I sorta get dogs…

So a cat moved into my life 3 weeks ago.  He came as a surprise.  I was not particularly looking for a cat, but I sense that he or someone else knew that.  The minute he walked in my house, he claimed it.  He walked in with no small amount of self-confidence, sat down, and began to point at where he wanted his food (from a can with gravy) and water bowls located, where he preferred the litter box, and without question allowed me to know he would sleep in my room, sometimes under the bed, sometimes on top – evidently depending on his mood.

I’m a dog person, always have been. I sorta get dogs.  They come when you call, well mostly sometimes.  I can put my dog, Bud, on a leash and he runs with me on the trails, well, except when he stops to “smell” the roses or sees a squirrel.  He pretty much likes whatever food I give him, although he prefers shaved turkey or 85% lean ground beef medium rare. And when he hears the door open he comes charging toward me from wherever he’s been with his tail wagging, his ears up, and the biggest smile on his face.

Cats don’t do that.  Cats aren’t particularly concerned about whether you have had a great day or a challenging day.  Cats don’t feel the need to bolster your ego with an enthusiastic display of joy and affection when you arrive home.  They will allow you to greet them and pet them when nothing better is happening like looking out the window, knocking things off of bookshelves, or climbing up your hanging clothes to reach the top shelf in the closet, regardless of material snags left in their wake.

So am I now a cat person?  Or am I dog person who happens to be housing a cat?  Or am I an animal person, and if given the opportunity, would shelter nearly any species in the animal kingdom (except maybe snakes, oh, or ticks)?  Or is it simply not that important to label myself as an either/or or a both/and?  Perhaps it’s simply important to live into the gifts that I expect and for which I am pretty well prepared, and the ones that appear unexpectedly and for which I have much left to learn, and to learn how best to respond with my head and my heart and my hands in each situation.  Hmmmm, am I still talking about my animal family?

By the way, I may be the one you see out on the path attempting to get my cat to walk with a harness and leash along with Buddy and me. I read on the internet some cats will do that.  I’ll let you know how that goes.