Saturday, November 3, 2012

Chowder the cat

I think it's time I write a blog about Chowder. 

He is the best pet I have ever had. Why? Because he is sweet, docile, playful, loves people, wants attention, but also likes his space (isn't needy) and likes to follow me around. Even while eating, he wants to be part of the fun. He also takes naps with me. 

I used to be a dog person. I was a dog groomer for three years and worked at a doggy day care for one year. I not only love dogs, but I understand exactly what needs to happen to have a healthy, balanced, good dog that everyone wants. But it is WORK! They need to be potty trained, then trained and socialized so they are not rude and out of control. You have to walk them at least once a day, even then it isn't always enough. Oy... dogs are a lot of work, and with my kind of schedule these days being a full time student/working part time, I flat out do not have time for a dog. In my opinion, the best time to own a dog is when you're retired for the amount of attention they ask for. Yeesh... 

I know very few dedicated owners who give their dogs exactly what they need. I can count on one hand, sadly. I will even go as far as to tell you that some dogs who live in really nice shelters or are foster pets have better homes than some of the dogs out there with actual homes. If a dog is to be in the yard all day chained up... let's compare that to the dog in the nice shelter where he gets walked twice a day by a volunteer, has a nice room to himself or with a pal and can play with his toys. He's fed a good meal twice a day, and is checked up on by the vet. People come every day to say hi and greet him. Just because a dog has a home, does not mean he is better off. 

Now cats on the other hand... I realize they are not all lovable creatures. Some of them are quite picky about who they like, and some of them don't even like people. This is why I adopted an adult cat who was already a few years old. I got to check out his personality first and see if it would be a nice match for me. You don't necessarily know what you're getting with a kitten, even if you raise him/her yourself. Cats are definitely more unpredictable than dogs.  BUT they know how to use the litter box without your persistent training. They  just do it, and they naturally like to be clean. If you get a good, socialized cat... you have a combination of a well behaved dog that is independent. SCORE!

I use an automatic feeder for Chowder. It is set to go off three times daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Therefore, he never meows at me for food or wakes me up in the middle of the night. He has a large water bowl that I fill up every few days. The litter box is so easy to handle. Scoop the poop, and all of it is in one area. I can leave for a weekend trip without having to have someone come by. 

Convenient and ideal all the way around. I've had other pets in my childhood such as rabbits, guinea pigs, turtles, gerbils, hamsters, birds. You do not get the same companionship from them as you do a cat or dog. In the end? I feel that cats are a more ideal pet to have if you are a busy human being. I love seeing retired couples with dogs because I know those dogs are getting every bit of what they need in life... exercise, affection, play time, companionship, and are rarely left alone for hours in a crate during the day. Those dogs are the luckiest ever. 

So until I'm 65 years old and retired, I will be the cat lady. I can give them what they need and vise versa without the guilt of not giving enough in return. 

Any of you who know me well know this is quite a dramatic change. Ana the dog lover to the cat lady? I recently wrote a about how people surprise me all the time, yet I find myself surprising me too.

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