Cats are selfish, but lovable

Our 15-year-old cat had been struggling of late with kidney disease. They say putting a pet down is regarded as the final act of kindness.

It was so sad, holding her, stroking her as the needle put her to rest.

I had never gone through that before and have vowed I will never do so again.

That’s not to say we won’t get another cat; we will, I’m sure. But my expectation is that the next cat will outlive me. We truly do miss her on our bed at night. Those of you who have gone through it know what I’m talking about.

Neither Carol nor I had ever had a cat. Or wanted one. My son and his femme-du-jour (he was 25 then) were moving into an apartment and pets were not allowed. So, he asked me if we would take her. I asked Carol, she quickly gave me an emphatic “no,” then, just as quickly, asked “What colour is it?”

I thought Cameron had said she was a short-haired grey tabby, with all her shots, and everything.

She turned out to be a long-haired shedder, black, with a white locket (common as dirt, Carol liked to say), with no shots, no food, not even a bowl to put food into. At that point, we didn’t think we were getting much, but it didn’t take her long to wiggle into our hearts.

I believe people who think they don’t like cats are missing a special affection. Our cat had a great personality and brought us a lot of joy.

To be a cat lover, though, you have to understand one thing going in: it is all about the cat. The cat will do what the cat wants to do, when the cat wants to do it; unlike a dog, whose entire purpose in life is to please his owner.

I like that idea too, but you don’t have to walk a cat. In fact, that is something you should never try; it won’t work out well for you or the cat.

Ever wonder why cats always land on their feet? My understanding is that they don’t have a collarbone and the bones in their backs have more mobility than those of most other animals.

For these reasons, they have free movement of their front legs and can easily bend and rotate their bodies in freefall, allowing them to land feet-first.

I saw our cat fall 15 feet to a tiled floor. Her little paw pads were tender for a while, otherwise no big deal, apparently.

Our next cat will be a kitten. I will train her to ride in the car, walk on a leash and, maybe, fetch. Yeah, right. Fred Trainor is a retired broadcaster, living in Okanagan Falls. Email fredtrainor@shaw.ca.