Cats

When someone asks if you're a dog person or a cat person, I sort of look at them weird. I'm a horse person.

In most barns, it's a good thing to have a couple of cats on hand to keep the mice at bay. At the Sanctuary, we have no luck with kittens or friendly cats. The ones that survive are the ones that come to us because they are standoffish (meaning they aren't the ones anyone wants).

Last night I decided to sit and take a break in the hay shed to contemplate life. I was enjoying listening to Junior eat his grain and watching Mayhem and Rabbit power through some hay when our two cats showed up.

Stocky we got from a rescue because no one else would take a feral neutered male. Little One came from an acquaintance who had to get rid of their cats. Both were standoffish when they arrived but in the years they've been here, they have come around. I was sitting on a pallet watching the clouds roll by when the cats appeared.

I see why some people  like cats. I don't have to do anything but sit there and they'll love on you. Little One purrs like crazy when I give her any attention. After a stressful day, it was nice to be wanted even if it was by the cat. The horses only pay attention because I have food. The dogs demand attention as does the husband and the toddler. So it was a nice reprieve for me to just sit there and have them love up on me.

And with the stresses of the week piling up on me, the cats simply sat by my side while I had a good old fashioned cry. It was almost like they knew I needed the moral support. Once I was done and back to doing chores, they disappeared to do their thing (which I'm hoping was to hunt mice).

I wouldn't say I'm a cat person but last night made me appreciate them and the little things in life, like a paw on the shoulder.