No Mutts, No Butts, No Coconuts =P

One of the things that makes me "me" is my love of animals.  All of you know how intense it is.  I won't smash spiders (sorry, Maggie), and I will talk baby-talk to pretty much any form of wildlife I see.  I have said many times before how, when I am on my own, I am going to get this breed of dog or that breed of dog, having this image in my head of a giant Tibetan Mastiff named Appa that only does two things: (1) barks at strangers, and (2) eats strangers on command.  Of course it would be my big ol' teddy bear love and be a great pet, but I would have an issue living by myself with a small dog that doesn't really have a lot of protection potential.

I mean, come on, who wouldn't want one of these guarding your house?

However, a big change has occurred in my pet desires for when I am out on my own.  As I get closer to my two semesters at paralegal school (and therefore closer to getting a "real" job and possibly moving out into my own house...eek!!), I am starting to feel more and more like I no longer want a dog.  I want cats, and just cats.

I know, right?!  OMG, Katie DOESN'T want an animal?!?!?!  What is this world coming to?!?!

But I have my reasons, and none of them are for any particular dislike of doggies.  Dogs are just more difficult than cats for a single person, especially with my experience with small dogs and how difficult they are to house train.  Cats are just easier.  For one thing, there is really no house-training required.  They go to the bathroom in litter boxes, which I have no problem cleaning out on a daily basis.  With dogs, there's the obligation of having to go home at specific times every day to make sure they are let out and can do their business.  Cats have no such requirement.  In fact, if one wishes to, one can leave cats by themselves in a house for an extended period of time (if, say, one wanted to go and visit friends in other states  ;]  ), as long as they have adequate food and water to keep them nourished until one returns home.  Dogs also require much more training than cats other than potty training because a human must establish themselves as head of the pack.  Cats have no such requirement.  Having a cat is like having a really quiet little roommate that you have to feed every now and then.  They're pretty low-maintenance, and that's appealing to me.

For another, cats are much more independent than dogs.  They aren't as domesticated as our canine friends, so the majority are not as dependent on attention (of course, I say "the majority" because...well...have you met Blitzie?).  A third reason is that dogs are much more destructive than cats, especially as puppies.  Kitties will claw at things, sure, but that can be fixed with scratching posts and/or squirt bottles.  Dogs also require walks and energetic play to expend energy, whereas cats are pretty much self-sustaining.  If they want to expend energy, they'll find a toy lying around somewhere and bat it around until they tire themselves out.  Cats are pretty much self-cleaning as well, which means no more expensive grooming appointments or stressful baths.  Just brush them and clip their claws, and it's all good  =]

All in all, my activity level and personality are just not suited to having dogs.  At least, I am not suited to having dogs by myself.  If, say, I fall in love and the guy has dogs, then great!  So long as those dogs are tolerant of my kitteh-boos, potty-trained, and good listeners, then it's all good  =]

So yes, although I still love animals with every fiber of my being, I have come to decide that having a dog is just not for me.  I'll keep my kitteh-boos, thank you, even though my ownership of three cats at the time I move out of Mom's house officially designates me as a crazy cat lady...

LOVE YOU GUYS!!