist to the ferals that live entirely in the shadows. Cats in Limbo frequently disappear without a trace, and the humans responsible for these cats rarely blame themselves for the disappearance even though the prevention of the event was entirely within their power.

Miracles of Otis

Otis has performed multiple miracles, and these have helped to distinguish Him as a powerful spiritual leader. These miracles are listed below:

The Miracle of the Leg

The miracle of the leg was Otis’s first observed miracle. Originally, those who became the Guardians of Otis had planned to tame Him, neuter Him and then find Him a home. After Otis was swept up in The Capture and subsequently neutered, He appeared to have injured His leg. He was unable to use it properly and dragged His right rear foot when He walked. Fearing that this issue would make it harder to find a home for Him, the two responsible for The Capture decided to keep Him and became the Guardians. Once that decision was made, Otis miraculously healed His leg and His limp disappeared.

The Miracle of the Toys

When Otis first arrived in The Promised Land He had never played with toys before. Brother’s Henry and Oliver had many toys, all of which were contained in a single, large basket. Neither Brother Henry nor Brother Oliver had ever managed to play with more than one or two toys at once. When Otis first discovered the basket full of toys He pulled every single toy out of the basket and played with them all at the same time. It was a miraculous feat to play with more than 20 toys simultaneously.

The Miracle of the Clicker

Otis has learned, through patience and persistence, that the Guardians of Otis are trainable. By performing certain actions Otis can cause His Guardians to make a clicking noise with a small, handheld device and then give Him treats. Occasionally Otis will test them by doing the actions wrong or halfway, but they are so well trained that they will only click and give Him a treat if He does it exactly right. A re-enactment of this miracle is available.

The Promised Land

Domestic cats are not adapted for a life in the wild. They are in great danger in a world without walls, and they experience great suffering outside of the protective care of the humans who domesticated them. The Promised Land is a world in which all of a domestic cat’s needs are met while at the same time they are protected from outside dangers. For many, The Promised Land takes the form of a loving home with abundant enrichment and an outdoor enclosure in which cats can safely enjoy sunshine and fresh air.

True Spirit

Domestic cats roaming free and unprotected in the world are subject to countless dangers. Even well socialized cats become flighty and fearful if abandoned or neglected. Feral cats are at the extreme end of the spectrum, generally gripped with fear at the mere sight of humans. A healthy, well cared for house cat living in a protected environment begins to exhibit playfulness, curiosity and pure joy not seen in frightened, neglected cats. In the absence of constant fear and danger, the full personality of the cat begins to shine through. This is their True Spirit, uninhibited by the need to constantly be on edge in case they have to run or defend themselves.