The difference between cats and dogs.......

Have you ever really watched an animal? I was thinking about it today, while watching my cats do their regularly strange little things, and it occured to me that they aren't just animals, without a brain, or conciousness, but are actual living little creatures with little personalities and mannerisms and such.

I knew all this before, of course, because I've grown up around animals all my life, but just sometimes they do something that reminds you of that.

I found some pictures today of puppies and dogs and cats and kittens, and it occured to me that dogs and puppies always look guilty when they are doing things they shouldn't, like tearing a teddy bear to death, or digging up your vegie patch, or even scratching themselves when they know you've put a healing cream on them and so they shouldn't scratch. But cats?

My cats at least, well they never seem to look guilty about much at all, except for the twins. They often look guilty, because quite often they are! My two older ones though, if they've just shredded something, or done their business somewhere they shouldn't, they give me a look that says "well if you waited on us at our every beck and call like we think you should, then we wouldn't do it!", and so it ends up being my fault somehow. But the twins? They seem to know that they shouldn't do these things, and so they have the good grace to look embarrased and sorry when they do :-)

I caught one of my older cats today, just sitting on his bum in the back yard. Not doing anything, just sitting and looking about him. Since my dog died, he's had full run of the back yard, and I often look out my kitchen window and see him prancing around the yard, much as my old girl did when she was alive. As I have said before, my older boy cat (Mr Vampire Teeth) seems to have taken over the role of protector from my dog. My older girl cat appears to be content to spend more and more time inside these days, though I guess I'm not surprised, given she's 10 now.

My life is still full with my pets, and trying to pack up my house - though I've not done a lot of that recently due to having had the flu for about four months now, and having started physio on my back recently, but I'm getting there.

I still have my wonderful boyfriend, and he's been just about the best friend a girl can have recently, taking care of me while I've been sick, and keeping my spirits up when I think I am going to be sick all of the rest of my life.

Anyway, stuff to do, and sweet little kitten cats to hug and kiss and spend time with.