December 31, 2008
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How I became a Cat Person
I wrote a post for Seedsower’s “Mystery Blogger” series… I wasn’t going to repost it, but somebody recently said that I don’t reveal much of myself on my blog. So I thought I’d share this personal post about how I became a cat person.
How I became a Cat Person
I grew up breeding dogs, and have always had a soft spot for man’s best friend. Loyalty is one of the most important things in the world to me, so how could I not love dogs?
In a similar vein, I always thought of cats as the worst pet in the world. I would see movies where evil witches were surrounded by black cats and think, “That sounds about right.” I’ll sum up my impression of cats: they don’t listen to a word you say, they are fickle and difficult, and if they get mad they hiss or scratch you.
Then I met my girlfriend’s cat. Sparky was so wonderful: sweet, sincere, and with a heart of gold (I’m referring to the cat, although my girlfriend wife also fits the bill). I thought to myself, if I ever have a daughter… I would be so pleased if she was a good a person as this cat. I know that sounds a bit weird, but this cat is really something special. Then earlier this year, we discovered our cat had cancer. Without treatment, our cat only had six months to live. We knew right away that we had to do whatever we could. We ran up $15k of credit card debt to pay for surgery, chemo, and radiation. I don’t know who it was harder on: us or our cat. The cat didn’t eat for days, which in cats can be fatal. We did nothing but shower her with love and food, and eventually she started eating again. She finished the treatments and came back with a clean bill of health.
The next month was one of the happiest of her life. She was so happy to not have to go the vet for treatment, and we were so happy that she was doing so well! She would sleep in bed with us every night, and curl up like a good cat near her master. She would never hiss or get angry, no matter what. If someone surprised or upset her, she would just go hide deep in the closet or behind the curtains. She was truly an angel.
Of course, it was too good to last. Two weeks ago, we found a cyst that was rapidly growing at exactly the site of her cancer. We had it tested and it came back negative. It seemed impossible. So we did a full biopsy last week, and the results just came back yesterday: cancer.
With the type of cancer she has, surgery/chemo/radiation won’t be very effective. The cancer is on her face, so to remove it we would have to take out her cheek and maybe even some bone. She would be in terrible pain, and would almost definitely not eat — so we’d have to probably put a feeding tube in for a month or so. It’s such a harsh course of treatment. I don’t know if we can bear to put her through that when she probably doesn’t have much time left.
Why would such a bad thing happen to such a wonderful cat? I don’t know the answer to that. But she has taught me that all cats are not evil, and that in fact cats can be Good. Her sincerity and love have touched my heart, and I will always love her. She reminds me of the first dog I ever had: so sincere and kind that it’s hard to believe she’s not a person. I don’t believe in souls, but if they exist then she definitely has one.
Now I have a soft place in my heart for cats. I know that they are not all this wonderful, and that I may never meet such an amazing cat again. But just knowing that cats can be this Good has forever made me a cat person.
Comments (47)
I hope that her final days are in peace. It sounds like you did your best in caring for her, and that’s better than many people will do.
i’m much more of a dog person too. i find that the cats that i grew to really like all “acted” more like dogs. but there are some really, nice sweet cats out there, like sparky!
sorry to hear that her cancer has come back.
at least in the life she has lived, she had loving and caring parents. coincidentally i found out today my cousin is going through the same thing with her cat maxine and is having a really tough time handling right now.
I’m sorry to hear about your cat.
When I was younger I was highly allergic to cats, so we didn’t have cats. When we moved to the house we live in now, a cat adopted us… Our neighbors said it was a stray cat, but we found out later he actually belonged to the people two houses down. I don’t know if I grew out of my allergies, or he was hypo allergenic for some reason, but Sunshine was the Most Amazing Loving Cat!!! Unfortunately he too ended up with cancer of the face, & we had to have him put to sleep….. After losing Sunshine, our daughter wanted a cat, so we got one, & again we were blessed with an amazing loving cat. We still have dogs, (5 dogs) but when they are all gone, I’ll stick with cats…….. 
awww, how bittersweet. I’m so sorry your cat has cancer. I wouldn’t wish that disease on anyone or anything, especially a cat.
As for me, I like both cats and dogs equally. We have three of each, and I love all of them equally. They are like my children. I would do anything for them, so I can understand how heart wrenching it must be to see your cat go through this again. I can’t imagine how I would react if my cats or dogs were diagnosed with cancer.
So sorry about your cat. :’( Pets are precious to us.
I grew up breeding cats (Burmese) and dogs (Cavalier King Charles spaniels), and our vet bills were always offset by the fact my Mum’s a veterinarian, but even so, when our Golden Retriever (also, very much beloved) turned out to have a tumour in her brain at the age of about 14, Mum did exploratory surgery to see what was going on and when she discovered the extent of it, simply didn’t bring her out of the anaesthesia. She said it was one of the most difficult decisions she’d had to make. Sometimes, there just isn’t anything you can do, and the kindest thing you can do is to let go
I am a huge animal person.. Especially cats.
This story breaks my heart. =’[
Thank you for sharing about Sparky. I’m sorry she’s sick. As a pet lover, I know how hard it is. Just as you are grateful to have her in your life, Sparky must certainly know how loved she is and be grateful for the home she has.
John, like you I was a dog person. My dad was a veterinarian and we always had dogs. Of course we had our share of xats, usually strays that we fed and gave a little care for. Working for my dad at the animal hospital I really learned to dispise cats. Hissy, persnickity, tempermental creatures that they are.
Untill I met Bishop, our black cat, from some other galaxy I am certain.
Bishop has been the subject of many of my paintings and has helped to raise over $500 for charity. Not bad for a cat I suppose. Recently we had an incident in which he developed a blockage in his eurethra, and the vet needed to do extensive surgery. I would never believed that I would have made any other decision, than to have the cat put down and go to the animal shelter and find another one. Cats are a dime a dozen, but this one is one in a million.
I appreciate your sentiment, truely I do. I realize this is an old post, I hope your cat has not suffered overly much. Good tidings and cheer up fellow cat person.
I’m sitting here at work, reading this, with tears in my eyes. We have two cats and they have definitely become part of the family. At one point, we couldn’t stand cats….it was actually a neighbor who had 13, who let them spray all over our yard and we couldn’t go outside without that smell smacking us in the face. BIG TURNOFF. One day my daughter brought home a kitten from the neighbor and asked if we could keep one. We hesitantly agreed. Two years later we decided that “Booboo” needed a friend….so then came along “Jojo.” These two have TOTALLY different personalities. Booboo is more snooty, and Jojo is more lovable….but I love them both and would be broken-hearted if something ever happened to either one of them. I wish you and your family and your cat the best of luck to make things as easy as possible on all of you. Take care.
I love cats.
I know your pain and disappointment. Just know you are not alone.
I have two cornish Rex cats. I had Caesar at this time last year, he almost made it to 17 years (his sister is still with us) Caesar died from kidney disease.
It was crushing for me to find he had died in his sleep on January 20th of this year.
I wish you lots of strength in the days ahead.
I’m sorry to hear about your cat! =[
I hope whatever choice you guys make about her future doesn’t put her in any pain and she lives the rest of her days knowing she is very loved!
that almost made me cry TT_TT
I’m glad you are a cat person…
Cats are indeed wonderful, caring little things, and I’m sure little Sparky is the best of the best!
I’ve recently lost my two family cats, that I’ve grown up with, to cancer as well – I guess its fairly common in older cats? Anyways its a very hard situation to go through and I hope that you and your wife can enjoy what time you have with Sparky. I’m sure that you two will make the right decisions on what is best for her!
I’m going to go snuggle with my kitties…
I like dogs, but I love cats. My first cat was a beautiful–white fur with blue eyes. She was really intelligent, listening to my commands. If I pointed, she would look where I pointed to and go in that direction. If I patted somewhere, it meant to come sit there. She would only play with the people she loved–not the ones who fed her, but the ones who earned her love. One of the reasons why I prefer cats more than dogs is simply because of that–you have to work to earn a cat’s love.
-ray leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
this post made me happy and sad all at once. the part about the love you gave (and give) to your cat just made so much sense, and it’s true about how love can really make a difference. i’m so sorry she’s taken a turn for the worst, i’ll keep my thoughts and prayers focused on her. i just lost my *ella* in april (she was 18). she was the most feminine, graceful, intelligent and loving (but bossy til the end) cat who’s ever owned me and my husband. most cats remain “independent” and that’s just their nature. but if you’re fortunate enough to have one like yours (and ella), it’s astounding what they teach. i’m glad you’re a cat person. a lot of guys would never admit that,,,and i don’t know why that is. i’ve been a cat watcher since i was about five, lol. it’s a lot like watching ballet, to me.
i tried to record using the xanga application for video, but every time i hit submit it never goes thru.
This is lovely; though, I am much more a dog person .. but having said that, I don’t have any pets.
Happy New Year’s Eve, John!
but dont we have cats for supper, pa?
Wow. This broke my heart. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for cats. I’m so sorry you and your wife and she have had to go through this.
I don’t have anything to say to this. I love cats, and I’ve always been a cat person….this story is so sad for me to think of. But its good she taught you that lesson.
aww.. so it was you! no wonder you rec’d that post
Glad your a fellow cat-person!
I’m so sorry! It’s always hard to lose a pet. They really do have a way of becoming part of the family.
I think in a lot of ways, pets are a reflection of their owners, in animal-form. Not always, but as a rule, yes. It’s terrible that such awful things befall good people and cats (which I both love), so if we got all negative about it, we could be depressed about it forever. In fact, I think the best way to commemorate the death of a beloved person or pet isn’t to focus on their death, but to remember their lives and all the joy they brought when they were here.
ewwww cats
Hi John, your cat story is extremely moving. I’m really sorry to hear about what is happening to your cat but I know you know all good things come to an end and for our pets, we are able to make the best choices for their pain free lift off to another dimention. Myself, I believe there are reasons for everything we experience and that somewhere there is a really caring God involved in our lives. Though I have no personal experience to make the statement, I can say with certainty, if there is a God, he loves the animals he created be they two or four footed and there will be a special place for them in the hereafter. I have always been a dog person myself but of late have been adopted by a male cat. Named BobbyFischer, we are in the process of taking care of his immediate needs, shots have been finalized and he will be neutered on the 19th that is if he has anything to do with us when we return home to rescue him from the kennel he is in, while we are away. I am crossing my fingers the cat has some real feelings for his adopted family. He is not as sweet a cat as you wrote about but he has potential and given the chance we can be the best of friends to our new master of the house.
Happy New Year to you and yours. Becca
Awww! This made me want to go outside and let my cats in for the night…almost. Poor kitty!
Is it crazy that I found this just a smidge humorous? I love the pets I’ve had but would never spend that much on medical bills for them. I am sorry to hear about your cat though. My parents’ dog was on the decline for a few years before she just gave up one day. I’m more of a dog person. Cats make me sneeze too much to be a cat person.
this is such a sweet entry!!
. I hope that the time she has left is spent as peaceful and happily as can be.
this is very sad as well
It is a true blessing to find a lesson of devotion and love through a cat. Although a tragic story, it is one that warms every heart. And if it doesn’t, then thier probably covered in scales anyways.
I hope your blessed with another personality as your cat, be it dog, cat, or even child.
I’m sorry about your Sparky. Your cat is lucky to have had you compassionate guys to care for her.
I always had cats when I was growing up, but they were outdoor animals. A few months ago we got a kitten who’s just a spoiled indoor girl. She’s amazing because although she can be aloof like cats are sometimes, she also is tuned into the people around her. If someone is crying, she checks on them. If my husband (who is diabetic) has low sugar, she follows him around until he is feeling better. If someone is sick, she curls up with them in bed. She can be quite nutty, and sometimes…well…catty, but still she’s devoted when it counts.
They are all individuals, much like people are. Some good, some evil, some in-between. I am glad one of the really good ones came your way.
::: hugs ::: I’ve had to say good-bye to a few of the really good ones. It’s hard, to say the least.
My friend just recently found out her cat had cancer as well…she’s very attached to him and she’s had him for 14 years
That’s a really good story but so sad.
Thanks for sharing! Cats are awesome!
I’m a dog person too, but all my cats have doggy personalities =)
I’m sorry your cat has cancer again. Sometimes letting go is the hardest thing in the world. I know from experience, but I believe quality of life is as important as quantity.
I want to echo people’s comments and sympathy; lost a dog to cancer this fall. And I hope 2009 goes well for you. Will there be a new cat in your life?
@CaKaLusa - I guess I could let people be mad at me too, by mentioning that the cat family is used in “Tiger bone wine”. Inever tried that Chinese elixer but hey no animal should be taboo to be used by man….(taboo like the people who can’t eat anything pork or cow…)
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Have I ever loved cats? Well I am not a cat fancier or even a pet enabler. However if you spend enough time with anything you can become attached to it…
I was never a cat pereson – until I got my own. His name is Cosmo and he’s a Ragdoll cat. He’s such a wonderful animal – tolerant, calm, patient, gentle, and like you said it’s hard to believe he’s not a person. He sleeps in my bed and sometimes we even cuddle up together. He’s young still but I’ll be so sad when he’s gone.
I’m very sorry about your cat. Cancer is so cruel
Thanks for writing this for my post and for sharing this side of yourself.
So sorry about your cat. I have a dog and know it would be devastating to lose him!
My very first (my very own) pet was a kitten. My aunt’s cat had it and it was one of her last of the litter of 3 and she just couldn’t bare to give it up. So she thought she’d be sneaky and give it to me as a gift. (My mom expressed no animals) That cat and I had a love/hate relationship. We loved love LOVED to aggravate each other and we just simply couldn’t stand each other. Of course I got older and we grew closer and loved each other. I had her until I was 15 years old. She passed away. I am both a dog and a cat person. I’m sorry to hear that you are losing your very first cat. They really are quite interesting and very loving.
I’m so sorry – it is just horrible losing a pet…. especially such a loved and loyal companion.
I have always been a cat person for the very reasons you describe here. They can be fiercely loyal…. and I would and have done all I can for my cats. At the moment I have two white cats, one which is deaf. Both are indoor and for that very reason Jesse (the deaf one) is still with us 14 and a half years later.
Just recently my brother’s next door neighbour’s cat Roscoe, who tends to reside at my bro’s house most of the time was bitten by a brown snake… Roscoe is hopefully going to make it – and his owners are footing the bill which at the moment sits at $3,000.
If it was one on my own cats – I’d do exactly the same….and pay the money. After-all, they are family. V