 Pet Talk by Dr. Fran Good Ketchikan, Alaska March 08, 2002
Not liking cats. How could you not like a cat? They hold the secret to the universe inside their tiny little skulls. I can't count the number of times I'm dragging myself out of the house, to do something oh so important, and I look up to see both cats eyeing me curiously from their respective perches stretched out on something soft, near something warm, keeping an eye out for the occasional appearance of the sun. Their idle interest in why I'm not just finding myself a square of sun in which to bask, slowly dies out as sleep overtakes them once more. But they both have to check me out thoroughly before I'm allowed to resume my place in the household, days I've been in contact with those dog creatures taking quite a while before they're sure I didn't smuggle one in with me. The truth is, I adore cats. Couldn't live without 'em. Have two of them, Bugs and Rufus. Bugs is actually Lady Bug Ebony, but she was so clearly a Bugs, her full name didn't last long. They have both been an integral part of my life, especially after my accident. After I fell off a mountain and broke my back, there were times I didn't think anything could possibly love me. But I was wrong. Rufus and Bugs will love me every minute of every day of their lives - except for those minutes when I'm trimming their toenails - and they nursed me through those times. They taught me the meaning of unconditional love. I don't talk about cats on the radio as much because they're just easier to situate in human life, so I don't have to talk about them as often as dogs. You don't have to walk them, or bathe them or train them how to behave in public. They get their exercise flying through the house. They bathe themselves, often and thoroughly. They generally know how to behave in public. They open one eye, slowly give you a careful once-over, and then drift back to sleep. In my book, they are the easiest kind of pet to have, but in order for that to be true, there are a few things you need to know and do. Those are the things I'll be talking about in the next few issues of Pet Health.
Digital photo of Bill Bailey by M.C. Kauffman.
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Cat lovers often feel left out
of the conversations I have on the radio, and I've been accused
of not liking cats.