Many of you who know me know that I grew up with many pets. Dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, neighbor kids. Typical stuff. Owning a pet as a child and owning one as an adult are two completely different things. When you are an adult there are certain things you just don't want certain animals doing in your front room, under a couch, or even worse, on your bed. But as a kid, you don't care. Your room smells like that anyway. Especially after you take off your shoes.
So our kids have been talking FOR-EVER about getting a dog. I don't know how it happened, but somewhere in the dark recesses of September I think, we agreed to get a dog..."In the spring." It's silly, a grown man not knowing when the last possible day of spring was until he was 35...but now I know. It's June 20th. The day before the Sun is over the Tropic of Cancer. The last possible day we could succumb. Bringing a dog into the family is such a large commitment. It's like having another child, you actually have to pay attention to it, walk it, take it out, feed it. You have to be back early from things to "Let the dog out". I am not saying all this is bad, I am just saying I didn't know if I was fully ready to commit. I feel like we had climbed up to the 3rd platform at Lava Hot Springs and now, amidst the jeers of the crowd, we were pondering the slow climb back down. So, of course, we had been looking forward to that day like it was a weekend on the "Barney the Purple Dinosaur's Funship Cruise-tacular". But recently we had started to get a little used to the idea. Planning out where the holes in the backyard would be dug. Deciding where the indoor "poop" spot would be. Trying to determine who's underwear would be eaten first, that sort of thing. We had even narrowed it down to a couple of breeds we liked. Things seemed to be growing on us a little more...literally.
Then our neighbor's announced that they had adopted a cat that they thought was great with child, or children as it were. Over dinner the other night, a miracle of miracles occurred. I have to say I haven't seen a collective change of heart like this since I tricked Jodi into saying 'Yes' to my inconceivable marriage proposal. But this time it was my bride at the helm of a ship destined for purchase on some rocky shore, and somehow, someway, she managed to heave to and bring the ship about by asking one simple question, "How would you guys feel about having a cat, instead of a dog?"
Well, they were all over that like a Tabby on a mouse with crutches. Suddenly the tide went out and came back in with whiskers, claws and a breeze that smelled like catnip. Conversations began with sentences like, "They are so cuddly when you hold them..." and "I think it will sleep on my bed." I poured gasoline on the smoldering embers by saying, "I think a good name would be 'Muffin'." Yes, Muffin indeed.
And so begins the epistle of how our dog became a cat. Jodi and I sit back and wonder how it all happened. The kids couldn't be more excited. I am sure it will end when they realize that you can no longer leave the Tootsie Rolls unwrapped on the floor of your bedroom. Someone will be real disappointed when they pick one up and think, "Hey, a soft one."
4 comments:
Being a recent owner of a Dog I say...good call. Cats take care of themselves and don't require a lot of attention. You are SO RIGHT on it being like another child. Are you sure you don't want ours?
I can't quit laughing long enough to comment. And where do you FIND these visuals??
WORD TO THE WISE... we got our cat and then a brand new leather couch... well lets just say that had little laura stoddard not been standing there, there would have been a cat homicide on our block that sunday afternoon, and that cat now permanently resides in our garage. They will destroy your furniture unless you get them declawed!
Halley
(however it might make for good blogging :)
Congratulations! Having never had a cat until Matt and I were married, I swore I'd never own one. But I have to say, they are probably the lowest maintenance pet you can have and still call it a pet (fish don't count). It's nice to not have to get a cat sitter every time we want to leave town. Good luck!
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