Where we live: Animal house

By Mary Tobia

What’s it going to be, a dog or a cat?

My husband and I have survived 48 years of marriage. We have endured baby drool, children with broken bones, the teen years and planning weddings, but we are now at a crossroads. He wants a dog and I want a cat.

We have had dogs and cats in the past, but never at the same time.

We had two German shepherd mixes, Duchess and Molly. They were trained wonderfully thanks to my husband, who was a dog handler in Vietnam. They both left us very sad when they passed into doggy heaven.

Dogs are amazing creatures. They offer unconditional love like no other. They are always happy to see you, their sense of smell could save your life and dogs can keep you in shape. They are man’s best friend.

The downside is they have a time commitment. They need to have daily exercise, they need to run and enjoy some freedom, they will do their business when and wherever, and as a responsible dog owner you will clean it up right away. Even when it is 5 below zero and all you can think about is getting back in the warm house.

A dog is costly: dog food, vet visits, haircuts and dog kennels when you go away.

They should never be left along more than eight hours a day.

Dogs should have some amount of training like not jumping up on people and understanding the word sit. They need to know people food from doggy food and if they sleep on the floor or the end of your bed.

In the past we have had two cats (not at the same time as dogs). Simba was a gray-striped cat who came to live with us when our daughter moved home for a year while her husband was deployed in the service. On their next move pets were not allowed so we inherited the cat. She was such a good cat, never climbed up on countertops or tables. She slept in her own cat bed and was never a bother. If she decided she needed some people time she would curl up on your lap and purr. When it was her time to go, we missed her just as much as our dogs.

Our other cat was Nera. A young all-black rescue cat. The house was hers. If she wanted to climb, she did. If she wanted to eat human food, she did, and she would not sleep anywhere else than at the foot of our bed. Our home was her castle. All this much to my husband’s dismay. Because we were retired and traveling a lot, we had to give her up for adoption. Its was a sad few weeks without her.

Cats make great pets because they are low maintenance. Fill their food dishes and clean out the litter box. They can be affectionate and entertaining. They require much less space and you don’t have to walk them.

The downside of cats are they shed constantly, you must clean the litter box regularly or it can get smelly. Many people are allergic to them. They still need to be seen by a veterinarian yearly even if they are indoor cats. Cats can be strong-willed, can scratch or bite and they will vomit hair balls on the kitchen floor. Trust me, you will find that by stepping on one with your bare feet as you make your way to the coffee pot first thing in the morning.

Even though not ours, we can always get our dog and kitten fixes when we visit our children.

Our daughter and her family have a young Australian shepherd named Dolly. Their first Aussie was Angel. She was 14 years old and they had to put her to sleep a few months ago. We loved that dog as if she was our own and felt the pain of having to let her go. Dolly has the makings of being a real good family dog.

Our son and his family have two dogs and two cats. Siblings, 10-year-old Wheaton-poos Carly and Coco. You know you are loved when they greet you! The 6-year-cats are also siblings, Larry, white and brown, and Darryl, all black. They will show you some attention when they decide the time is right. It always amazes me that these four animals get along extremely well with each other. Drink each other’s water, would like to eat each other’s food and sleep next to each other.

Our youngest son and his family have one dog, Toki, a 9-year-old Lab and German shepherd mix, and two young rescue kittens from the same litter, Spooky, a calico, and Pumpkin, an orange and white one. Toki is the largest in our “grand-dog” family and has a heart that is even bigger. I sometimes think she is part human. The kittens are too young to pass judgment, but they are so cute with their playing antics right now.

I recently read that almost 60% of Americans have a dog or cat in their household. Dogs top the chart with 74% and cats at 49%. I also read that the most popular pets are freshwater fish.

Hmmm, now maybe I found something my husband and I might be able to agree upon. Here fishy, fishy, fishy.