I can't argue the fact that I am a cat person. There, I said it. Sometimes I feel like people make assumptions about you - dog people are friendly, gregarious, not afraid to get dirty. Cat people are prissy and clean and librarianish. Not that there's anything wrong with being librarianish, I actually like librarians and might even be one in the future. And I am not saying I don't like dogs, I have known some wonderful dogs in my life. I even worked at a vet for a short while during my mis-spent youth and there were a few dogs there that I totally fell in love with. But something else happened to me while I worked there....I developed an unreasonable aversion to....dog drool.
I'm sorry!!!! I'm not saying there's anything wrong with doggy drool! It's natural, it just happens! While I worked there, I never had a problem with all sorts of bodily fluids getting on me, some of them actually chunky if you really want to get gross. But dog drool??? AUGH! Blech! Urg.
One time a couple came in with their dry-mouth St. Bernard puppy. What a perfect little doggy he was!
But back to my main topic. Yes, I do love cats. I can laugh for hours at lolcat websites, it just never ceases to amuse me. Thank goodness I'm easily amused, can you imagine stomping through life sniffing at other people who laugh easily at dopey things? Poor fools.
I started off young with cats. This picture is of me and Rainbow. At least I think it's Rainbow. We were renting a farm that had barns and everything and the place came with a lot of resident cats. Even then I was being pushed out of bed by the cat.
After that we spent a lot of years in apartments and I always longed for cats. Once I was an adult (so to speak) and out on my own, I was able to indulge myself again.
One of the cats I've owned is this one, NooNoo. If she knew she was named for the vacuum cleaner on Teletubbies she would probably never show her face again because she imagines that she is far too dignified and princessy for that kind of nonsense. One of her things is that any time you put a pillow on the floor, she will perch on it. NooNoo rarely relaxes, she's always perching somewhere, like a vulture, waiting and watching. This particular pose is one I like to call "sausage kitty" because it appears she has no legs.
My sister also inherited a love for cats. Despite being allergic, she has three, yes, three cats. She had them in a tiny apartment, fortunately now she lives in a house.
The black one is Phoebe, who is dignified and probably related to NooNoo. Mels is the white one, she is sweet and kind and loves to moosh her face into your feet. Danny is the laid-back orange cat. Phoebe has never cared much for Danny, or for Mels for that matter, or pretty much for anyone or anything, other than my sister and her hair which Phoebe likes to gnaw on while she sleeps. While my sister sleeps, that is, not Phoebe. Notice the laser beams shooting out of Phoebe's eyes in this picture at the back of an uncaring Danny's head. Like most men he is totally unaware and uncaring. I say that with love and affection, men. Really. I love you guys.
Sadly, Danny passed away just this week. He had health problems and has gone to kitty heaven. But not to worry, my sister is determined to continue the fight to the death with her allergies and has adopted a new member of the family, Ginger. She's peppy and kittenish. The kitten I mean. Actually, so is my sister. Phoebe, naturally, dislikes Ginger. But in Phoebe's old age, she's loosened up, she actually headbutts my nephew now. And if you are a cat person, you know how significant that is. Another 4 or 5 years, maybe my niece will get the same. :-) Cats are great.
"There is, incidently, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person."
- Dan Greenberg
You totally just made me laugh out loud. Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny Leah, made me laugh. And yes, that is Rainbow, we also had Midnight there but not in the picture. Our first house after the apartment years we got 2 kittens but soon enough realized that your dad had terrible allergies and had to give them up. I cried like I was giving my children away.
ReplyDeleteRainbow was a great cat. This was a cat that knew she was a cat and had great dignity about that knowledge. Her sister, Midnight, was a little 'off'. She was still a wonderful cat, but she lacked cat skills. She would attempt to rub against your legs while you were standing and misjudge her distance and fall over. I must say, I miss Midnight more.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a testament to cats that they can take pride of place in a household with people who are allergic! My daughter is the same way - allergies or not she won't let her cat go!
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