This is a random post that is slightly ranty. One that doesn't have a specific point to it. I wanted to talk about my babies, that's my excuse. There, forewarned is forearmed.
So tell me, are you a cat person or a dog person?
So tell me, are you a cat person or a dog person?
I have had the fortune of growing up in a household full of pets ranging from rascally parrots to adorable squirrels to fish to a dozen (not an exaggerated number) cats and five dogs. Throw in the occasional seven sisters who are drawn to my grandmother like moths to a flame and the random chameleon who perches on the wooden poles and pretends that the world can’t see him, it’s a regular menagerie.
My mother with her latest baby
My mother with her latest baby
I’m also the one who cried gallons when Grandpa and I watched the cheetah break the antelope’s neck on NatGeo. It took me years to come to terms with how Nature works in the wild. Little wonder that I turned vegetarian before I hit my teens.
The result of all of the above is that I ended up having immense attachment toward dogs, cats, bears, turtles, you-name-it. And when I came to Bangalore, coming back to the PG/ apartment from work was torturous because I didn’t have my regular fix of animal love, like I did back home (because humans are incapable of loving like animals can). Add a bad breakup to the mix and I was teetering on the edge of depression.
So first chance I got, I adopted a couple of gingers and from then on, they’ve been my point-of-life source and entertainment source and de-stress source and annoyance source and everything source. If you follow me on Instagram, you’d have seen Fudge and Gypsy making consistent appearances to the point where I have started tagging myself the #crazycatlady :) Their antics deserve a separate post in itself, more on that later.
The point is, I chose to adopt cats because 1) I’d never foist loneliness on a poor dog considering I’m not at home almost the entire day 2) A dog would not have the space it deserves in my matchbox apartment. Considering cats are largely independent and are content curling up in my shoebox, I knew it’d be the best decision ever.
How can you leave this, right here, alone at home? HOW?!!
How can you leave this, right here, alone at home? HOW?!!
And because of this choice, I find myself being drawn into cats versus dogs debates: who are more faithful to us, humans? I hear people constantly say: ooh, cats are too snooty, they don’t care about us, cats use humans, we are their pets rather than the other way around, they don’t love humans like dogs do. And these are just some of the arguments.
I agree that dogs are more expressive when it comes to love. But whoever said cats are not capable of being attached to us haven’t met Fudge and Gypsy. And Annie’s Scotch and Dusk. And my friend, Adrian's Ron Garfield Basil and Squirrel Tiny Basil. And so many other cats who are loved and love their hoomans back. They haven’t witnessed them giving me nose kisses, they haven’t seen them run to the door when I get back home and roll around on the floor trying to get me to pick them up, they haven't seen them clamber on to my lap like its their ancestral properly and settle down regardless of what I am busy doing, they haven’t witnessed the covert but concerned accidentally-on-purpose loitering-too-close-to-mom when I’m collapsed near my wardrobe crying my eyes out. They definitely haven't seen Fudgy sneak up under me so that I can kiss him at the end of every push up.
I specifically feel like I have to defend cats because dogs already have the “faithful friend” tag. And cats have a bad rap for being standoffish. And also because I don't understand why you expect the cat to care about you back. Animals don't owe humans shit.
I digress.
The bigger picture I’m trying to unfuzz (yes, that's a word. One I made up but its still a word) is that, there IS no “cats VERSUS dogs”.
Not if you truly love pets animals.
And you aren’t really capable of true love until you’ve loved animals.
So go ahead, give love a chance, adopt a stray (dog, cat, cow, goat, fish...anything you want), and light up your world (as corny as that sounds, that IS exactly what they do to your life).
I am zoo-phobic. I can only appreciate animals from a distance. After reading your post, I really want to overcome my fear and at least pet an animal. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't really partake in such debates because I never had a chance to own/ adopt any. So, I guess it is about time I get to experiment and wait, there is no choosing sides. Cats are cats. Dogs are dogs. Which are better ? There ain't no competition there.
ReplyDeleteWe had a pup once, named it Pepsi. But soon had to give the lil one away because it was NOT FAIR to leave him alone at home. We had our school and mum was a teacher and it was just disheartening to leave him alone at home :(
ReplyDeleteMy sis now plays with cats in her college complex, she even feeds the new born kittens milk with a dropper. She is the more pet friendly one. But I think, I'll love cats!
very true.. when i came to uk I got a pup.. but after 3 or 4 days I took it back because I felt sad leaving him along at home for hours when i went to work ... it is NOT FAIR definitely
ReplyDeleteBikram's