Petting the People

For the past couple of days, we have been dog sitting my in-law's dog.  She's a very good dog, housebroken, well-trained, and really well-behaved.  And I've loved having another living creature in the house.  I miss that.  But, and this is where I am going to get controversial, after much consideration, I definitely prefer cats to dogs as household pets.

Don't get me wrong, there is something very special about being greeted by an exited, yippy, tail-wagging, jumping up-and-down dog when you come home, even if you've only been gone for a walk around the block.  But still, I prefer cats -- even with the indifferent greetings upon returning home.

I love having an animal on, or near, my lap, but I miss the purr.  I know, dogs wag their tails, but that's not the same as a purr.  And licking is not the same as kneading.  Overall I prefer the gentle, quiet nature of cats' affection to the boisterous, in-your-face-ness of dogs' exuberance.

Also, cats do not require getting up and dressed and going outside in the cold, grey rain of winter mornings.  Though I will be the first to admit I complained often enough about managing litter boxes, so it's really a wash on that score as far as I can tell.

Yes, I am happy to have an animal sharing my space, but this particular animal, no matter how great a dog she is, reminds me that she is not a cat.  And while it's not her fault, there are moments when I can't quite forgive her.  Though, if she learns how to purr…