Cats vs Teenagers by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

I read somewhere recently that having a dog is like having a toddler and having a cat is like having a teenager. And I question that.

For starters, teenagers don’t normally wake you up in the middle of the night demanding attention, but cats, like babies, are quite good at doing that.

And when was the last time a teenager ever curled up in bed with their parents? I can’t roll over in bed most of the time without Patches screeching at me because he was already there.

Now I can see comparing dogs to toddlers, they can make messes and are loud, unlike cats, but let's face it, cats can make messes too. Sometimes navigating my place is hazardous, not just because Patches is underfoot but because of his toys that he leaves all over the place (sound familiar?)

This person was comparing cats to teenagers because they ignore you and do whatever they want, well guess what, whatever they want is leaving their toys all over the place and purposefully knocking your stuff onto the floor. That sounds more like a toddler to me.

When I was a teenager, I didn’t crawl into my parents’ bed in the middle of the night, and I at least knew how to pick up after myself. Cats do curl up in bed with their “parent” and they don’t know how to pick up after themselves, let alone won’t.

Now I know there are teenagers who won’t pick up after themselves, but they should know how to do it, and if they don’t it's their parents’ fault for not teaching them. Try teaching a cat to pick up for themselves. They are incapable of learning that skill.

And yes, dogs are loud, like a toddler, especially when someone shows up at the door, but you can’t tell me cats don’t know when someone is coming. I know better.

Like dogs, they do have a keen sense of hearing and smell. They know when someone is coming.

I’ve had a lot of cats over the years, and I can’t remember a time when a cat of mine didn’t suddenly leave the room moments before someone knocked on my door. Patches certainly hears them coming and I know by his actions he hears them.

I’ve watched him. He’ll suddenly aim for the bedroom but stop in the middle of the living room focused on the front door for a few seconds. If he settles down and relaxes in his place, whoever it was will walk past my kitchen window aiming for the neighbor’s apartment within seconds. If he changes direction and heads out his cat window, he knows and likes whoever is coming, he went out to greet them. If he runs to hide under the bed, someone he doesn’t know is about to knock on my door.

Dogs are noisier about alerting that people are coming, but cats also alert that people are coming, you just need to pay attention to what they are doing.

And another thing, when was the last time a teenager demanded attention when the parent was busy with something important? Patches seems to think me opening my laptop is time for him to jump onto my desk and curl up on my hand if he is in the room at the time. And when was the last time a teenager ever followed their parent all over the house?

If Patches is home, he’s in the room I’m in unless a stranger has arrived, then he’s under my bed. And if I close the bathroom door, he’s somewhere with a view of that door when I come out, promise. And sometimes he stays right at the door, sticking his paw under it and meowing at me. (If that sounds like a teenager to you, you have problems.)

And when I say he’s underfoot, I mean he is underfoot, because he always wants to be right with me. Usually right where I can’t see him down there. At least toddlers are taller than cats.

Personally, the only toddler-like attribute a dog has and a cat doesn’t is being loud. And I’m glad of that because I get enough of loud dogs every time I talk to Konnie on the phone.

There is one other advantage of having a cat over a dog.

Cats don’t need to be walked.

At any rate, that person comparing cats to teenagers, either doesn’t know cats very well or doesn’t know any, because there is no way a cat is like them. I’ve had too many sleep interruptions from Patches to consider him a teen.

But he is enough of a character I really should put him in one of my stories someday.

 Anyway, happy writing everyone!