Are You a Cat or Dog Person

April 26, 2012

Most people are either cat people or dog people. Personally, I am a cat person. I'm not sure why, because when I was growing up, we had dogs at my house. I really don't remember the first dog because I was very young when we had her. I do remember, as a child, being somewhat afraid of dogs, especially big dogs. To this day I still do not like dogs who jump on me or lick me. When I was about ten years old, my sister found a stray dog and brought it home. The dog was pregnant at the time. After she had her puppies, we kept the mother dog and the runt of the litter. I don't remember what happened to the mother dog but my parents had the other dog until after I was grown and on my own. I never had problems with either of those dogs because they were small and gentle.
 
After I was married, we acquired a cat. That cat should have turned me against cats. He was very "spirited." He would run down the hallway in our house, jumping from one wall to the other. He also liked to sleep at my head and play with my long hair while I was trying to sleep. Let's just say, I was not sad when he ran away one day. After that, we had two sibling cats for several years. One ran away after we moved to a new house, and the other died after several years. We got another cat a few years later, and he lived with us for 16 years.

After that, I was ready to retire from raising animals. My son, however, had a different idea. He bought a cat with the promise that it would be his cat, and he would pay for the cat and its upkeep. He was a teenager at the time and had a job, so I agreed. One would think that after raising four children, I would have known what to expect. My son held up his end of the bargain for a while. Then, it seemed that whenever an expense arose for the cat, he had no money. Several years ago, my son, now grown, moved out on his own. The cat stayed behind. I reluctantly agreed that this was for the best. We were concerned that since the cat was an indoor/outdoor cat, he might try to find his way back home if he moved away.

The cat is about 9 years old and very set in his ways. Even if he has a full bowl of food, he will follow me around, meowing, if it is his feeding time. He also prefers to drink from the faucet instead of a bowl. He meows loudly and incessantly if we are not giving him enough attention. He seems to think he should have our undivided attention at all times. Maybe, he just doesn't want us to suffer from "empty nest syndrome" now that all of our kids are gone. Just when I start to think about advertising him on Craigslist, he will curl up on my lap and start purring. It is usually when I am wearing dressy clothing that I don't want cat hair all over, or when I am trying to read. I wouldn't mind his company while I read, but he tends to sprawl on top of what I am reading. 
 
I may have to check out a book from the Library on cat behavior like The Cat Owners' Problem Solver: How to Manage Behavior Problems by Thinking Like Your Cat by Margaret Bonham. I still prefer cats to dogs, but I have decided that this will definitely be the last pet at my house. 
 
Marcia C.
Raytown Branch