dog

It’s National Love Your Pet Day. According to the calendar, this day is set aside to do something special for your pet, or pay it some extra attention. I think most people show their pet they love it on a daily basis, but we all know that one dog or cat that gets left out in the cold with little shelter and not enough attention.

Our cat is one of those cats that owns us, we don’t own him. If Useless wants attention, he will rub on my legs, get in the way, and meow until I give-in and go sit to hold him. When he is in my lap I can scratch his chin and face all I want, but I better not touch him if he is on the floor. Like I said, he owns me! When he wants to go out, he leads us from door to door to show him the weather is the same on either side of the house. He expects us to stand with the door open as long as he wants to sniff regardless of the temperature. I know this is all typical stuff for a cat. What isn’t typical about him is his name; Useless. He’s a good mouser and keeps me company near my computer or sewing machine so he really isn’t Useless. My husband happens to think all pets are useless, hence the name. Isn’t he pretty?

One of my favorite pets over the years was my son’s ferret, named Casper, because he was almost white. On any given day, Casper could make me laugh with his antics. He loved to steal anything shiny and hide it/them in the couch cushions, usually my son’s truck keys. He could walk/hop down the hall with the front of his body facing you and the back of his body propelling him forward. He could open cupboard doors, to get into mischief, curl up in a boot (so you couldn’t find him), or slither into your sleeve to sleep for an hour. The chattering noise he made got quicker and higher pitched the more excited he got. He was always a lot of fun to be around.

When I was a kid, there was usually a canary in the kitchen. My father liked the yellow ones best. Dad would whistle while he did dishes and the bird would sing its heart out. I can picture it and hear them to this day.

Whatever your pet of choice is, today is set aside to show them some special love. If you don’t have a pet of your own, maybe you could make a donation to your local shelter to help care for those animals while they wait to become someone’s special pet.

This mutt definitely has a face only a mother could love, or any young boy or girl who has been begging for a dog.

My father always said a mutt would be less likely to be high-strung than a specific breed of dog and a female is often less aggressive than a male, with fewer bad habits. He also advocated the smallest female in the litter was the best choice because to survive it had to be smarter, making it easier to train.

When I was growing up there were lots of dogs in my little hometown. Most of them were mutts. The neighbor across the street had a dog named Heinz because the owners said it had at least 57 varieties of breed in it. My mother thought that was a really good name. There weren’t leash laws then and I don’t remember people picking up piles in their yards either, we always watched so we didn’t step in them and complained loudly when we did.

I don’t think mutts are as common today. Maybe I am wrong, but most of the people I know have full-breed dogs. I probably shouldn’t admit this in print, but I’m not a dog person. The fact your schedule is contolled because you own one is not somethng I want to adhere to. I know, they are loving, loyal and always glad to see you, but so is my husband and I don’t have to make sure I get home at a specific time to let him out. Dogs also take a lot of your time to teach them how you want them to act. Personally, I’ll keep my cat. I can leave for a few days whenever I want, and he has no problem training me.

Sue Spitulnik

Writing, Sewing, Travel, and Thoughts

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