A "Cat Person"

I've always grown up with dogs. Nobody in my family has ever had a cat. When I was born we had a mutt named Laddie, next we had a sable collie named Prince, next we had a tri-color collie named Shadow, and our last dog was a golden/lab mix named Teddy. My parents didn't get a dog after Teddy because his death was too difficult for them...he was with us for 14 years and became a huge part of our family. By that time I was living on my own anyway...so I always grew up in my parents' house with a dog. Also, my uncle/aunt have always had dogs (german shepards and golden retrievers) and my brother and his family have a dog (golden retriever). My grandfather, who passed the same time as my dog, Teddy, also had dogs...his border collie, Buddy, outlived him.

So, I was the first in the family to get a cat. I really would have liked to have gotten a dog, but not only did the apartment I was living in at the time not allow dogs, but I also have such a crazy busy schedule that I knew I wouldn't be able to properly care for a dog. I work from 8:30am-5pm Monday-Friday, I go to the gym 3-5 times per week after work, and I do a lot of community theater (usually have rehearsals from 7pm - 9/10pmish on weekdays, and sometimes on weekends). I also like to be able to pick up and go away whenever I want to...and that's really difficult to do with a dog. Even though I couldn't have a dog, I knew I wanted a cuddly pet to keep me company. So, I decided to get a cat!

I wanted a dog-like cat since I was so used to having dogs...and I really didn't want a cat who would ignore me. I was getting a cat for companionship, so the last thing I wanted was a snooty, anti-social cat. A friend of mine had a Maine Coon mix and said Maine coons are known to be a lot more friendly and cuddly than other cats. So, that's exactly what I got (the full story about my adoption is one of the first blog entries I wrote, so you can go back to see that story if you'd like). Gobo is great, and he is definitely the snuggly, loving pet that I wanted. The problem now is that I've become a "Cat Person." I don't think I've reached the "Crazy Cat Lady" stage, but I'm definitely a "Cat Person." How do I know that I am a "Cat Person" now? Well, just read on...

Reasons I know I'm now a "Cat Person":

1. I carry pictures of my cats with me, and tell stories about them to anyone who will listen....as if they were my children
2. My checks have "Cute Kittens" on them
3. My address labels have "Cute Kittens" on them
4. I have a "365 Days of Kittens" Wall Calendar and a Page-a-Day calendar called "Bad Cats"
5. I write a blog that is devoted solely to my cats
6. One cat sleeps on my head and one sleeps on my stomach...and I LOVE it!
7. I went to a Cat Expo with a friend of mine
8. My condo is filled with cat toys, cat beds, and cat trees
9. I go to "Yahoo Answers" and answer "Cat" questions all of the time
10. I miss my cats when I'm at work
11. I miss my cats when I'm on vacation
12. I would never date a guy who was either highly allergic to cats or just didn't like them
13. I get defensive when people say mean things about cats
14. I cry when I see a stray cat that got hit by a car on the side of the road
15. In my old apartment, I fed and pet the neighborhood strays, found some of them homes, and even named them
16. I tell anyone who has a cat about "World's Best Cat Litter" (seriously the BEST cat litter I've ever used)
17. I look at "Cute Kitten" websites and think to myself, "My cats are SO much cuter than these stupid cats!"
18. I've submitted pictures of my kitties to "Cute Overload" and "The Daily Kitten," and am upset that neither of them have chosen my photos yet!!!
19. When my cats do something cute, I think to myself, "If only I had a camera on me right now..."
20. My computer background image is a picture of my cats