I was reminded recently of a comedian I watched a few years ago who had a riff going about cat people versus dog people. He said that dog people don’t let their dogs go to the bathroom in a box in the kitchen; it doesn’t make cat people bad, it just makes them more tolerant of crap in a box in the kitchen.
After I laughed for a good long while about this, it made me think.
Mostly about tolerance.
The comedian is absolutely right about cat people. I tolerate so much more in my cats than I do in humans.
My newest addition, Zippy, will jump on my stomach in the middle of the night and demand a snuggle. I’m not even joking. Sometimes I swear it seems like he aims for my abdomen in what appears to be a flying leap. It’s incredibly shocking when you’re in REM sleep for that to happen. If a person ever did something like that, it wouldn’t end well, but do you know what I do with Zippy?
If you said cuddle him, you would be right.
Oh and the furniture. My cats have destroyed my furniture. My desk chair has been ripped up and so has the couch. They use them as a nail-sharpeners. I don’t think I’d be nearly as kind if a person wrecked my house the way they do.
My cat Grayson will actually follow me into the bathroom hollering up a storm because he wants water. Not in a bowl, but directly from the faucet in the tub. He’ll jump into the tub and then demand I turn the water on for him so he can get a drink.
And I do it for him because he’s my baby.
If a person expected me to do this every day, I’d likely hesitate and yet my cats get preferential treatment.
So then I took my wandering thoughts a step further and pondered how my attitude would be different if I could look at people the way I do my cats — if I could apply the same amount of tolerance I had for my cats and their perceived “bad behavior” to the people who upset me. Had I finally found the key to lowering my blood pressure? Would this newfound epiphany of mine actually help reduce my stress level?
Sometimes I think it’s far easier to forgive a pet than it is to forgive a human. That’s probably an awful statement to make, but because people have the ability to reason and speak and communicate in words, should they be held more accountable for what they do?
Or maybe because animals don’t really hurt you as deeply as people sometimes can, it makes it easier to forgive them.
Still, it’s a nice ideal for which to strive.
I really think the key to a better world is tolerance — not only with our animals, but with each other, in pretty much every aspect of life. Be tolerant of those who are different from you. Be tolerant of opinions other than yours. Be tolerant of choices people make that may not be the ones you would make.
If we were more able to let others be who they are, like many of us do with our animals, I wonder how much less violence and strife and upset there would be in the world?
It’s an interesting thought.
So for the animal-lovers who I know are reading these words right now, the next time you get furious about something someone said or did, stop for a second and pretend your dog or cat actually did it. Would you be more tolerant if the actions came from your four-legged friend?
If the answer is yes, maybe that’s how you should approach your reaction to the situation.
I think I just found a new coping mechanism — and from a comedian, no less. It just goes to show you life’s lessons can be found just about anywhere — if you take the time to really look.
Jennifer Vanderau is the public relations coordinator for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 717-263-5791 or visit the website at www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
