What animals make the best/worst pets?
I think they would tell you that humans are the worst though. Anyone who doesn’t think they’re owned by a cat has no awareness of power dynamics.
Failures include being 5 minutes late with breakfast or supper. Providing unacceptable junk to eat. A water bowl full of bits of meat and biscuit.
The latter is unacceptable on every level, despite the fact that it is a cat that drops the food in the bowl. Miss Mimzy likes to eat off her paw, but that must be done over the water bowl. Then she can have a lot of fun fishing the food back out.
You can also fall fowl of not letting them out in the garden, and immediately for letting them out in the garden because the temperature is too cold/hot, the wind is too fierce, there was a spot of rain, and the neighbours are cutting something with an electric saw thingy again.
These things are not to be borne!
Within three minutes they will all want to go out again, only to be immediately disappointed that the weather gods have not corrected their sins, and we failed to realise that.
You will, however, always be favoured with adorable cuddles, happy purrs, and lots of chatting. We have 5 cats and they all talk.
Nero comes in the from the garden chirruping something that sounds almost exactly like “you alright?” If you reply “yes, are you alright?” He will say “YIP”. You probably think I’m crazy but we’ve had him nearly 7 years and this is a 7 year pattern.
Marcus has authorised cuddling positions. He will come and collect you, take you for a walk around the house while he chooses one of his favourite spots, then flirt until you sit down. He then jumps on your lap, and in my case demands at least 12 head kisses, then snuggle right up on your shoulder and purr his head off.
Cat purrs are known to be calming for humans, so Marcus is a blessing.
Nero had been in hospital and she set herself to taking care of him, we think he was pleased. She is an exercise in love, and adores her big brothers. She likes to herd Nero wherever she wants him. But this is her clearly demonstrating that she will not accept her mummy cat going away again!
We were in trouble for that one!
Our oldest is a big sweetie who delivers a very gentle nip if you overstep the mark. He’s the one who makes it clear that we have to be very punctual with food.
We got him as a tiny kitten, we had 5 adult cats, he doubled our food bill. It was four years before he looked at a bowl of food and decided he wasn’t that hungry. We nearly panicked, but after four years we reasoned that perhaps he was finally full.
A friend came to see him when he arrived, she came a month later and asked us what possessed us to get yet another cat, and where was Hito. It was Hito, in one month he grew to full size, and then kept going.
No paw-prejudice here though
We may adore our cats, they may fit into our lifestyle better than a dog would, but we love all animals and are very lucky we don’t have a zoo. As I’ve always said, I hate rats, but if I tame one turned up I’d take care of it.
Cats are only the best for us an in fit. We were both raised with dogs, I had a budgie and guinea pigs, and a tortoise named after my dad. I think he was thrilled.
One thing that always makes me question a human being is their dislike of ‘the other’. You’d be amazed how many people will tell a cat parent that they hate cats. You don’t often hear a cat lover say that they hate dogs though. Odd that, I have heard it, but not as often.
I dislike all prejudice, if I meet you and I like you that’s all I need to know. If I don’t that’s all I need to know to. If I’ve never met you then I won’t judge by your race, colour, creed, or gender, you might be the person who’s going to stop me from walking under a bus. You might be my new best friend. Why would I miss all that through stupid ideas that have no basis in truth.?
If you hate what you don’t know then it’s you that has the problem, the problem being that you’re capable of hate and that isn’t a good thing.
So…
A slightly lighter blog today I hope, that still raised an important point. Why do we have to have a favourite animal or think one animal makes the best pet? I’d love a horse!
Best love
Amorah – Deb
Deb Hawken - Amorah 