I found a sweatshirt once that I wish I purchased. It was super soft, white and said “Dying alone with cats...”
I knew it when I saw it that this was likely my fate. My love of cats and being relationship adjacent seemed to be a harbinger of what is likely to come...
I picture myself in a little house on a river, horses in the yard, cats, well everywhere, a dog or two, chickens, a few goats. Living out my days, writing, reading, feeding. Truth be told my greatest life would be to go on a daily walk around my property with an animal parade in tow. I know, I know. I would be called names like “crazy cat lady”, “nut job in the woods”, and probably names much worse.
I seem to care not at all. To those who scoff, I raise a middle digit.
I like cats better than any other animal. I have lots of reasons (they are quiet, they are clean, they are independent but loving, self sufficient, capable of being left alone for a weekend) but really they just make me happy. Their quirky personalities cause me to delight in our everyday. I love my dog too and dogs in general but find their dependence somewhat draining. I will always have a dog, dogs provide me balance for life, a companion for walking and, at least with the dog I have now, someone who is smarter than me alerting me to things that I would otherwise miss in the machinations of everyday life.
Cats are just part of my life plan. Days filled with writing, reading, fires, cozy time spent in bed or on the couch. My dog is a good snuggler but the cats, oh the cats. They languish like no one I have ever met.
So it will come as no surprise to anyone that when I went to pick up the ashes of my recent darling rescue who didn’t make it, there was flyer with two kittens. And of course I inquired. And of course, I looked at them. And of course, I fell in love with them. And of course, I am likely going back today to get them.
So that will bring my animal total to 8. Five cats, one dog, two horses. And really that is so much less than I have had or want. And there is totally room on the bed for the daughter, the five cats and the dogs. The horses would totally get in if I let them but there have to be some boundaries. And as I say that I know that if I lived in my idyllic life, the horses would be able to poke their ginormous heads through bathroom or kitchen windows, ensuring their station and position in our lives.
I know this is not everyone’s life dream. I know most of you find my animal obsession to be confusing and perhaps odd. I care not at all. I can tell you that I have almost never experienced a better feeling than lying in bed, pinned in position, surrounded by the love of my children and pets. And it is the cats that give the most to me (children excluded), in their feline ways, that make me feel wanted, needed and adored, but not too much!
See there is plenty of room!