Introducing My Friend
You’ve seen pictures of my kids on this blog, I’ve shared my bad hair day and even piles of dirty laundry, but you haven’t met one of my dear friends. This is Sophie. Yes, she is hanging out in the toasty-warm laundry room. I’m a cat person. Some of you dog people out there are now rolling your eyes thinking, “Ugh, how could anyone be attracted to those aloof, fur-ball spewing beasts?” But I’ve always been a cat person.
Growing up in the country I’d sneak my barn kitties under my bed. Baby Velvet with the button in her back, that made her hair grow, couldn’t drink the tea out of my plastic cups, but in my secret fort under the bed, Lucy the cat would. Lucy would follow me around outside, chasing buckeyes I’d roll down the driveway. In high school, Mrs. Rome let me cry into her thick calico fur, whenever disappointment or insecurity crept in and ruined my afternoon.
Luckily I met and married a cat person. The first official documents John and I signed together, after the marriage license, were adoption papers for Oliver and Olivia. One month after our wedding we were cat owners.
Now we have three cats, and nobody likes me to say it, but Sophie is my favorite. That’s the beauty of cats, unlike kids, I can blatantly flaunt my preference. Our two male cats aren’t shrewd or crafty like Sophie. She finds the best sleeping spots, meows when she wants to eat, then meows when she wants to eat more. At three AM she remembers to thank me for feeding her, by catching a stuffed beanie lizard, and delivering it to my bed. She is thoughtful.
I bring up my cats because I’m writing about them now. Because writers are never supposed to not write, and my first book is still languishing on publishers’ desks, I decided to write a cat book. Actually I started it well over a year ago, even before Marley and Me came out. But then I did read the dog blockbuster book and I thought, this is good, but I’m a cat person, and I bet all the other odd, eccentric, and passionate cat people may like my story. So Sophie’s in the book but so are eight other cats. That’s a little hint about the working title. I’ll keep you posted on the book and maybe introduce you to my other friends. Who I really do love too, just not as much.
Are you a passionate pet owner? Cat or Dog?
11 Responses to “Introducing My Friend”
October 14th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Neither - with kids, I just cannot stand the thought of having something else in the house that poops. I had a dog I was very fond of growing up, and I like cats in theory; but my eldest is allergic to cats anyway, so - even if I were willing to put up with cleaning out a litter box - I can’t have one.
October 15th, 2007 at 1:14 am
I would like a pet but we can’t get one right now due to renting. My first pet though was a cat. I asked for one for Christmas. I remember going to the animal shelter and picking him out. He was gray with white paws and a white chest. I called him Smokey. He was a great cat! He hated being indoors and if I forgot to feed him he would just catch a bird or a mouse. He came and waited in the driveway for us to come home. Unfortunately, Smokey was lost to a possum. *sniff*
This Christmas we are going to get a cat for my girls. We will be in our own place and no more pet restrictions.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Write about the cats! I am not a cat person but I’m sure it’d still be a great read! (Worked for t.s. eliot!)
October 15th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
We support both fur-covered parties equally at my house. Two dogs, two cats. But secretly, I really with the cats would come up with some sort of genius plot that would alter the population slightly and result in it being a one dog, two cat kind of house.
October 15th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
I wasn’t a cat person until I married and…just like people…cat’s have very distinct personalities. Some can be aloof and others are surprisingly affectionate. We’re raising three abandoned kittens who are a constant delight. They run to us when they see us…just as though they know us. They purr before we even pick them up. Not liking cats is similar to meeting one disagreeable person and then writing off human beings completely.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
We have a dalmation…but I really think I’m a cat person. Josh is allergic, so I admire them from afar. KayTar so loves cats, though. She could care less for dogs. They’re so pedestrian.
October 16th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Been there, done that, & have the shredded furniture to prove it. Now the only “pets” I have walk on 2 legs, poo in the potty (or diaper) and still manage to destroy the furniture.
October 16th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Even though I’m allergic to them we have a cat. I’m more a dog person (we have two at the moment) but Layla and I have a great understanding: sleep on MY pillow and she’ll be Cat Chow Mein.
October 16th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
My husband and I retired nearly six years ago. We have a cottage in Door Cty. Wis. and were there in late May when Tom called out to me “Nan, look at what just jumped into my lap!” Well, he THOUGHT that he hated cats and now he loves Boots. She makes us laugh everyday. I grew up on a farm and we had both cats and dogs. Never have understood why one needed to be a lover of only one of those guys. We have granddoggies which are just adorable. They all have their own personalities just as we do..
October 16th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
I am definitely a dog person, but according to my mum I was cat lover as a little girl. I’m not sure when the change happened, but now cats make me a little nervous. My husband and oldest son is highly allergic to them, so I’ve never tried to go over to the dark…I mean the other side. However, truth be told? There have been a few cats that I would’ve loved to have cuddled up with…
December 20th, 2007 at 4:20 am
I would like to see a continuation of the topic