How I realised I was a cat person and not a dog person

I always thought that I would be a dog person. Taking a dog for a walk is a really enjoyable thing. Throwing them a ball and watching them bound away and back again. And of course, having them excitedly bound toward you after a long five minutes of abandonment is an experience that truly warms my cold, dead heart.

Mid last year, Hive account@ursa and I decided that we wanted to adopt a cat. It would have been irresponsible to obtain a dog within our current home (a small, two-bedroom unit with not much of a yard), which wouldn’t give a canine beast the adequate area to stretch its legs.

This post isn’t a list of excuses why I didn’t introduce a dog into my life. It might sound like one. I love dogs. In the last few months, I’ve simply learned that I love cats more.

Mia isn’t anything special as far as cats come. She isn’t part of an exotic breed, or has any remarkable, distinguishing features on her coat. She is five years old (six later this year) and has led a troubled life of sorts.

Joining us from the Lonsdale RSPCA shelter, Mia entered our home with a long list of potential medical concerns. Firstly, being a cat with entirely white fur leaves her vulnerable to skin cancer, especially in the scorching Australian light of day. This means she’s an indoor cat exclusively.

Further to this, she has no teeth. They were removed when she made it to the shelter, either caused by gingivitis, or a rare auto-immune issue where the feline immune system rejects their very own teeth.

This doesn’t stop her from eating. Mia is an absolute fiend when it comes to food. She devours her morning kibble, almost inhaling it.

I’ve often found her on top of the fridge pawing at the bags of food. When it comes to food time, she will use all of her feline guiles to suggest that she’ll be showing an extended period of affection. Leg bumps, adorable meows, and squeaks abound from her tiny lungs.

She’ll also purr at a ridiculous volume the moment wet food is deployed in the evening. While she isn’t the most snuggly cat (especially now that we’re entering summer); she’ll often come along, flop onto her side, and demand belly rubs.

These aren’t the sort of belly rubs that end with your hand becoming an eviscerated lump of sinew, gore and blood loss, typical of most cats and anything involving their underside. In fact, it doesn’t really matter where you pet Mia, the only thing she doesn’t really appreciate is being picked up.

The other diagnosed medical warnings that Mia was given were with regards to a minor heart murmur, and the penchant for her eyelids to become inverted. After having been examined by a vet, these issues were seen to be non-existent. This is good news.

Mia is currently sitting atop my laptop bag, staring at the grey wall behind the wall mounted TV. She’s settling in for the night, and I’m glad that she seems like she’s enjoying the company. That, and depositing her white fur all over my mostly black clothes.

In typical cat style, she shows the most affection when one isn't conscious. The below image was snapped by Hive account@ursa a night a few months ago.

Thanks for reading!