#Bloganuary is a month of blog prompts/questons that WordPress uses to get us bloggers off to a good start in the new year.

Day 15 – “My favorite animal?”

Hand’s down, it is the CAT!

Okay, okay, you dog lovers all hate me now, right?  I love dogs too. I’ve had collies, dachshunds, weimaraners, dalmations, and mixes. But I love cats a wee bit more. I know dogs are loyal companions, protectors, service animals, but a cat….. purrs.

Ah, that purr. The sound of contentment. I’ve read that a purring cat ON YOU can heal a headache, relieve stress, bring relaxation and chase away depression.  It’s true!  I had a very loving, soft as down, orange & white cat, “Rusty”, who had just such a healing purr.  He did it often. He was so sweet. I would bury my face in his pure-white tummy and listen to that purrrrrrr.

Cats are intelligent too (dare I say more than a dog?)  Yes, they can be taught to do tricks, and can figure out puzzles like locks and door handles etc. Rusty would fetch a small toy ball as many times as I would throw it, dropping it at my feet every time.  But they don’t do stupid things like (some) dogs. They are fast, they have quick brains, lighting-quick reactions. And they can SEE in the dark. I’ve know instances where cats have attacked prowlers and home robbers and protected babies.

“Story”, another cat (silver & black striped) that I had from 8 days old until she was 19 years old, would follow me like a dog during my ranch chores outside, always come when called by name, attentive to my every mood and words to her, and always willing to please.

Yes, cats are aloof sometimes, doing absolutely just what they want to do, ignoring you, disobeying well-established rules. But that purr. And those glassy, golden, intelligent eyes that contain the wisdom of Egypt in them…

Who can resist?

Not me.

Can you hear them purring?

Dogs: “She loves me. She feeds me. She must be a god.”

Cats: “She loves me. She feeds me. I must be a god.”

Like I said…