I have always been a dog person.
I have considered those who prefer cats to be people who want a pet but can’t handle commitment. I would like to say that I was 100% on the dog side of the ledger, but I have to concede that cats are cooler, so that brings me down to 95%.
However, recently, and much to my dismay, my son adopted a couple of kittens, and they are adorable.
They were found at a very young age abandoned at the dump, and have been hand reared since, which probably explains their fearless nature around people. One of my main reasons for disliking cats is the damage they do to local wildlife, but the recent trend for having indoor cats solves that issue. It’s also proven that indoor cats live much longer, which makes sense because they aren’t being hit by cars. When you think about it, it is bizarre that cats are allowed to wander the neighbourhood, eating native birds and crapping in people’s sandpits, whereas if a dog is roaming the streets, people lose their minds.
I haven’t spent much time with cats as an adult, partly because I have a point to prove, but also because I’m allergic. When I went around to meet Beetle and Roach, I tried at first to pat them as you would a dog. I quickly learned my mistake, as this was clearly weird for them, but all was forgiven when I found the cat toys, which they loved. I suppose the old thinking is that it’s unnatural to keep a cat inside but I can assure you that these cats are more than happy, with their every need attended to, and if the humans are busy, they can always watch hours of cat TV ie staring out of the window.
Today I’m thinking of poor Seamus and his family, and I have to admit that I’ve had many dogs myself over the years that have got into trouble with poor behaviour. Maybe cats aren’t such a bad idea after all? As long as you never run out of antihistamines.