In my experience in the United States, people are either “Dog People” or “Cat People.” As the graph above illustrates, not everyone is limited to those types of animals. So I am wondering about pets and experiences with them.

1. Are you a DOG or a CAT person? Or OTHER?

I am a cat and dog person living in a family of cat people. I want a dog, but nobody else in my family, including the two cats, is supporting me in this venture. So, I am functionally a cat person for the moment.

2. Who were the pets of your childhood and what were they like?

Perry the Poodle and Tippy the mongrel dog of some kind or other were the first pets I remember.

But on my 5th birthday, I got a cat. My own cat. Cleo the blue point Siamese. He was a great cat who liked to sit in the big flower box on the front porch. From that perch, he would greet his fans as they arrived at the house. My mom eventually stopped planting flowers in that box because he’d just sit on them. He died right before my 15th birthday and I was devastated.

3. What pets do you have now?

We have 2 cats, Boo the Cat and El Tigre.

Boo Kitty enjoying a nice autumn day

Boo the Cat was not a planned pet. I was on a field trip with Alden’s 2nd grade class at a park and Animal Control people were gathering up feral cats. (That was not the point of the field trip, btw). I saw an officer walk by with a little ball of fur with blue Siamese points on his ears and I said, “I’ll take that one, thank you”. He handed me the itty bitty kitten and I put him in my sweatshirt pocket.

I defy you to find a cuter kitten than this one.

After the field trip, I stopped at the vet. Boo (named because it was Halloween when we found him) weighed 8 ounces and the vet guessed he was about 3 weeks old. Way too young to be away from his momma. I fed him baby formula with a syringe and made a litter box out of a disposable pie tin. We put a hot water bottle in a little bed for him if we couldn’t keep him next to our bodies.

He now weighs almost 20 pounds, so he managed to thrive. For a few years, we thought he was part badger or something. He was wild and somewhat violent. But now we suspect he is part sloth since he sleeps all the damn time.

This cat knows how to nap

El Tigre is a black tuxedo wearing cat Elliott got for Christmas a few years ago. He and I went to the Humane Society to pick out a cat. Tigger was about 4 months old at the time, and was very affectionate and purry. I wanted him to be named Mr Meowgi, but I was outvoted.

Tigger has many opinions, which he shares freely. He is a much smaller cat than Boo, but is more than happy to attack his much larger companion. Their battles are fierce and highly entertaining.

fun with ribbon

El Tigre really likes to go outside and then come back inside. And then go back outside. We are looking for someone to be a door opener. Full time job. Apply within.

El Tigre

4. Have you ever had any unusual pets in your household or visit your home?

Hamsters, gold fish, etc. But not so much. My kids would have loved to have pet dinosaurs, but never asked for pet snakes or lizards.

5. What have you learned from your pets? Give one recent example, if possible.

I’ve learned a nap is always a good idea.

BONUS: Pictures or anything else related to animals you love.

sharing the love. (this devolved into violence not long after photo was taken).

Have you seen my cat videos?