Feeling Music in Your Gut

Posted by gspeed on Nov 7, 2009 in Animalia, Health & Fashion, Monsters, Myths & Legends | 0 comments

As a kid I was fascinated (and maybe a little grossed out) by tennis racquets because the strings where made of “catgut”.

Well, it is only NOW I find out that the less fortunate feline never really uses its gut to fend off tennis balls.

Catgut may just be short for “cattlegut” since farm animal intestines were originally used to string your violin or tennis racquet, but no one really knows EXACTLY where the term comes from.

But what’s important to remember here is that the next time you’re at a beautiful symphony enjoying the sounds of strings, harps and violins playing in perfect unison … know that a goat or donkey part is delicately being plucked to bring you all that glorious music.

The only problem I have with all this is that I can never think of a hotdog the same way again.  Every time I look at a hotdog, I am just reminded that the lowly little sausage staring back at me could have been oh, so much more! It could have been part of a perfectly designed instrument…and instead it is left as part of a sub-par meat product.

I vow never to take away an intestine’s chance at making something of itself ever again!

Synthetic strings are beginning to replace the traditional animal intestine.

But catgut is still used in developing countries where goats and cows are a little more common…and cheaper… than a piece of synthetic thread.

Hey! You can still get stitches made from catgut over there too.  Screw the infection!

I’m definitely happier knowing that a cat’s gut is pretty much useless except when it comes to sending Whiskas from one end of the cat to the other… or when it comes to making balloons.