Our Dog Is Becoming A Cat!

Five cats and a dog are members of our family.  Each one of these animals possesses their own special personality and temperament.  It is hilarious watching how these cats and dog interact.  Often times and much to our dog’s dismay, our cats, are on the receiving end of most of the attention.

For instance, our cats and dog are all hungry at feeding time in the morning and evening; each want to be the first to be fed.  “Meow, meow, meow!” loudly cry the four black cats and tabby cat, as we step out the back door with a bag of cat food searching for a place to step on the porch and not on the cats standing in the way.  A cup of cat food is dropped in five different bowls: one bowl on the picnic table, two bowls on the barbeque, and two bowls on the end of the porch.  The mewing is replaced with chewing.

I look over my shoulder, as I step inside the house to see Nanook pacing back and forth.  His expression says, “What about me?  I am hungry, too!”  I say, “Oh poor Nanook!  I am getting your food now.”  I fill his bow.  Nanook grabs a couple of bites.  

Other times we sit around the picnic table talking and/or reading.  Captain will walk by and rub against our legs.  Another cat will jump in our laps wanting us to love on them.  We comply with their wishes.  Who can resist a soft furry kitty cat.  Eventually the cats will find a chair and sleep curled up in a ball.

Nanook is jealous of the attention we lavish on the cats.  He does demand his share.  The funny part is that he will rub against our legs as well.  “Nanook, what are you doing?  Sit down here!  Let me pat your head and rub your back”, we say.  With a smile he enjoys all the love.

Other days we step out the back door to notice the cats laying in a chair and our dog lying on the porch.  Without a thought we reach out to give each cat a stroke on their back while they are sleeping and we forget to pat our dog on the head until he comes to stand beside waiting for us to pat his head.

Early one morning I could not sleep.  I arose and walked by the back window to look out.  What did I see?  I saw three of our cats sleeping in the chairs.  Where was Nanook?  Nanook was curled up in a chair sleeping just like the cats.  I smiled.  I thought that it seems like Nanook is acting like a cat.  I chuckled.  His pacing was sort of like mewing (at least in his doggy way), his rubbing against our legs like the cats, and his sleeping curls up in a chair.  It seemed Nanook was becoming a cat.

Standing in the window I remembered something an important person in my life said to me.  “Choose your friends wisely for you become what they are.”  I thought of the different friendships I had in my life.  I thought about how I did pick up some habits. There are limiting habits such as gripping and complaining.  Or there are empowering habits such as watching an uplifting movie or reading a book.  It is important to spend time with people, who have Godly character.

I laughed.  It is the same for animals.  Our dog was becoming a cat.  Probably it is not a bad habit to develop after all. 

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23.