i was a dog lover first. up until i came here in australia and met jeff’s cat, popit, i couldn’t imagine my life not having a dog. i still can’t. but reality is, owning a dog in this country can be so expensive. not to mention the laws and how you can easily be put to prison if your neighbors do not find your dog’s enthusiastic barking cute.
i must have yapped too much about how i missed my dog chico back home in the philippines and how i constantly went “awww…” every time i see a dog being walked by their owners on the street that jeff drove me to the animal shelter probably thinking that that would shut me up. it didn’t. but it was nice to see all those dogs up for adoption anyway and know what animal shelters here are like.
there weren’t many dogs when we went there but my favorite would have to be that hairy little fella being petted by one of the volunteers. as happy as i was that the dog was given lots of TLC, with every stroke i was getting more and more jealous. in my head, i was like, “okay, lady, janjan’s turn now!”
as if i was even allowed to get past the double fence.
on the other side of the shelter were the cats silently lazing around like royal beings on warm comforters and colorful towels, oblivious to the attention showered upon them by visitors who consider themselves cat people. jeff included.
this was where he got popit, by the way. and he chose her because she chose him first. (something she probably regrets big time now. lol.) followed him around until the dude gave in. he said the shelter initially didn’t want to release her because she was too thin but jeff brought her home anyway, where she continues to follow him around. she loves him heaps.
as for me, i guess i’d always be a dog lover first. but that doesn’t mean i hate cats. well, i used to. but popit kind of made me change my mind. she’s starting to grow on me, this cat. exactly like jeff said she would.
the shelter also had this memorial wall to commemorate animals who passed away for one reason or another. as i read the metal plaques, i thought of slash, george, and cassy with bittersweet remembrance. they were wonderful dogs and i’m glad i had them in my life. because regardless of pet preference, whether cats, dogs, or whatever, these animals will always be family. always.
except maybe for fish. unless you actually get some meaningful interaction from them.
the pauses between 
As a cat and dog lover in equal proportion, I’m glad you have taken a liking to cats, or should I say for now, a cat. While dogs will always make you feel like a master, cats will sometimes make you feel like a servant. That combo will balance us out as a human being. Fish, on the other hand, interact silently with humans (most of them, anyway) and calms us down. And for that, they expect to be fed (if they are in your home). That could be meaningful for some. 🙂 Should I start talking about birds? 😉
hahaha. yes, please. now i’m curious what you have to say about birds! lol.
we used to have lovebirds in our garden. when the season and weather permit, the hubby sits in front of this fairly big cage (you could actually fit in 3 fat men). and have his morning cafe (pretty much like gazing at an aquarium). But the lovebirds, 1 male and 2 females, never multiplied. We were always replacing any third bird either because it died or it flew. In the end, the hubby gave the cage away and started buying bird feed (you hang it by tree branches). Now we have lots of different birds that visit our garden. They are free and the viking still gets his treat. 🙂 Please don’t get me started with our mouse!