Housemates

My husband and I briefly toyed with the idea of getting a dog a few years ago. I love the idea of having a dog to walk & take to the park, but when it really got down to brass tacks, I really can't stand all the jumping and licking that dogs do.

In the world of dog-lovers versus cat-lovers, the Dog People seem more like the people I admire (outdoorsy, adventurous, outgoing), but I'm going to have to go ahead and admit that I think I'm none of those things. I'm a Cat Person (neurotic, a homebody, someone who talks to her pets far more than is appropriate). I like dogs and all, I just can't see myself owning one.

The first cat Jeff and I got after we moved in together is Tesla. She's named for Nikola Tesla, because my husband is a nerd.


I tell her everyday that she's the prettiest girl in the whole world, because she is, but also because I think she needs to hear it. She might be insecure about her place in the world ever since we brought the second cat home. She doesn't like loud noises or other animals. She startles easily and meows at shadows, but she also starts purring the second you pick her up, and if (in a hypothetical world) I decided to strap her into a baby carrier on my chest, she'd be all in. I can relate - I'm a little scared of the world, but wouldn't mind seeing it from a safe and secure place.


Conrad is our problem child. We named him for Romany Malco's character on Weeds.

When we first brought him home he was sick, and we thought he was docile, but oh, were we wrong. I have to remind him often that he is a cat, because I think he wonders why he doesn't get the privileges of humans or why he can't go out and hunt deer like a huge predator. He is undeniably handsome, loves to rub up against the legs of strangers, and everyone instantly likes him - kind of like my husband (except for the leg rubbing bit).

I volunteer at the humane society once a week in the cat care room, and my dad says he is proud of me that I haven't acquired a house full of cats. It's because I love each one more than the last. And because I already allocate way too much of my time to cat hair removal in my house.