Hate-Love #19: Cats

I know I am probably going to catch a lot of flack for this one, especially from my Mom, but here goes nothing anyway...

I hate...

Cats. Let me preface this by saying that I haven't met all the cats in the world, and there may be some seriously awesome felines out there (a friend recently told me that he had a cat that liked to ride in the car with him and stick its head out the window like a dog-now that sounds like one cool cat! and my parent's cat, Angel (pictured left) is of course an exception) but for the most part, I'm just really not a cat fan. Unlike different dog breeds with differing lengths of hair and shedding abilities, pretty much all cats have crazy long hair and shed EVERYWHERE (especially on chairs where they nap). I cannot leave my mother's house without looking like I seriously sat on a cat. Very annoying. Cats are also not very big on affection, unless it's on their own terms, and who wants to deal with that? A dog greets you when you come home after you've been away for three days or three minutes with the same enthusiasm and need for attention, a cat? Not so much. Even if your cat does greet you at the door, I would bet money that it runs away shortly after your start paying attention to it, doesn't wag it's tail, and most definitely doesn't act as if your coming home is the best thing that's happened all day. A dog also wants love whenever you're willing to give it. A cat, on the other hand, may come sit on your lap, but as soon as you start petting it, or do anything it deems unworthy, it leaves, usually by digging it's claws into the tenderest part of your thigh and bounding away. What kind of pet is that?! What kind of a pet is one who sheds everywhere, only wants attention sometimes, and who will probably scratch you if you piss it off? I would rather have a goldfish. If I cry, or say "ow!" my dog comes over and licks me until he thinks it's all better, would a cat do that? Never! I just think cats are far too selfish to be considered pets, they are more like very hairy house-guests who poop in a box you have to clean and eat smelly, expensive food. Wouldn't it be easier to let your brother live with you for a few weeks to keep you company? I just don't get it.

I may not like cats, but like any sane person, I love...

Kittens. There is no way around it, kittens are friggin' adorable. Kittens are usually much more cuddly than cats, they don't shed as much (and they are just so soft and tiny who cares anyway), they are too tiny to cause any real harm if you freak them out, and are generally just too wonderful for words other than "awwwww, I WANT one!" This is, actually, how my parents ended up with a cat. It's actually a fairly strange story. When I was in elementary school I asked my parents for a cat, and they said, "Go read a book about cats, and then tell us if you want one." Determined to prove them wrong, I read a very informative book about raising a cat and decided, "So, yeah, I definitely don't' EVER want a cat." Imagine my surprise when my parents got me with a cat for my 16th birthday. I was a bit confused, but please tell me what 16 year old girl is able to say no to a 4 week old kitten? I named him Angel, and I was in love. I slept with my kitten, played with him, fed him, bathed him, and generally just smothered him with so much love that he got used it and became pretty much the best kitten ever. The next year, when I left for college, Angel didn't come with me. I didn't visit all that often my first year, and to my astonishment, when I returned home, my parents had turned my adorable kitten into a fat somewhat obnoxious cat. Hmmm.....I should have seen it coming. And that is how my parents came to permanently own a cat named Angel, and I came to get a dog. Thus, I loooove kittens, as long as there are willing parents available to take over their care when they magically turn into cats.