I do not like dogs. And I'm not ashamed to say that. You know those "looking for a date" ads where the person "must like dogs"? Well, it's a good thing I'm married already, because I would flunk that criterion and would do so unashamedly.
I really don't know if this piece is going to be one of those where two-thirds of the readers look furtively one way and then the other and, seeing no one there, nod in silent, unseen assent. Maybe I'll lose 90% of my readership. It pretty much doesn't matter. I do not like dogs.
Surely the first thing anyone is going to assume is that it's all about the walking with a poop bag, or the smell when they get wet. Or the barking, which is a sound that makes me want to scream. Loudly. Or that they make messes on the floor even when they're no longer young, and rip up furniture. Or that they bite and jump on you when you don't want them to. Something like that.
Well, sure, all of those are on the list, but they're pretty much ranked from #2 through whatever number. They are not the top reason why I feel the way I do. That reason is pretty simple.
They need me. And I do not want to be needed by an animal, at least not that much. I have a finite amount of freedom, and I do not need or want to have to have any more of it occupied with the attention of an animal who will explode if I do not attend to it, or jump all over me until I do, and whose needs force me to curtail or shorten my ability to go out, with or without my best girl, and do something I actually want to do, which may simply be to take her out for a day ("her" as in my best girl).
Dogs are needy. I am not a caregiver.
So we have a cat. Now, outside of the fact that I would be just as fine if we had not acquired the cat thirteen years ago (to replace the 14-year-old cat which had just passed on), I suppose I am reasonably glad that we do have her. She is a beautiful cat, although you can look at plenty of pictures of beautiful cats on line if you wanted to see them.
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| Tashi, staying warm while making sure that I cannot watch the ball game easily -- and showing that she doesn't need me |
She is also extremely benign, and always has been, sort of friendly with visitors and then going back to doing what she does best, which is to sleep and not get in the way, eat when she feels like it (and then sleep some more), and occasionally use the litter box.
Most importantly, if somehow we needed to be away overnight on short notice, or were out and somehow couldn't get back, we would not worry about the cat. She would figure things out, if she even noticed we were gone, and then be at the door when we finally returned, to remind us that her dish was empty. Maybe. And then that evening, she would crawl up on my best girl's lap and snooze for a while, still insisting that she really didn't need us in the first place.
She would be proud of that, and I would be happy that she knew she was independent of us.
On that note, please remember to go out and vote, if you have not done so already. And if you are actually American and entitled to do so.
Copyright 2016 by Robert Sutton
Like what you read here? There's a new post from Bob at www.uberthoughtsUSA.com at 10am Eastern time, every weekday, giving new meaning to "prolific essayist." Sponsorship and interview inquiries cheerfully welcomed at bsutton@alum.mit.edu or on Twitter at @rmosutton.
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