The Cat Came Back

My cat likes sleeping on the bed at night. This wouldn't be a big deal ecept that over the years she has become a "more aggressive cuddler." I like cats. I just don't want a cat anywhere near my face when I sleep. She tries to actually sleep on my head. Nothing I do can dissuade her. So now she's being locked out at night, but still finds ways to sneak in when she can.

Catch the cat

I caught the cat just once. Pesky little thing...

http://www.gamedesign.jp/flash/chatnoir/chatnoir.html

Cat cold

There is nothing quite like a baby when it comes to attracting stranger attention out in public. I'm always perplexed by the people who think it is perfectly fine to touch a stranger's baby in the grocery store. (Actually, what's worse is the occasional person who will SEE the sleeping baby and then speak in a loud voice something clever, like, "OH! SOMEBODY'S SLEEPY!!" Yes, this has happened more than once.)

Elaine has a cold. I would blame one of these recent stranger touchings, but in all likelihood it was probably from her shoving a shared baby toy into her mouth on Thursday.

Today, Elaine accompanied me to Walgreens to pick up a prescription. A woman in her 50s observed that Elaine had a cold. She then earnestly told me her cat also has a cold right now. But what's more difficult about a cat having an upper respiratory ailment (versus a baby) is that you can't teach a cat how to blow their nose, she explains. She tells it to me in such a way that I wonder perhaps she has actually attempted to teach her cat how to blow it's nose, giving up only after hours of snotty struggles.

I decide not to suggest to her that 7 month old babies don't know how to blow their noses either, fearful that she may offer to teach Elaine right there like I imagine she tried to teach her cat. Instead I give an understanding smile and nod and move on to the register.

Rescue shelters

I'm not a regular viewer of the Ellen DeGeneres show. Apparently last week she teared up on air because the local animal rescue organization took back a dog because it was living with an 11 and 12 year-old when the contract stated it could not live with any child under 14.

I read about this in a piece called Ellen, the dog bullies and me at Salon.com. It's noteworthy how many reader responses the article has had. The responses weigh heavily in the direction of those who've had negative experiences themselves with rescue organizations. I've certainly heard similar stories from friends and acquaintances. Though good rescue organizations certainly exist, there seems to be a trend of people using their position of animal rescuers to lord over other people as part of their puritanical quest. I wouldn't say some screening isn't in order when it comes to adopting out pets, but overly-rigid requirements applied with personal biases doesn't seem to serve anyone.

We keep on talking about getting a dog. We'd probably get a medium-sized dog that most rescue organizations would deem inappropriate for young children. What we'll do is learn about the specific breed when it comes to children and only adopt a dog who's personality seems to fit. We'll leave the dog bullies behind.