Never in my life would I have considered myself a cat person. I'm too edgy and hard to love cats man. Cat people are middle aged lonely ladies who knit and watch the Lifetime channel, right? WRONG!
My friend's sister had two kitties and was going to Australia for a year. She needed someone to take the cats while she was gone. I decided that was totally something I could do. I've had them since July and I've fallen madly in love with them. But I've also kept in my mind that these are not my kitties, so have been able to keep a healthy attitude about giving them back in a while.
If I see grown ups being mean to each other I kind of just smirk and think, "Oh people." But if I see someone being harsh to a child or an animal, old Melanie who used to knock out people's teeth comes to the forefront. I simply don't ever want to comprehend what would make someone able to abuse a small child or an animal. I know I should care about the abuse of adults too, but I guess I just figure they can defend themselves better. Oh, and don't get me started on elderly abuse. I will seriously land back in jail. I will cut you. It might be with a spork, but it will be a cut just the same.
So back to kitties: their names are Roxy and Molly. Roxy is a large kitty princess who is half siamese with somewhat crossed eyes. Every time she looks at me I giggle a little inside. I also have her on weight control food. When I got her she was 21 pounds. Yes, I know she's not my cat. But I also know she has trouble cleaning herself and breathes heavy, so to me it would be abuse not to monitor her weight and try to get it to a more healthy level. I even took her to the vet to see if she was okay at this weight, as I am a chubby gal in good health. I thought maybe there could be a chubby kitty in good health too. Not so much. Molly is a skinny stripey gal who just now got off my lap. She sleeps on my legs or touching me in some way. She is also one of those crazy bastards who with no warning, will take off full sprint and run around the house for 30 seconds, until she just stops again for no reason and goes about her business. For this reason I joke that she is crazy just like me.
They were indoor outdoor cats with their family, but I tried to let them out here and they came in to contact with one of the neighborhood ferals and haven't been back out since, which is okay with me. They've destroyed a beautiful antique dresser by scratching, and have kind of tore up my favorite couch, but whatever. One of the OCD things I'm working on is that "things are just things" and they don't have to be perfect.
If Roxy stretches out, the bitch takes up half the couch.
I saw Molly doing this and laughed for a half hour on and off. No joke. Part of me thought, "It's the world's laziest Superman pose!" Then my mind went to the scene in Trainspotting where he's overdosed and is sinking in to the carpet and I started singing, "It's such a perfect day. I'd like to spend it with youuuuuuu." I know, I'm sick.
Don't hate me for saying this, but I get one million times more upset and passionate about animal cruelty and ethical treatment than I do about people. I have always been an animal person and always will be.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, I used to think I was in the dog camp and not the cat camp. The past few years I've realized I'm quite a cat person. Cats aren't needy. Don't get me wrong in that I still love dogs, but if I had to have a pet again, it would probably be a cat (that didn't shed.) They kind of grow on you...
However, my OCD is what keeps me from any pet right now, as I had new carpet put in four years ago and want to keep it piss free.
I do enjoy the fact that they kind of do their own thing and aren't really needy. I plan on doing pit bull rescue in the next few years. I really love pit bulls.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't feel guilty about that first statement. My best friend and I talk about it all of the time. I think it's because I've always stood up to bullies, and animal abusers are the worst kind of bully.
As for the OCD, I honestly think the cats are helping me. Sure, I have to vacuum the sofas now once a week and I probably sweep around the litter box 4 times a day, but I've gotten a tad better about just letting cat hair be and not cleaning it up every day with a roller like I did when they were first here.
I do a lot of forcing myself in to uncomfortable situations and find it helps my compulsive behavior and anxiety. The cats are one of the things that has helped. But the first two months I had them I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do it. The litter I'd find tracked through the kitchen, and the hair was overwhelming to the point where I felt like I was being strangled. I meditated and worked through it and now I stress out very little about them. Until I'm wearing black pants to work and realize I'm covered in cat hair. And by covered, I mean I find one piece on my leg. :)
We've always had animals at my mom's house--dogs, cats, birds--but considering everything is "new" in my house, I'm just hinky on it. My mom actually brought it up today and asked me why I didn't have a cat, for many of the OCD reasons you mentioned. I'm sure it would help. She's making me think again...and of course, it would be a rescue, as all our animals are ;)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little we had a dog named Rusty that I loved so much. After that it was just cats. I grew to despise them as my mom collects cat tchotchkes. Our whole house growing up was ceramic cats, cat pillows, etc. Pukefest. Haha.
ReplyDeleteAll of my animals have been adopted or rescue. I hate going to places because I want to take them all home.
Wish I knew how to post pictures... I'm gonna say I heart Roxy just a tad bit more than Molly. It could be because she looks like the kitty love child of Barbra Streisand and Starr Jones (pre-weight loss) AND the fact that she does what she does what pleases her. I'll take a page from that book, Ms. Roxy.
ReplyDeleteHaha. I agree. I love them both but Roxy has that, "Eff you I do what I want" kind of thing going on. I can totally respect that.
ReplyDelete