Written on December 16, 2009 – 6:00 am | by maxine |

Mrs. Noah was speaking with a fellow who’s wife has a phobia about cats.  She apparently sees ALL cats as a threat to her personal safety and enjoyment of life.  He (her husband) stated that no cat is a friendly cat and that they are only self-serving and totally aloof, only giving you the time of day when they want something!  And he applied that observation to any and every cat on the planet.

Well, that would be like saying that since Uncle Joe is selfish and self-absorbed, all men are likewise selfish and self-absorbed.  Teenage Martha is as lazy as the day is long so all teen girls are lazy.  Teenage Mike is vain and conceited and so all male teens are likewise.  No man will ever find a loving, caring, compassionate woman because there is a woman somewhere who, as the Bible says, is like living with a dripping faucet and it is better to live on the corner of the rooftop than in the house with her.  So, since there is one woman, or even more than a few like that, all woman are tarred and feathered with the same brush!

In our house there are six cats and each has a distinctively different personality.  And none of them are aloof and only self-serving.  Most of them come when they are called.  They all like to be held and stroked and they are compassionate.  When someone is ill, it is common to see one or more of the felines laying with the person.  If someone, whether four legged or two legged, gets hurt and hollers “Ow!” in whatever language (cat, dog, English) whoever hears the Ow! comes a running to check out the situation.

The personality of your cat or dog family member(s) can be shaped and moulded.  You just have to train us just like you would a child, or the spouse you “mould” into the person they become after many years of marriage.  Hey, Mr. Noah is quite different from the man Mrs. Noah married over 38 years ago and she is also a very different person now – and the changes are far beyond the abundant grey hair on both of their heads!

When Princess and Gracie arrived here as older adult cats, they were afraid and unsure of human contact.  Now they seek out love and affection and they offer it freely.  Strong willed Buzz usually comes running from anywhere in the house when you call, except for when he is sound asleep of course.  As I said, all of our cats have their own personalities and none of them are aloof and self-serving.  Yes, a couple are shy of strangers but but that does not make them aloof and snobby – just cautious.

So, when you tar and feather all cats with the same brush, remember Uncle Joe, Martha, Mike, and that woman whose husband lives on the corner of the rooftop – you are just like those people — if you follow that tarring and feathering line of thinking!  Hey, maybe you get back from a feline or a canine what they are seeing in you or what you are inputting into them – did you ever think of that?

By Sandi – one dog who loves six “catsheep”

PS  My apologies to Joe, Martha, Mike and women everywhere, for using your names in the article but remember, I personally do NOT tar and feather all humans with the same brush and neither should you!