cat
It's been said that people that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life.
How to Turn Your Man into a Cat Lord
You probably guessed from the title that I’m an unapologetic cat person, even though I come from a culture that has a strong preference for dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I like dogs and animals well enough, but I guess I’ve oftentimes felt an affinity for the underdog (or should it be undercat?). Growing up, I frequently managed to adopt stray cats that “followed” me home, much to my mother’s annoyance. She always came around though, despite raising us with the strictness of a drill sergeant. Once, my cat Bubba was sleeping ON her bed pillow, and I tried to shoo her away before my mother caught her (yes, Bubba was a she. I named her after my favorite teddy bear). I was too late, but much to my surprise, my mother said “Leave her alone mija, she’s not bothering anyone.” That’s when I knew my mother had come around to loving (or at least tolerating) my cats.
By Mari Zurez5 years ago in Petlife
In Praise of Joey and Katherine
In Praise of Joey and Katherine At one point you watched Aladdin while sitting on my sister's lap. You previously had lived underneath a friend's home and trotted to the neighbor's garage to be fed. When I held you in my arms at the veterinarian clinic, I knew. I was in trouble.
By Amelia Reiling5 years ago in Petlife
She Chose Me
When I was fourteen years old, Boots, my adopted three year old farm cat, developed feline leukemia. We had to put him down, and I was heartbroken. He had been my little buddy and had been so full of energy until his last week. As any pet owner knows, you can never replace a previous pet, but when a friend encouraged me to check out some rescue kittens a few months later, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to have a kitten to cuddle again.
By L. A. McCullough5 years ago in Petlife
Hook, Line, and Sinker
The more I think about how I came to adopt my beloved cat, Fitz, the more I think it was just meant to be. I won't pretend to know the exact day I adopted this friendly feline: not because it's not important, just because I have a hard time mentally tracking dates. It was sometime in late November of 2019. One of my good friends from work had heard me talk many times about wanting to have a cat to bond with in my recently-moved-into apartment, but I'm sure I'd also told her that I wasn't quite ready to adopt yet. It was financially doable, but I generally try to have a safety net of emergency funds. Perhaps I just needed a little push to take the leap of solo pet ownership. I'd almost always had a cat around staying with my mother, but it had been some years since enjoying the longstanding presence of a cat companion. And I'd certainly never been the sole caretaker; I think that was the real cause for hesitation. Anyhow, it came to be that while I was out with my friend we ended up visiting an animal shelter. She had two cats of her own already, and I think she was just really excited for me to have one for myself. I didn't yet realize that her goal for the evening seemed to be putting me in the environment most suited for me to give in to committing to adopting a new pet. We just "ended up" at the adoption center to "look" at the animals, but it wasn't a zoo. I knew this was a trick, and I certainly fell for it.
By Luke Crawley5 years ago in Petlife
How Cat People Discouraged me From Getting a Cat
“I had a cat once who would wake me up every morning just a minute or two before my alarm went off by tapping me on the mouth with his paw. Not that hard, but not that gentle either, with his claws extended just a tiny bit. ‘Hey, time for breakfast, bud.’ ” — Josh Fruhlinger as quoted in The Guardian
By Denise Shelton5 years ago in Petlife
Her Name was Riley
I called her Riley because she came to me at a time when I was opening up to a more spiritual way of living. I looked up "prosperity" in the thesaurus and found "the life of Riley". I hadn't even met her yet, but I knew I wanted her name to remind me of what I had to be grateful for.
By Hilda Carroll5 years ago in Petlife
Bold As Brass
It was 3am, and the air was hot and heady with the scent of the coming storm. The highway stretched monotonously into the distance, the moon my only driving companion now while my family slept. I thought maybe I could keep going without a break, make it to my In-Laws before dawn. My eyes grew heavy, the road blurring slightly as I tried to stay alert. I don’t know what made me choose that exit, but without even realizing it I was indicating and heading for the nearest gas station, the word ‘coffee’ flashing in my mind like a beacon. So strange; I rarely touched the stuff and especially never at night, yet here I was suddenly craving that caustic, bitter kick of caffeine.
By Angel Whelan5 years ago in Petlife
Every Creature Has a Backstory
The room of my apartment felt dark and the walls seemed as though they were caving in on me. Reflecting back on this chapter of my life, everything seemed as though I was seeing life through a black and white filter. The depression I found myself in, muted the colors and noises around me. I barely had enough energy to do the bare minimum-- often just enough to save me from getting fired from work. For an overachiever like myself, coasting hit my pride hard. I would muster up just enough strength to get out of bed only to find myself in the shower, crumpled into a ball, my chest throbbing with excruciating pain. I sat there sobbing and grabbing my chest until the shower turned ice cold. Maybe the worst part of it all was finally getting to work and acting like everything was fine. Gosh, it would take a lot of energy to perform and put on a show for everyone.
By Allison Marie Hoshide5 years ago in Petlife
