You see before you two charming examples of pets that on a daily basis bring joy to their humans. The top one is Cashew and the bottom is my cat Rufus. Both are males and divine, very cuddly cats. The illusion that we all have, we that love our pets, is that to them we are gods and goddesses. We elevate our own status by this assumption and since I am hedging my bets I am the bestower of all things good and kind to Rufus while he is still gracing me with his presence.
Rufus is fourteen years old now and an indoor/outdoor cat. My history, of the cats that I've owned indicates that he will probably live a mere four more years if I'm lucky. I got him many months after the sad demise of the beloved Boo Boo [see post "Be Careful What You Ask For" in April]. Rufus's Mommie had been killed when he was only three weeks old. Someone brought him and his brother to the Animal Shelter where they lovingly bottle fed him. He is a lover, probably due to his unusual upbringing. From the start, Rufus has given me so much more than I can ever give him. He greets me at the truck when I drive in, honking for him to come [and he does!]. Rufus is an absolute sweetheart with children, patiently letting them pet him and then licking them in return. They practically swoon with delight. He rarely meows except when he wants to go out or after I have been away on a trip, scolding me for not being around. He sits behind me on my chair when I eat my meals and purrs. He is the epitome of politeness, never begging for food, though this may have more to do with the fact that the only food he'll ever eat is kibble. Makes it easy for me to let him roam free, because remarkably, he doesn't kill birds or small animals; he is that fussy about his food.
I never liked you--not one bit.So this devotion that we assign to our pets may just be an illusion as Billy Collins pointed out in his very funny poem. However that ignores the pets who have preformed incredible and heroic acts at their own peril for their owners. So I am going to state that the affection that especially the dog and cats feels for their owner is genuine. So there Billy. I even knew a woman who's cat woke her out of a sound sleep when there was a fire in her apartment building. Self preservation, perhaps, but the cat could have escaped via the cat door and instead woke up her owner.
When I licked your face,
I thought of biting off your nose.
Billy Collins The Revenant
I am fairly sure that Rufus will be my last pet. I want to travel with my husband who is going to retire fairly soon. That Rufus is properly cared for when I am gone, concerns me greatly. I've worked out an arrangement with friends and relatives, yet I worry that someone will forget and neglect him. So, when he kicks the bucket I will restrain myself and not replace him.
As a therapist I know that many studies have stated that owning a pet is good for your health. I am all about anything that is good for a client's health. The studies show that the pets presence lowers a person's heart rate and blood pressure. Recently, hospitals have taken to employing therapy pets to bring comfort to acute cases. I know that when I'm blue and hurting there is nothing like my tuxedo cat to comfort me.
However, just as I never encourage a couple to divorce, I also learned, the hard way, never to encourage a client to acquire a pet. Once, many years ago working with a very lonely woman, I made the suggestion, "why don't you get a pet to help assuage your loneliness?" Her best friend and roommate had fallen in love and she was in a new town, knowing no one and her friend was constantly gone from the house. When I innocently suggested, "how about a pet?" I pictured her running to our local animal shelter and picking out a charming dog or a loveable kitten. The next session she came in and announced, "well I got a pet!" "Wonderful" I said, "what did you get?" "A horse!" "Oh, how nice, I wasn't aware that you had acreage." "Well, I don't and my roommate is furious that we have this horse in our back yard." Needless to say this provoked all kinds of problems which were eventually resolved when she finally donated the horse to the local 4H group. Needless to say that was the last time I suggested getting a pet as a good solution to resolving loneliness.
But secretly I do believe that everyone should have a pet or three in their lives. They bring such comfort and joy and there are so many homeless pets available. Tis the season people! So contrary to the above paragraph, I hope that if you don't have a pet you will consider owning one. Granted the pet may not be as fabulous as Rufus, but you never know...
susansmagicfeather copyright 2011 Susan R. Grout all rights reserved.
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