Cats: A Work in Progress

As an animal lover, I find it hard to understand the bad blood that seems to exist between cat and dog lovers. It’s a bit of a cliché to polarize them when there are so many wonderful types of pets out there, but for some reason, dog lovers seem more pretentious in their preference, while cat lovers are more inclusive in their love for all animals. Although this is my personal observation, internet communities have poked fun at this distinction over time:

Cats can be assholes – they have a reputation for it that I don’t debate. Dogs are great and all, but let me tell you why I like cats more.

The Love of a Cat

The love of a cat is loyal and willful. It becomes refined with age. Felines are wild, graceful, and beautiful in their freedom. They are alive with curiosity, and experience life solely in the present. Any new terrain that appears—whether it’s a rug, a chair, a cardboard box, a plastic bag, or even a warm laptop—is something to explore. Regardless of an object’s use, if a cat likes it enough, they lay on it (which is to say, they now own it) and your needs become secondary.

With a cat, you have to work for their love. This isn’t true for all of them, but it is more the norm . . . despite their preference for independence, it’s as if cats can smell the people who don’t like them, and they often hang around in an attempt to change their minds. As if they knew they were gods in a time long gone, and are still expecting our servitude.

Cats don’t exist for you; they have their own damn lives (thankyouverymuch), and if you push them too far, they aren’t above using violence to put you in your place. And yet, despite their confidence, they can be the goofiest little derps to exist.

They are cute little freeloaders who, when accustomed to their circumstances, finally accept you. If you give them space and allow them to interact on their terms, one day you find them sitting relaxed beside you. Purring. Science has proven a cat’s purr can have mutual benefits, and it’s a privilege to have them share their healing frequency with you.

They are essentially forced roommates, but eventually you just co-exist into easiness. Before you know it, they are the warm spot in your bed and the white noise to lull you to sleep. By allowing them the time they need to put their guard down, cats finally open up to you, and you can experience the joy of their affection. It is the love of a proud creature, coming to you voluntarily for pets, snuggles, and help filling those biscuit orders.

There’s a time in every cat owner’s life, when they can finally look at their cat and say:

“Gotcha, you precious little fucker.” And it feels good.

Is it (just) me?

Perhaps I’m just a suspicious sort, of anything or anyone that comes easy. Or perhaps I prefer to earn my love, knowing that way it holds more gravitas. The relationship with a cat is more relatable to a human relationship, knowing that good ones bloom over time, and generally, the best ones are built on that investment in one another. Cats teach us we are all a work in progress, and when that love is finally earned, it is solid, long-lasting, and authentic.

If there’s one thing dog and cat people can agree on, it is perhaps the preference for animals over people. However, the debate will always be ongoing, so I leave you here, with my favorite cat meme:

Do you have a favourite cat meme? Share the wealth and post it in the comments!

UPDATE (from last month’s post): Jax is successfully Toothless! He healed well, and still manages to thrive on his favourite kibble (even if he now eats like a pelican). His brother Patch finally decided we had been without His Royal Highness for long enough, and moved down from my cupboards to continue his brotherly shenanigans.