-- A Love Letter to Cats, or Why I Like Cats Best
-- A Love Letter to Cats, or Why I Like Cats Best
I am a bona fide animal lover. Dogs, horses, cows, goats, rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, alpacas, turtles... you name it. Well, maybe not wasps or hornets, but you get the idea. I love them all, and will fight for their right to live in peace. But I love cats best.
I ' ve lived with a cat or cats( up to 8!) since 1979, and I ' ve had cats that range from excessively friendly to " touch me not," with a few passive-aggressive ones( pet me--but not there, or I will bite you HARD!) in between. I wouldn ' t trade all the scratches or bites for a day without cats. The reason is simple. They choose you. Some animals, like dogs, will love you, or at least work hard to please you, without love or much care from you. They need the support of the pack or herd and will accept your terms.
Cats need company, too. They do best with friends, whether they are people, other cats, or other animals. But, not at any price. A cat will choose alone with basic needs over being hurt. And a lonely, neglected cat will withdraw. Cats will even run away and find new lodgings, far more often than, say, a dog. When a cat chooses to love you, it’ s a decision. We joke that dogs have owners, cats have staff, but it ' s more complex. Because a cat can live alone, they approach us on a more equal footing.
The rewards are immense. For a cat that loves, truly loves. And studies have shown that they do actually talk to you( it ' s not just in your head... but we cat lovers have always known that!). I ' ve had cats that would not leave me when I was truly sick. They watch cooking or television with you – My first cat, Olive, enjoyed college football and popcorn on fall afternoons. They are also good at waking you up at the same time every morning. Chances are that ' s because there is a cat feeding in this house right after the coffee is put on, and the gang wait for the coffee pot to start before talking about breakfast.
Right now, I have two cats who greet everybody. Hector believes that everyone is his friend and I wish him to always have that type of bond with people. Jasper has been hurt and is much quicker to withdraw.
I used to have a cat that took the greeting people a little too far. He liked people, but he loved the feel of stockings. One day, he first rubbed a stocking-clad woman ' s ankles, then stretched up to rub his paws. She jumped, his claws came out, and the shop was then " on the hook " for a pair of pantyhose, a deep apology, and from then on, Eric could not be in the shop when women in stockings arrived.
The pictures and memories pile up. A picture of Marcel, a cat who adored packing peanuts, and the day he found my large bin full-- he promptly jumped in a buried himself up to his neck in the Styrofoam puffs. Cupcake behind my monitor, with her paws out to play with my hands typing. All expressions of love and bonding. My days, and the days of all who have a cat that loves them, are enriched by our furry, purring companions.
- by Linda Roller, Bookseller, Writer, & Owner of Liberty Book Shop in beautiful downtown Avis, PA.
LIBERTY BOOK SHOP Linda Roller
Hours: Thursday & Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-3, or by appt.
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LibertyBookShop @ comcast. net www. thelibertybookshop. com
570-753-5201
Pawsitively Pets-- June 5