Pet Peeves

Yes, I did think of getting a cat but where would I find an already house-trained cat? I don't want to be going after it to clean up its mess! I am not someone who will run after pets and clean up after them!

You know, it amazes me the things people do for their pets. One of my neighbours actually wakes up at two in the morning to let her pet dog out to relieve himself -- or is it herself, I didn't ask her! Like most pet owners, she -- the owner, not the dog! -- goes out with one hand covered with a plastic bag with the other clutching an old newspaper page. As soon as her pet has done its business, she will pick up the poo with the plastic bag-wrapped hand and swipe off its butt with the newspaper! And, back they go into their house!

When I go for my walk I see more such labours of pet love! The other day I saw this man with his dog. As soon as it spread its legs to do its business, he ran up to her behind and laid the newspaper beneath to catch the falling poo! My Gosh! He wrapped it all up in paper and walked the dog home!

The things people do for their pets! You'll never catch me doing that for my pets. Maybe, that's why I don't have pets -- because taking care of them will stress me out. Managing their poo habits will stress me out even further!

My old cat -- which has since passed away -- came to me house trained. What I liked most about her was that she left me alone except when she wanted food and wanted to answer the call of nature. If it were night and the house was locked up, she would scratch and thump my door until I woke up and let her out of the house.

She would then go and do her business somewhere, mostly in my garden which I didn't mind because it was a big garden and I didn't use it much and her toilet area was at the far end and she duly covered it up so I never got any stench!

Occasionally when I wasn't harassed by work and got affectionate, I would wrap her up with an old T-shirt and set her on my chest, cuddling her, and wait for her to rest her whole weight on my chest. After a while, she would jump off. She, too, wasn't exactly the expressive and always attention-seeking, touchy-touchy, lap dog-type!

Now, where can I find a cat which can hop on to a toilet seat and ease itself clean into the toilet bowl! I'll take that cat!