quote

my quote of the moment: "if you can attain repose and calm, believe that you have seized happiness." ~julie-jeanne-eleonore de lespinasse

January 15, 2012

cats vs. dogs

i might have talked about this before. and really, anyone that knows me should not be surprised. i like cats. i like cats and do not like dogs. and i personally believe that everyone has a preference.

sure, there are those out there that have both cats and dogs, but i really believe that most people, if forced to make a choice, could make one. and yes, i realize that there are those that would pick a pet rock over either, being the lowest maintenance of all.

in my mind, dogs are so high maintenance.  they're like little kids, they need care and attention multiple times a day. but cats, cats are so much easier. you can actually leave a cat for a day or two and know it'll still be ok when you get back. if it wants love and attention it will find you. dogs will wag for anyone, but it's something more special if you can get a cat to purr.

hence, i like cats. i always have. since i was a little girl, i always wanted a cat. my father, who hated cats, said we weren't allowed to have pets we couldn't keep in a small container, so i ended up with hamsters and goldfish. eventually we got a dog, but i was never a fan. i wanted a cat.

eventually i got one. rather, my hubby, before we were married, bribed me into moving in with him by promising me he'd buy me a kitten (yes, i was easy back in the day). so even though he is definitely a dog person, he bought me the cutest little kitten. she was all black with a little white spot on her belly. i named her isis, after the egyptian goddess. and she was the best kitten in the whole world.

she used to meet me at the door when i would come home from work. and she'd lay on her back so i could stratch her belly. and she'd even come when i called her. she was so much like a dog, even dear hubby fell in love with her.

we had isis for years. when i had bumble, she was jealous and became more of an outside cat. then when i had lumpy, she became a cat that didn't want to come back in. after dealing with fleas and worms and three litters of kittens, we just couldn't afford to take care of her. and i had to give up my dear isis.

a few years went by, and things settled down. eventually i got another cat, an unwanted stray that was born in a wood pile. i let the boys help me name him, and being the little boys they were, they named him percy, after the little green #6 engine from thomas and friends.

being a stray born outside, you'd think he'd want to be an outside cat, but no, he was the laziest cat i've ever seen. fat and content, he never went outside. he was so docile, the boys used to use him as a pillow and he never scratched or ran away.

but then, like with isis, our little fishie came along, and we couldn't handle percy. i think it would have been ok if he would have gone outside and amused himself, but no, he was a lap cat. my lap cat. which doesn't work so well when you're trying to feed a baby. and somehow, strangely enough, he had a problem with fleas. he had them and we couldn't get rid of them and yet he never went outside!

in the end, i was forced to make a choice, again. and i gave percy away.

and now i don't have any pets.  the kids have goldfish, and my moms have two dogs and a very old cat. and sometimes i look at her cat and think how i want one of my own. my own little kitten to cuddle.

but first we need a house so i have a place to put a kitten in.

2 comments:

  1. "In my mind, dogs are so high maintenance. they're like little kids, they need care and attention multiple times a day. but cats, cats are so much easier. you can actually leave a cat for a day or two and know it'll still be ok when you get back." Best part! Just leave the kids by themselves and they will be fine. I think I learned the hard way, that you should ALWAYS know where someone is at all times.

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    1. kids ARE quick. they should be forced to wear bells. or invisible fence collars to keep them in the yard ;)

      and i'm working on a way to comment with just a name. i'll have this all figured out eventually!

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