FOR THE LOVE OF CATS

for the love of cats - burmese and scottish fold

CAT CONFESSIONS

I have a confession to make..........I am a cat person..........I'm not sure how this actually came about because once upon a time I didn't know I was a cat person - if asked, I would have claimed to be a dog lover. I spent the first half of my life completely unaware of the appeal of cats. I grew up in a 1970's home with the prerequisite dog and a budgie (all Australian kids have a budgie at some stage) and it was the same with all my friends - no-one had cats or kittens.

Then, a couple of years after we were married a random kitten turned up at our door and we were hooked. Kittens would have to be one of the cutest elements of God's creation (I am so smitten with them that I have not one.......but THREE Pinterest boards dedicated to them!) It turned out that the "homeless" kitten we adopted for three weeks belonged to our next door neighbours - we never thought to check something so obvious. It went home to their place and before we knew it, we had a kitten of our own to replace him/her. From there it has snowballed to never being without a cat.....

FROM DOG PARENTS TO CAT PARENTS

We have also had a dog for most of this time because dogs and kids seem to go together, but with the advent of an empty nest, the upkeep of a dog became more onerous. Our good old dog passed away a few months ago at the grand age of 15 and he will be the last dog for us. 

from dog parent to cat parents

CAT PERSONALITIES

Cats however, are another matter entirely. We are now the proud owners of two diametrically different felines - an up front, in your face, follow you around, talk to you, social "dog-cat" Burmese called Flit (because she is always flitting around) and a laid back, aloof, casual, relaxed, pat-me-if-you-must Scottish Fold named Luna (because she has a little moon face). They get along surprisingly well and are very easy and undemanding company for us. We miss the adoration that dogs have for their owners, but at the same time, we appreciate the low key, easy maintenance, and independence that cats bring with them.

Burmese cat and Scottish Fold cat friendship

Flit actually sits at the end of our driveway waiting for random people to walk past and pat her. She must know half the neighbourhood by now - this morning she was next door being patted by three small children that I had never seen before - and loving every moment of it. Meanwhile Callie was sound asleep on the mat (where she snoozes from 7am til 4pm......then eats dinner and has a bit of awake time before heading off to bed).

MOTHER OF CATS

If there was a job for a kitten wrangler I would be the first person applying for it. I keep suggesting to my good husband that we could become kitten foster carers, but the worrying part of that is.....what happens if they don't get adopted??? Apparently that's called a "Foster Fail" and you can end up being the crazy cat lady with dozens of cats covering the furniture and filling kitty litters and generally turning your house into a cat haven that nobody wants to visit because they can't handle the cat smell and the cat hair and being sat on by cats. 

So, I have to resign myself to being the mother of only two fur children at any given time. I will quietly dream of frolicking kittens and pat my cats (well at least one of them - the other one might be busy sleeping) and enjoy not treading in dog poop on the back lawn anymore (I do love the fact that cats dispose of their "doings" in a neat way - altho' my husband isn't so keen on putting the garden back together after they have used it for their toilet).

Dog people will never understand the appeal of cats - and that's okay because there is plenty of room in the world for both types of people. But I am quietly convinced that dog people are only dog people because they haven't discovered the joys of owning (or being owned) by a cat.

cat mother, coffee lover tee shirt

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you a dog person or a cat person? Have you been converted from one type of pet to another for a particular reason? Do you have any life lessons that you've learned from owning a pet?

RELATED POSTS



If you'd like to know when I write a new post, I'd love you to click HERE for email updates.
 And feel free to share this post by clicking on a share button before you go.
Or, alternatively, why not follow me on Facebook?
Cresting the Hill - a blog for Midlife (Middle Aged / 50+) women who want to thrive

No comments

Thanks so much for your comment - it's where the connection begins.