Of Dogs & Cats
I am unabashedly a self-proclaimed "cat person." My current wonderful feline, Muffin, was inherited from a former roommate in PDX, and she's the sweetest cat imaginable. Even people who don't like cats like Muffin - she's just got that sort of personality and unique character that make her charming and irresistible.
One of the things that charmed me most about E was how quickly he and Muffin took to each other. E is definitely not a "cat person," although he's become a "Muffin person." He didn't have pets growing up, and his first real encounter with having a pet of his own was during his previous marriage, when he and his ex welcomed some German Shepherds to their family. E loved these dogs. I mean, LOVED. I can see it in his face and hear it in his voice when he talks about them. He had to put the boy dog to sleep, and it still pains him. When he got divorced, his ex kept the house and the dogs since they needed the yard. I know how much he missed both the dogs, how much he had bonded with them. He still visited them occasionally, but that's not the same as daily contact, of course. And then about a year ago, the female died. E was so upset, and I know he regrets that he couldn't have been around her more often as she got sick.
Having a cat is fairly easy, no matter what your living space is like. So our condo is just perfect for Muffin, and she even manages not to violate the HOA weight restriction (2 pets max for 20 lbs max - she weighs in at about 17 or so these days). But there's no way we could have a dog here with that sort of limitation, regardless of any other space or lack-of-yard issues.
So at some point, when we're ready to move on, I really want to make sure our next home has a yard that allows us to add a canine to the family. I want to make this happen or at least have it be possible, because I know how pleased E would be to have a canine companion again. He absolutely melts every time he sees one of his "babies" anywhere - it's like he's got German Shepherd radar or something, because he spots them way before I do! Yes, we'll definitely have to make this happen some day. E deserves it and needs it.
One of the things that charmed me most about E was how quickly he and Muffin took to each other. E is definitely not a "cat person," although he's become a "Muffin person." He didn't have pets growing up, and his first real encounter with having a pet of his own was during his previous marriage, when he and his ex welcomed some German Shepherds to their family. E loved these dogs. I mean, LOVED. I can see it in his face and hear it in his voice when he talks about them. He had to put the boy dog to sleep, and it still pains him. When he got divorced, his ex kept the house and the dogs since they needed the yard. I know how much he missed both the dogs, how much he had bonded with them. He still visited them occasionally, but that's not the same as daily contact, of course. And then about a year ago, the female died. E was so upset, and I know he regrets that he couldn't have been around her more often as she got sick.
Having a cat is fairly easy, no matter what your living space is like. So our condo is just perfect for Muffin, and she even manages not to violate the HOA weight restriction (2 pets max for 20 lbs max - she weighs in at about 17 or so these days). But there's no way we could have a dog here with that sort of limitation, regardless of any other space or lack-of-yard issues.
So at some point, when we're ready to move on, I really want to make sure our next home has a yard that allows us to add a canine to the family. I want to make this happen or at least have it be possible, because I know how pleased E would be to have a canine companion again. He absolutely melts every time he sees one of his "babies" anywhere - it's like he's got German Shepherd radar or something, because he spots them way before I do! Yes, we'll definitely have to make this happen some day. E deserves it and needs it.
posted by jms | 9:16 AM
1 Comments:
LNJ said-
That post just made me smile. HEHE! Thanks.
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