I love cats.

They are they are sweet, loving and loyal. I know, I know; you think I made a mistake…that I’m talking about dogs. No; I love dogs (I have two big ones), but I really am talking about cats.

Cats are misunderstood by people who aren’t cat lovers. These people refer to them as aloof, distant, and selfish, among other things; and they are right. Unlike most dogs who will take up with just about anyone who pays them a little attention, cats are exactly what you put into them. If you don’t put time into them, they’ll be nothing more than expensive door stops.

Give them love and attention, though, and they bloom, their personalities flourish and they become so much more than little furry balls.

I have four cats - not by choice, of course. [No sane person has four cats and two dogs by choice. I saved all but one of mine from either being run over or from the pound.]

Because my son and I give them lots of love and attention, they have developed four very distinct personalities, four distinct sets of preferences - even their common language varies when they “talk” to us. The affection they give us is deliberate. The head butts and hugs saved for their humans only.

As expensive as they all are, as much of a pain in the you-know-what they can sometimes be, I can’t imagine life without my pets. They enrich our lives so much.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here. Those of you who don’t like cats will probably continue to not like them. But I hope that some of you will consider getting to really know a cat. I think you might find out you were wrong.

For those of you who don’t want to try, here’s a tip: If you don’t want the cat to pay more attention to you than he/she does anyone else, give him/her lots of attention. Most cats are very wary of attention from strangers, which is why they’re drawn to the one person who is ignoring them. When you ooo and ahhh over them, they move on to the next person who’s leaving them alone.

Here’s a neat little video. We’ve all heard the story of the lion with the thorn in its paw and how grateful it was to its rescuer. This video shows that, at least in one case, the story is true. This big guy really loves his rescuer. :)

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