BY BIANCA BILLONI, STAFF WRITER
I’ve only ever had one dog as a pet, and that was when I was a baby. For the rest of my life, I’ve grown up with cats. I had one cat for about 15 years from elementary school all the way to my senior year of high school, and I’ve had five or six cats since. Currently, I have three black cats and I love them with my whole heart. Two of them, Artemis and Apollo, are brother and sister, and we got our other cat, Nyx, by herself. The siblings were quarantine kittens, and I don’t think we could’ve made a better decision than welcoming those lovelies into our home during such a stressful time.
It’s easier for me than some people to sit here and praise cats since I’ve had so much experience with them. Shoutout to all my cat people who understand. I’ve also been lucky enough to have friendly and loving cats as pets, especially my first cat, Tinkerbell. However, I have had my fair share of bad experiences and that hasn’t stopped me from loving them as much as I do. I think it has to do with their realistic personalities. You never know what you’re going to get with each new cat you encounter, and I think that’s exciting. Of course, I want every cat I meet to like me, but I know that’s probably not going to happen. Patience is key with cats. Some will be all over you from the moment they meet you and others may never warm up to you.
Take for instance, my three cats. Artemis and Apollo tend to be very curious and friendly when it comes to new people, although they have their own quirks. Apollo is more of a “scaredy cat,” especially with sudden movements or loud sounds, but he’s also very affectionate and loves attention. Artemis on the other hand likes to keep more to herself and observe things in her own time, and although she’d never want anyone to know, she enjoys receiving love and pets just as much as her brother. Then we have Nyx, who very much likes to do her own thing. She’ll come out and greet usi right when we get home, but she usually will run off to the basement or under my dad’s bed within five to ten minutes of our arrival. She was a rescue cat, so she has more trust issues with people. But when you take the time to wait for her to come to you, she’s really sweet.
This is not meant to be me hating on dogs at all. Anytime I see a dog in public or if I get to meet one of my friends’ dogs, I pretty much fall in love at first glance. However, I think cats deserve more love. They get such a bad rap because of incidents with scratching, biting or simply being less personable than most pets. I don’t think we should generalize all cats to be mean and unfriendly, but I also don’t think we should only make an effort with cats that are more personable. Just like humans, cats are complicated. Just like you’d take the time to get to know someone who doesn’t seem super outgoing at first, we should give cats the same courtesy.
billonbd19@bonaventure.edu
