Are you a dog or cat person?
I love dogs. I love their excitement when I get home. It’s as if their ears are specifically tuned into the sound of my car door closing. As soon as I jingle my keys for the lock, I hear the distinct thud of a tail smacking furniture and lamps. After turning the knob, the first thing I see is a wet nose bursting through the crack of the door. When I gaze into those big heartfelt eyes, their genuine love become so infectious, I forget all the troubles of my day.
I had many dogs growing up. Each of their stories, unfortunately, ended in tragedy. My last dog, Romeo, was a pitbull and my best friend. I picked him out of a litter of seven, the runt. I fed him, walked him, brushed him, played with him and he was very gentle. One day I came home to learn that we would be welcoming an adopted baby sister to the family. And Romeo was gone. My mom had given him away when I was at school. I came home to nothing. I cried.
I never got another dog. As a struggling 20-something, I lived in various apartments with a colorful assortment of friends, coworkers, and Craigslist roommates. None of the places I rented allow pets. When my partner and I decided to move in together a few years ago, I specifically chose a single-family home big enough for our four combined children–and one that had a big backyard for a dog. The previous tenants had had two large-breed, very happy-looking dogs. I couldn’t wait to get mine at the right time.
The right time still hasn’t come. There’s always a reason not to do it. I want to be free and not have to worry about pet care when traveling. I don’t want to deal with the monthly expenses and cost of owning a pet. I don’t want to get emotionally attached, and opening myself up to heartbreak when they get sick or hurt. Perhaps the biggest hurdle is getting over the idea that owning a pet means I’m settling down in one place. That’s a terrifying thought for a flower child.
One day, my partner asked to have a “talk”. I braced myself for what she might say and listened. It turned out that the local pet groomers had a litter of kittens for adoption and she was smitten.
“There’s only one girl!” she says. “Just go look and if you say no, then no.”
This is what they call “the puppy dog close” in sales. They let you try out the product before you make a commitment to buy. Not really convinced, I went to take a look.
There she was, with a purple ribbon to identify her as the only girl in this litter of six. I hadn’t seen or held kittens since I was a small child. After seeing my awkward movement, the shop owner said, “Just scruff her.” It took me a moment to remember how to scruff a cat by the neck. She ran for her life. Quick little booger. I tried again but she somehow wedged herself beneath the kitty litter box and the cage. Her brothers completely disregarded my hand as if it wasn’t even there. Hm…a scaredy-cat huh? Not a good impression. When I finally scruffed her, her body went limp. I remember this being a normal reaction to being scruffed. I brought her to my shoulder and she was irresistibly soft. My partner arrives at the shop and her nervous excitement was palpable. Looking like a little girl before Christmas day, she got her first kitten. Fifteen minutes later, we took her home.
Her survival instincts were sharp. When we got home, she instantly darted toward the shadows under our entertainment center. I couldn’t get her out for the life of me. I gave up and went about my normal business. I had to orient her to her litter box, so eventually, I went looking for her again. I caught her while she was attempting to dash from one couch to another. Being a little slow, I only managed to grab her tail. She hissed at me. Not a good impression.
I learned a lot from watching her grow up these past four months. We named her Kunoichi, Japanese for female ninja, because of her abilities and behavior I saw on the day we met. Interestingly enough, she’s a lot like me. I don’t crave people’s attention and don’t wear my emotion on my sleeve. Like Kunoichi, I show affection when I want, do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it. She’s since become wonderfully cuddly once we gained her trust and she felt our love. Friends constantly comment on how friendly she is as she instantly warms up to complete strangers by rubbing her side against them meowing for a pet.
She is a blessing. It took me awhile to see that. Cats don’t have the same level of emotional dependence with their owners as dogs do. I honestly feel it’s ok to leave her alone or with a relative. All they need is a litter box, water, food, and love. Cats will always find a way to entertain themselves. They are very independent. Yet for some reason, Kunoichi always seem to find me when I am feeling lonely or stressed out.
I’ve been reading the Bible for the first time in my life and one lesson is about prayer. I remember praying for a dog on several occasions. I found out that sometimes you can pray for something but can receive something else or nothing at all. The lesson is that you should be grateful for what you have or was given. Even though I wanted a dog, little did I know that this little kitten was exactly what I needed.
Enjoy these photos of Kunoichi growing up.
Wisdom Note: I recall in one of Robert Kiyosaki’s Audible books, that he forwent a business relationship with a couple purely on his experience with their pet. He says that pets are a reflection of their owner’s inside. This pet in particular was mean and distrusting. Although the couple seemed nice, he went with his intuition on this decision. I’ve found this to be personally true in my experience. I believe pets are a reflection of their owners. So before you decide on the content of a person’s character, you should always meet their pet. Pets are a blessing because they keep my life interesting and filled with emotion. For better or worse, til death do us part.