I'm an animal lover. I daresay I like animals more than I like humans (yes, I know humans are animals, but I'm being colloquial). Over the course of my childhood my mother had a whole slew of birds (several dozen, if I recall) and I had three dogs, some mealworms, and I vaguely recall a fish (or two... but don't quote me on that second one). After high school I joined the Army and pets were largely absent from my life, save a meager attempt to adopt a stray cat with a roommate of mine back in the late 90s. Since I've been out, though, I've had a ton of animals. Like... almost literally. So I guess it makes sense that I write about them from time to time.
"A Sleepless Night"
On Wednesday, May 24, 2006, I took my dogs for a walk in a wide-open field. Not quite the middle-of-nowhere, but a good couple of miles from the nearest house and the nearest highway. In fact, other than a small livestock farm, a gravel quarry, and a water tower, there's nothing but acres upon acres of playground (for a four-legged... Read More
"Sympathy for a Field Mouse"
I love cats. There was a time when I didn't really care for them, but now I love the damn things. I love them so much, I have six. Sure, two of them haven't come home in a few weeks, but that still leaves me with four, and that's still a lot of cats. They're great, have distinct individual personalities, and they're all named after King Arthur... Read More
"The Irony of Cats and My Life"
I received the first of those nine cats while I was living in Fayetteville, NC, in 2003, I think, from my girlfriend at the time. She had caught Lancelot in her old neighborhood and brought him to me. He was a doll, I must say... big eyes, scared shitless of my dog, Jax, and loved to attack my toes and my eyelids while I slept (the latter of which is... Read More
"Jasper, Part I"
As I watched one at around 11:30 PM, I really didn't know how to react. I worried, I wanted to panic, but I stayed calm. I watched as he tried to fold and swallow his tongue. I watched as he realized that something was wrong. I watched as he went into a panic, running around wherever there was room. I watched as his adopted brother, as... Read More
"Priorities"
Now, my cats adore me. I'm not exactly sure why, as I don't treat them any better than my dogs, but these two cats adore me. They follow me around like begging dogs, watch TV with me, sleep with me, and fight over which one gets to sit in my lap. I haven't been a cat person for very long, relatively speaking, so forgive me if this all comes... Read More
5 comments:
Ah, you and the real loves of your life. I will have to read these, though I think I have read at least one before.
BTW I always enjoy these highlighted Irrewinds you do. Great idea, naturally ;).
I tend to prefer the animals who view domestication as a pleasant way to share food and shelter rather than as a requirement to perform tricks wearing costumes in circus rings or corporate cubicles to earn their daily bread, human or no.
It's so nice to find another animal lover. We have 3 cats, all with very distinct personalities. I think animals have such kind souls and are drawn to people with the same.
Damn cat is driving me nuts right now. But at two in the morning when he comes and lies down along my back...aw, shucks.
so did you ever have a cat called Bedivere? that'd be a cool cat name
last time our cat brought a little teensy weensy mouse in, he downed it in one go, sitting under the table where i was working. it made an amazingly loud crunch for such a little creature
:-[
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