The older I get, the more often I appreciate just how mistaken I can be about myself, the single subject on which I can claim expertise. The journey to self-acceptance following such epiphanic episodes can be tough, but I’ve grown so much in the process of coming to terms with my true nature. I embrace myself for who I am. I affirm my value as a human being. I will not love myself any less for being… a cat person.
In hindsight, I can’t believe how long I managed to delude myself into thinking otherwise. I used to believe I preferred dogs, or at least liked both equally. In elementary school, I had my mom buy from the Scholastic Book Fair a pocket catalog of dog breeds, which I extensively annotated with sticky notes and carried around to pester her for the next decade.
Me: Can we get a dog?
Mom: No.
Me: I like Yorkies.
Mom: Long hair sheds everywhere.
Me: What about Daschunds, like Benjamin’s?
Mom: Their legs are too short.
Me: *flips to bookmarked page in catalog* Beagles have shorter hair and normal legs.
Mom: Huh. They’re cute.
Me: So can we get a beagle?
Mom: No.
I eventually took the hint and stopped asking. But I must’ve gotten to her after all, because the fall of my junior year, she asked me how I felt about adopting her friend’s cat, and a week later, I came home from school to find a beautiful long-haired white cat curling itself around the leg of our dining room table. I named her Cat and the rest, as they say, is history.
The thing is, I never realized how much of a cat person I was until I owned one. Now it’s basically my defining characteristic. Someone once told me that she thought it was obvious I liked cats better because I basically am a cat, which, now that I think of it, was probably her roundabout way of calling me an asshole.
You can tell a lot more about a person when she outs herself as a cat person versus a dog person, because, at least where I come from, liking dogs is usually a given. I mean, I really like dogs, too—it’s hard not to—I just like cats better. As I see it, it’s a lot more telling when you essentially state your preference of being constantly shunned, disobeyed, and unappreciated over experiencing acceptance, unconditional love, and friendliness.
Questions People Have Upon Hearing I’m a Cat Person
- Who hurt you?
It’s hard to explain. Cat, like me, is low maintenance, a quiet presence. Hopefully unlike me, she’s incredibly needy—she follows Mom and me everywhere so that she’s never alone in a room. She recoils from physical contact she doesn’t initiate. She prowls with elegance. She flat out refuses to do what she doesn’t want to do. Her fur is so, so soft. She’s unquestionably prettier than I am. She’s also cleaner than I am, but I’m pretty sure that’s because she licks everything, including her own asshole, and I don’t think I’m quite there yet.
Most of our interactions consist of me yelling at her to get off the countertop and then watching her stare back at me, consider her options, and pointedly ignore me until I unceremoniously yank her off. She’s high up on my list of most important people, and she isn’t even a person. On the other hand, if she had a list, I’d probably rank #5 and she only knows two people total.
But I missed her all the same. Upon my return for spring break, she greeted me at the door like she always does (like a dog, you see, but with less slobber). I was just happy to be acknowledged because one time I came back from three days of summer camp to a week of the cold shoulder. She leaped onto my lap at the kitchen table, and I ran my fingers through her fur as she nuzzled into the crook of my elbow.
Within the hour I was trying to stop her from drinking from a tub of shoe water sitting on the bathroom floor.
Me: Why do you do this? No!
Cat: *turns head toward me*
Cat: *continues to lick water*
Me: *screams* I CAN’T HELP YOU UNLESS YOU HELP ME HELP YOU
I immediately scooped her up and dumped her into the hallway. Twenty minutes later, I found myself kneeling on the bathroom floor cleaning up what I assume to be her retaliation puke because, to quote Mom, “you won’t be able to clean this up when you’re away at college.”
Honestly, it’s like I never left.
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Cat is love. Cat is life.
I too consider myself more of a cat person than a dog person in that being part of a relation where the cat is clearly the master is what I crave.
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Well, when you put it like that…
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I don’t know whether I’m a cat or dog person but I know my personality is more cat-like 😀
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Me, too, Kay, but you already knew that(:
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I’ve never had a cat. I’ve known cats. I’ve known cat people. But I probably never have known, really known either cats or cat people without myself ever having owned a cat. But I do know that your description of Cat bears a remarkable resemblance to a teenage girl. This I know, really know, because my daughter as a teenage girl was rarely alone, recoiled from physical contact, prowled with elegance (or perhaps disdain), and refused to do anything other than what she wanted to do. Of course, she grew out of that. Perhaps Cat will also.
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That’s a wonderful comparison! I can definitely relate to all except the prowling with elegance (I don’t think I’ve ever done anything with elegance). Also, I used to be under the impression that cats would rather you leave them alone, so I’m wondering what went wrong there.
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Guess I must be a cat person, since I help the local shelter adopt them out. I’d like dogs more if they were quieter and less enthusiastically slobbery.
I would have to ask though, how did Mom go from “long hair sheds everywhere” to having a long haired cat?
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I agree! On the rare occasion that Cat decides to lick me, I always remind her that I didn’t get a dog for that exact reason. As for your question, I’d say cognitive dissonance. Let’s not remind her.
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I do not think it is possible to be a cat person until you have owned a cat. I know that until I owned my little man I was a staunch dog person to the death. Now I am an equal opportunity catdog person.
Also Cat is BEAUTIFUL. Smoosh!
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This makes so much sense! You need that exposure to fully succumb. Although I’m sure there are people who are cat people but are pet-less because of allergic loved ones. Also, “equal opportunity catdog person” is the best description I’ve ever heard.
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Good for you. I’ve always had dogs. My whole life. Even so, it was only when I found that I also had 3 cats that I finally admitted I like cats too.
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I was just replying to another comment that suggested owning cats is what truly makes a cat person! They really grow on you. Like fungi.
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Why I cannot be a cat person: https://gielliott.wordpress.com/2017/01/14/attacked-by-kittens-a-cricklewood-road-tale/
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I would be a cat person, I had a brilliant cat when I was a kid, but for some reason as an adult I appear to be profoundly allergic to them. I’m not sure why my body has developed this particular reaction but owning a cat would literally be hell for me now. I still like them from a distance though – cats are cool.
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That’s the saddest thing I’ve heard all day:( I think I might be mildly allergic to cats, too–every time I come back home, I get a face rash that disappears after a couple of hours. It’s basically become a routine by now.
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Commiserations on your allergy. A couple of hours of face rash might be worth tolerating – I’m not sure if I would or not. Unfortunately mine seems to be more of a respiratory problem so I probably shouldn’t risk prolonged exposure…
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I have a dog, the absolute love of my life and two cats which now own pieces of my soul. The truth is, I love all animals, but I keep domestic ownership down to dogs and cats. Perhaps rabbits are cool, Guinnea pigs and gerbils make fabulous pets, pot bellied pigs are like surrogate children and birds add texture to any home. Maybe, but give me a dog or a cat with personality….even an asshole personality and I’ll still call him or her my furry child. Call me a bitch, but I’ve yet to meet a pet python who could empathize with my mood and be willing to crawl in my lap to comfort me.
LK
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I’m inclined to agree except for the fact that I haven’t actually met any pet pythons and shouldn’t be too quick to judge. And pets that own pieces of your soul–so accurate.
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Cats are such savage killers. Roll a ping-pong ball passed a sleeping cat and it’s all teeth and claws.
We just got a new 6 month old cat and it is learning how to properly snub our affection.
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I thought Cat was adorable when she’d bat at me with her paws, and then I read an article about how that’s how cats thrash their prey to pieces or something. Keeping her around is dancing with death, apparently. Also, learning how to properly snub your affection is Step 1 in a How to Cat manual, probably.
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I also thought I was a dog person until I met my boyfriend who has four cats!
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A cat man?? I didn’t know those existed, but I bet you’re not complaining(:
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Haha! Not at all 😀
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Yep, dated a cat man myself once. His friends literally called him ‘Cat Man’, lol.
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Haha! That’s funny!
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Cat. Cat? Cat.
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Funny piece! Some people don’t get why I love cats; they say they’re too arrogant and aloof, but I somehow find these characteristics charming, lol. And I also find Canada geese to be equally charming despite their cat like arrogance. Maybe dog people just take cats too seriously, lol.
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I guess I admire them for just not caring! Also, I can’t say I’ve had experience with Canadian geese–especially not owning them–but who could resist that description?
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They’re cats in bird bodies, lol. Yeah, that not caring is like extreme confidence I guess, lol.
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I got mildly distracted by the beautiful grand piano Cat was sitting on. But seriously, I don’t think I’m emotionally resilient enough to own a cat…
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They’re both beauties! Unfortunately, we had to sell that piano, but I’m sure its new owner is putting it to better use. And I actually understand–I’m not sure I am either.
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Cat is adorable. I love the literal way you named it 😊
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Thanks! Frankly, I don’t think she can tell the difference; it’s not like she pays any more attention to me than usual.
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Ha ha! Cat is just being regal then. Have a great week ahead and Garfield hugs to both you and Cat😊
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