Let’s face it, people make assumptions of other people based on what they encounter in their first meeting with them. It is by no means fair or just; however, it does happen. That being said, most people, when they first encounter me automatically assume that I am a dog person–which I am; however, I much prefer cats for a variety of reasons. Peoples assumptions when it comes to someone’s pets really bother me. Growing up I got a lot of shit for the dog I had because she was so small; however, she was a part of our family and I would never have traded her for any other dog in the world. The assumptions people make are irritating, whether they be about pets, gender, sexuality or anything at all. Folks, you really need to take the time to get to know someone before you pass judgement on them–hell stop passing judgement on others. If there is one thing I have learned in life that every one of us has in common is the fact that at least once a day we all have to sit down and take a shit–really levels out the playing field doesn’t it?
Throughout my life I have had a variety of cats that were either mine directly, a part of the family or had chosen to be mine regardless of my wishes (sounds just like a cat, doesn’t it?) My new cat, Patches, definitely has my personality and has won my heart over completely. She is half Maine-Coon and a tuxedo cat to boot, here is a picture of her:
Yes, her tail really is that fluffy she is not mad at me for taking her picture.
Onto dogs… I have had a handful of dogs in my lifetime. Some lasted only a short while with us, some longer. My favorite dog when I was growing up was a Beagle/Doberman mix. We got her when I was 6 years old and we had to put her down when I was 17 (her and I were the same age.) Her name was Brutus and she was the friendliest, most loving dog you could ever hope to encounter. She loved to ride motorcycles, was good with kids and the cats we had in the home and although it took us some time to figure it out, she did know how to play fetch, but only if there was another dog around to show off for. I loved that dog very much and after she passed I swore I would never have another dog again–which that promise lasted until 2005 when I got surprised with a puppy. However, before I talk about her, here is a picture of Brutus–keep in mind at the time, the 80′s, she was just a mixed breed, however these days there are people that breed Beaglemans as they are called and the breed is recognized by the AKC.
Ain’t she just beautiful?
Brutus passed in 1991 and from then until 2004 I never had a dog again that was my own. In 2004 I was living in Kansas and was surprised with a dog (word of advice, never give an animal to someone as a gift, it’s a mean thing to do to the person and the animal.) Tiana was a Pit/Husky mix, very loveable but dumber than a ton of bricks. I grew to love her, however she was impossible to house train and I wound up giving her to some people that had a large amount of land where she was able to run and be herself. I really do not want to talk much about her as the situation broke my heart, however here is her picture.
Gotta love her eyes
So, from 2005 until 2011 I was again dog-less and this time I was convinced that I was never going to have another dog, never again! I wanted a cat for sure: cats are independent, loving and caring and they match well with my personality. However, my wife and kids finally wore me down and we got a dog… well technically he is a dog, I am still not fully convinced he is not a gazelle in a dog suit. In late November of 2011 we got Boomer… now, let me tell you about Boomer. He is a Golden Retriever/German Sheperd mix and pure black in color (I blame FedEx for that one). He is only 16 months old as of this posting, very tall (on 4 feet and 2) and weighs in at 80 pounds. Yes, I am aware he is only going to get bigger, I only have to look at his paws to see how big he will eventually be. However, despite his size, Boomer is very loving, very intelligent and loves the kids as well as our two cats (which is good as they were established in the house before him and I think they gave him a smack down when he first got here.) Due to the various schedules around the house, he has become “my” dog in all but title. He follows me around the house all the time, even to the point if I am outside having a cigarette and walking around he follows me from window to window. At night he sleeps on the floor on my side of the bed, rarely leaving that spot until morning when he decides it is time to get up. Yes, I do love this dog very much and last week when he had his accident, he was out playing and cut an artery on his right front leg, I was very scared about losing him. However, the doctors took good care of him and he has a very strong resolve, he has not let it slow him down at all. He is a good boy, took some time to break him in to the routine of our household but he is a full part of the family now and he is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Boomer: I am so afraid he is gonna be mistaken for a bear one of these nights.
