And I thought I was a Cat Person

by: Paula Lawes

 

And I thought I was a ‘Cat’ Person….

Tommy is his name, rather scruffy looking; likes to wear a dark brown coat and has a light brown wayward beard with very bushy eyebrows.

You’d be wrong if you thought I was describing my boyfriend (well now ex-boyfriend).  Tommy is someone more loveable, honest and intelligent than you could ever imagine.   Yep, got it in one! Tommy is my dog, in fact my 7 month old Patterdale Terrier puppy he is the best thing I’ve ever done in my 38 years on this planet, too date that is!

And THAT’s saying something!

You see I grew up until the age of 15 with a house surrounded with cats.   Cats who loved to climb over me to get to the middle of the bed just to get a piece of the duvet cover. Cats meowing first thing in the morning to be let in; let out and whatever else they requested!  Cats, in my view, are the ones in charge. They come and go as they please in a nonchalant kind of way, with not a care in the world other than when their next meal was coming from!

As an animal lover I still felt that I tended to take our cats for granted as I knew they were always there, getting under my feet and yes, annoying the hell out of me!

But I never considered in my wildest dreams that I would ever grow to love a dog!  I’d laugh when a work colleague or friend would regale me with tales of what their dog did, where they went and forever shoving photo’s in my face to prove that the dog was really THAT cute.   I guess it’s a bit like having a baby isn’t for those of us less fortunate, well if you think that way, not to be able to have a child of your own.   It’s something to look after isn’t it?  I guess we all have that need in us somewhere.

So yes, Tommy came into my life on the 2^nd November 2012 and to this day I have never regretted it one bit. Ok that is a little white lie. Of course he has tested me and still does on MANY occasions.  He worries me, especially when he goes off lead and runs so far and fast away from me that I think he’s never going to stop! 

 But most of all Tommy is my best friend. I am sure you’ve heard this before but it is true.  There is nothing like the love you get from a dog, respect and unconditional and unwavering trust that beats anything or anyone I have come across in my life.

So this is Tommy, he is what he is and there is no-one else like him and the most important thing he teaches me is patience, trust, love and tolerance.  I only wish and hope I can say the same about the humans in my life. But I guess that’s why he is here…….