I have always loved cats. The fur, the whiskers, the interesting personalities. My favorite cat characteristic, though, would have to be their independent spirit. Cats do life on their terms. Amazing! I dated a guy in high school who told me that if I were an animal I would be a cat. Presumably because of the personality similarities I shared with felines and not the whiskers, although I never really clarified that with him.
Over the course of my lifetime I have had numerous pet cats. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my giant yellow cat named Fluffy. I spent many hours with that old tom cat, dressing him up in baby clothes and pushing him around in my baby buggy. Or at least attempting to push him around. As I recall he wasn’t a big fan of the baby buggy.
There was Whiskers, a beautiful female with shiny black and white fur and the longest whiskers I’d ever seen. She had two kittens, Donny and Marie (it was the 70’s, okay?) who provided me with hours of fun and entertainment. Whiskers met an untimely demise after being poisoned by our next door neighbor who did not like cats. When I was about 8 years old I witnessed this neighbor drowning kittens in a water barrel in his back yard. So traumatic. I was never at ease around that man ever again. Kitten killers are never to be trusted.
When my oldest brother and his family were moving to the Midwest their cat came to live with me and my parents. She was a gorgeous Siamese mix with crystal blue eyes. My nephews had named her “Nick Wildcat.” There had been quite an argument over what to name her when they first got her. One boy wanted “Nick” and one wanted “Wildcat” so they compromised by calling her both names. I thought she was much too stunning for such a name, so I renamed her “Simone.” She had such style and attitude.
Shortly after my husband and I were married, we got a precious little yellow kitten and named her Olivia. She was our first “baby.” A few months later we discovered that she was really an “Oliver,” but he never really responded to our attempts to change his name, so we had a certificate of neuter from the vet with the name “Olivia” on it. We had many adventures with that cat during the next 13 years.
I have had a few pet dogs that I dearly loved, but I just never connected with them the way I did with my cats.
And then there was Baxter.
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| What a sweetie! |
Baxter is my darling Miniature Schnauzer. He was not quite 6 weeks old when he came to live with us 4 ½ years ago. He was born on my youngest daughter’s birthday and she chose his name. Prior to Baxter we had experienced some major canine-related heartache. We had two beloved senior citizen dogs that had to be euthanized within 3 months of each other. Then there was our Jack Russell Terrorist who tried to bite off my husband’s thumb and had to be put down. Not feeling very lucky in the doggy department at this point. We decided to try our luck again when an acquaintance who breeds miniature schnauzers mentioned that a new litter of pups was on the way. So we picked out Baxter and surprised our girls with the new addition to our family.
He was a perfect fit right from the start. So playful and cuddly. He was easily housebroken and we taught him to ring a bell to let us know when he needs to go outside. What a smart boy! But most of all, Baxter brought healing in the wake of all the heartache we had experienced. This self-proclaimed cat person was quickly being transformed into a major dog lover!
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| Looking handsome in his jacket |
Miniature schnauzers usually choose someone in the family as their favorite. Early on it was quite apparent that I was Baxter’s choice. He is loyal to everyone in our household, but he definitely prefers being with me. When I am gone, he will stand by the front door and watch for me out the window. When I return home he does his celebration dance and wants to immediately sit in my lap. He follows me around and prefers to sleep next to me whenever possible. In the beginning I assumed that he liked me best because I was his primary care giver. Now that I’ve been his “Mama” for a few years I think that he chooses me because I really need everything that he gives to me.
Cat person? Not so much any more. I’d rather snuggle with my darling doggie!
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loyal, protective,
intuitive, comforting,
furry cuddly love! |
I loved your stories about your cats. And even though I am still very much a cat person, Baxter is a great dog. I will just come and visit. 🙂
Michelle