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Robyn M
Speed |
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Who gets the better end of the deal. My cat or me?
I was always drawn to tabby kittens, so it should be no surprise that when we went to the SPCA to adopt kitten number two (to be buddy for number one) that there was only one kitten there, and it was a female, bronze tabby eleven weeks old. Rafferty is a wonderful friend to the whole family. She is gentle, and loving, despite her long sharp claws and sharp teeth. Non animal lovers (and I am always stunned that there are people who don’t like animals), would look at the cost of taking care of an animal as wasted money. Lately I have been thinking about that. Rafferty does not cost much to take care of. Biscuits are $25 a bag and last for a month. Kitty litter is $5-10 a bag and lasts 2-3 weeks. Toys can be purchased at minimal cost. Vet bills are an uncertain factor, and we all hope that our pets will not need expensive medical care. But, what do I get in return for my investment? I get a beautiful companion who, when she is inside, likes to follow me round the house. She will meow to find out where I am. She will wait outside the bathroom door until I come out. She will jump up onto my lap when I am writing—she’s a darling but not much of a muse when she is swiping at my fingers while I type. She will jump up on the couch and snuggle up against me while I watch television, or she will curl up on my lap if I am reading. She likes to sleep on the bed if she can get away with it, right up beside my pillow, and if she is awake and bored she will stand on my throat because she has learn that will get a response form me! If I go to move her away she will playfully swipe at my fingers, grab them in her paws or lightly bite them. Eventually she is evicted! She loves us all, unconditionally, and I think that is the key point: our animals love us, unconditionally, and that is something we don’t get much from our fellow human beings. Other people often want something from us, or they will only love us if we do certain things for them (all the cooking and cleaning, washing and ironing, pandering to their ego, polishing their shoes and their pride). A friend can love us, but with conditions. A pet? They love us unconditionally and if we forget their dinner they do not get angry, they come and smooch around our legs, as if to say ‘I love you…and I am hungry’. Perhaps the beauty of a pet is they cannot speak English to us, therefore cannot stick their foot I their mouth. We communicate with them through touch, eye contact and sound. If anything, that is probably a truer communication. I am never alone. I am never bored. I am loved, appreciated, and I have a friend who trusts me with her life. In fact, as I write this in my office at home, Rafferty is asleep in her bed at my feet. I have learnt one thing that I consider to be important. Respect the cat’s personal ‘space’. Just like people, a cat has a right to say ‘I don’t feel like being patted right now, I want to be left alone to nap in the sun.’ Rafferty is a member of the family…and I cannot imagine life without her.
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© Robyn M Speed |
