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They say you should never work with animals (or children!), but the same rules don’t apply to living with them. For allll th the responsibility pets entail, the benefits of sharing your life with them are immeasurable.
THE PET PROJECT: IT’S A LONG GAME
t’s hard to think of a life without pets. I’ve had a four-legged something around me my entire life. There’s always been a dog, and sometimes other species – cats and guinea pigs, an orphaned lamb called Basil at one point in my childhood, and my beloved two horses back in my teens. I’ve loved them all. As I look at how my middle-aged cat deals with an exuberant seven-month-old puppy, I live in hope that the dog will become a relaxed fellow fur friend for her to be around and love. There are glimpses. I catch them napping together in sunny spots, and there’s the odd gentle lick of the cat’s head. I’m sure they’ll benefit from having each other in the family. We just need one of them to mature a little!
Animal magnetism!
Jude Dobson ADVICE
I was reminded recently about the benefits of pet ownership. Studies show they can decrease your stress, your blood pressure and your chance of allergies, and improve your mood and socialisation. I’d agree with all those things. I meet the nicest people at the dog park and say a quick hello, and no doubt there’s something thoroughly therapeutic about cuddling your cat or patting your dog. Plus, they always seem happy to see you, regardless of how rubbish your day might have been. Here’s to the animal therapists! And on that note, the park with a puppy’s unbridled energy is calling. The cat will be pleased – the lovely sunny spot on the carpet she was eyeing up will be vacant.
Cat call E! ASK JUaD problem
Do you have on? e to weigh in d Ju e lik ’d u yo w@ estions to nzw de’ u q r u yo d n e S y Ju o.nz with ‘He bauermedia.c line, or to Hey t in the subjec auer Media, ,B W Jude, NZW y 512, Wellesle 2 9 Private Bag d n Street, Auckla . 41 11
READER LETTER OF THE WEEK Dear Jude, We have a darling little cat who lives next door. She is always over at our place and even spends the night sometimes. We try not to feed her, but she is usually quite hungry and is very skinny. Our neighbours may not be paying her much attention. We would love to take her on if the neighbour finds looking after her a bit too much. Should I say something and risk offending them? Elaine
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Say something! Risk the offence. New Year, new home for the cat. Though let’s be honest, cats do what they like anyway. You can’t fence them in like a dog, so it might be that the status quo continues. But if she’s a skinny wee thing, maybe they aren’t giving her the care she needs and she’s simply asking to move to a new house, and waiting for you to provide the human translation services. As a fellow animal lover, I wouldn’t be very happy to
New Zealand Woman’s Weekly
know she was hungry much of the time. Why not simply say that she’s often at your house and you just love having her there? And, with a new year starting, you were reflecting on the fact that the thought of not having her visit would make you feel very sad. You really miss her when she’s not there for company, and you thought you’d be brave and ask whether they might possibly consider rehoming her with you, and just
seeing how it went for a while? They can only say, “No thanks.” Or they might say, “Okay, let’s see how it goes”, or even a blanket “yes”. Be careful not to paint them as bad owners (albeit they might be!), but rather yourself as a crazy cat lady who has fallen for their feline. If they say yes, buy the food she loves, feed her up and get her a fluffy bed, and I’m pretty sure the love from you and the comforts of her new home will make it a permanent move.
