Pets

I can't imagine a home without an animal. We've never had fewer than two cats, or more than four, but a home without some living, furry thing roaming around is just empty. Many of my friends seem to be dog lovers, and have expressed similar sentiments.

Since I've never lived in a truly empty house, it's rare that I'll pause and think how strange it is that a non-human life form has free reign. It's hard to miss dogs, as they'll jump up to greet visitors, and apparently say hello by tasting new people. That's disconcerting to a cat person under normal circumstances, but my friend's new pooches are going through a phase where they're eating stuff they shouldn't be eating. Let's just say their breath smells...wrong...and leave it at that.

Still, there's something about the looks our pets give us that we don't mind things that would gross other people out. There's no rhyme or reason that the so-called “dominant” life forms are willing to empty litter boxes or scoop up lawn leavings. The life of a pet is a great one. Stand in front of the door where food is kept, do as little as stand on one's hind legs, and your “master” is soon pouring food into your dish. Dogs lead people around on leashes, and cats decide whether or not they want to be bothered. If I believed in reincarnation, I would say coming back as a pet would be the equivalent of heaven. Food, shelter, maid service, attention and love are all free and unconditional.

Saturday morning, the first thing I noticed when I woke up was how cold it was. The second thing was a weight on my chest, and as my eyes adjusted and focused, I realized the dark shape keeping my torso warm was my cat Chirp, curled up and purring. Apparently, the boiler had run out of hot water and the radiators had stopped working. My mom had gone with my dad to a doctor's appointment, so no one was around to refill the boiler. The cat knew that if the radiators weren't working, my extra layer of Winter fat would be.

Eventually, I had to make the poor little guy move so I could get up and fix the heat. My mom had left a note that the cats had been fed, but I still threw down some crunchies for them anyway. When I went out to get the mail, our third unofficial cat was waiting on the door step. I looked at him through the glass, and he looked up with wide eyes and uttered a pleaful meow. I opened the door to wave him in and, as per usual so far, he merely hissed. As the fog of his breath dissipated, I thought for a moment, then closed both doors. Looking out the window, I could see him looking up with confusion at the break in the routine. If we feed him every time he “curses” at us, we're only rewarding bad behavior. Of course, he was still out there when I headed out for errands and visits an hour later, saucer eyes making me feel bad. I ended up putting some food for him before I left. As he devoured it, I reached out to pet him, and he jumped back and hissed.

Pets. They work hard at training humans, and they're good at it. I hope kids will be easier, but somehow I doubt it...