The Price of Cats and Dogs

One would think I am a dog hater.  Send me a picture of a little pug puppy and  you might hear, "Oh, cute.  It'll grow up to be a dog."  I actually hurt a friend's feelings when her old dog died.  He was like 14 or something.  She was really upset and I was tired of hearing about it.  I said a couple of times, "It's just a dog."  That was a pivotal point in our former friendship. 

This is Banjo.  That's my cat Sookie right after she overtook his blankets on the floor.

My husband has a dog.  His name is Banjo.  I sometimes encourage him to go play in traffic when I walk him.  It's a whisper.  Once, he tried.  I hesitated for about 3 seconds before I went after him.  That part of me that loves my husband overcame the part of me that loves cats more than dogs and I chased the little hairy fucker down the street in flip flops, a t-shirt sans bra, sweat pants...you get the picture. 

I am, in fact, a cat person.  I am, in fact, not a dog hater.  I had the best dog in the world.  His  name was Bo.  He was a beautiful blond lab and chow mix.  He came to us when he was 4 weeks old and I was a senior in high school.  He lived for thirteen years and died of cancer.  When you have the best dog in the world, it's hard to ever have one that measures up.  As for a dog dying, losing Bo was very sad.  After losing a child, I'd let him die every day and not think twice about it.

On to cats...they are fantastic creatures.  I've hardly been without one for seventeen years.  The one I had from 1995-2003 was one of the best cats ever.  She was so great, Olivia's dad and I shared custody of her as well.  That's what happened to her.  On one of her visits with him, he let her outside and she never came back.  Then, I had two phenomenally beautiful pedigreed cats.  One was a Bombay and the other a Burmese.  I shouldn't even call them mine.  They were Olivia's and they grieved themselves nearly to death after she died.  Now, I have this rescue, Sookie.  She's funny and loving and she warms my heart.

We want to have a baby, but it's not happened yet.  I had two miscarriages last year.  During all of that, the animals have been the consistent soothers.  Even that damned Banjo.  He seems to know when I'm sad or hurting.


I'm sentimental tonight as Sookie snuggles me while I lie here a little melancholy.  Those pedigrees are pricey, but there really isn't anything I can afford when it comes to the sweet purr or warmth the paws and little head on my leg bring.