Cats!

One month ago, I happened upon this image on the internets.

And my heart began to pound with overwhelming love for these tiny furry animals with pink paws and noses. So loveable, and cute and warm and cuddly. I wanted one. Bad.

So like any sane person would do, I turned to Facebook for solace, and advice.

I wrote:
Can a person who wears a lot of black and is fastidious about their home and furniture and clothing own a cat? I'm just wondering because I saw this photo, which is pretty much the most adorable photo of a kitten ever, and now I feel an overwhelming urge to have a small furry animal in my home. Especially one that has pink paws.

And these were the responses:

KKL: I hate my cats. There, I said it. :)

Gordita: You hate them personally? Or because they leave fur? Or because they track kitty litter around? Or because they jump around wildly?

MB: impossible to make that work, don't cave KR!

KKL: All of the above. Mostly the fur. It will make you nuts.

BF: Don't do it girl. They're deceiving. Kittens are adorable but CATS are hairy, smelly, many people are allergic ( we can only stay at the ****'s for an hour or so before we both have to hit the benadryl), and they scratch everything. Will they let you have a kitty there?

Gordita: on the whole being allowed thing? I was just going to circumvent the rules. Not that I was considering this very seriously. Why do those baby animals have to be so cute. It's just wrong.

BF: I think it's baby everything I think. Little monsters. I think their adorableness is the only reason species are propogated!

SPS: I am insanely in live with my cat. He is perfect. You just have to find the right one for your family. A little fur ball is out there for you and he needs a home =)

KM: Get a hairless cat. They're so ugly it's cute!

RS: Just stock up on lint rollers and vacuum filters. Our cat is a joy but I've had a cat before that was nothing but trouble so it's really a tossup. kind of like children ;)
Get a kitten so you can mold their habits young!

MP: animal hair is just a way of life. kinda like everything that comes with kids!

GKCII: I love my dog but hate the hair. We vacuum once a day and there is still hair. I must say though the entertainment my dog offers is more than worth the hair



So the comments run the gamut. But really, are we going to compare having children to having pets? Here are my thoughts on the matter:

1. Children are flesh of your flesh, and at the very least, your same species. There is a connection there that cannot be replicated through pet adoption.

2. Having children is a commandment (believe me, I've been reminded of this one over and over). I don't believe there is such a commandment for pets.

3. Children eventually grow up and learn how to take care of themselves. Will a cat eventually learn how to clean her own litter box and open her own can of Fancy Feast? Will a dog eventually learn to pour his own dog food and take himself out for a walk, and scoop up his own waste to properly dispose of it?

So in three simple arguments, I believe I have set to rest the argument that having children is like having pets.


But there still lives within me an urge to have a small, furry creature in my home. Until reality sets in, which are these points:

1. I live in a place that has a firm no pets rule.

2. I really do wear a lot of black.

3. We live in 900 sq ft. It's kind of small to share with an animal that enjoys jumping and running and doing their business in a private place (there really isn't any place private).

4. I am particular about the way my home smells, and cat accessories (like kitty litter and their food) have a distinct smell that is not pleasing to my olfactories.

5. Cats tend to track kitty litter around the house and that would drive me crazy because more often than not I am barefoot.

6. I really do wear a lot of black. Seriously.

So there you have it folks. I have successfully talked myself out of having a cat, once again. I'm glad you could join me for this.