A few weeks ago, I asked people from across the country to tell me one reason why they have a pet. I got so many, that I broke them into dog responses and cat responses. A few responded with both dog AND cat reasons, so I saved them for this cat post.

These excerpts from cat lovers are some very beautiful stories that wonderfully illustrate the love and connection we feel with our fancy (and not so fancy) felines. Thank you to you all! Like before, I’ll start with my own.

1. When I moved out on my own for the first time, it didn’t take long before I longed for my very own pet. I visited a few shelters and at one, I saw a tiny little 11 month old tabby with big ears he couldn’t wait to grow into. He was in a glass cage and kept head butting the glass in front of me so hard, I was afraid he would hurt himself. I asked to see him and was told the shelter didn’t allow it for health reasons. But he seemed loving, so I adopted him.

For the first few days, he was the sweetest cat I had ever met. He cuddled all night long and watched me silently all day. When I took him to the vet, however, I was told that his neutering had left him with an infection and was given antibiotics. After his infection cleared, I met the true Charlie: a hellion. For the next three years he held me hostage. I was surprise attacked every day and learned to never dangle any body parts out from under the covers while sleeping. Once I even called an emergency number crying, “I don’t know what to do with this cat!!!” But, he was my cat. I refused to give up on him, or give him away, or deprive him of his killer claws. I taught him to cuddle again by feeding him treats while holding him. I scolded anyone who encouraged him to “play” with human hands and showed them how to hand him a toy instead.

Finally, after three years of captivity, Charlie started to mature and became easier to love. Now, at age, 14 and 14 pounds, he’s the perfect mix of heart-melting sweetness and joyful spunk. We’ve been through a lot together. He’s hung in there with me through six moves to seven new homes. He tolerates another cat and a dog even though he thinks he’s top cat. He greets me every time I come home and always follows me into the kitchen no matter how deep he had been sleeping. He’s my big, naughty, sweet sweet boy, and he’s the number one reason why I will always have a cat.

2. Sifu has two kitty condos: a high-rise 2 level condo in the living room and a one-level in the main bedroom. The latter is by my side of the bed and when I get up each morning, he enthusiastically jumps off and we exchange greetings, me with my “good morning” and him with his signature early–day meows. He then follows me into the bathroom prancing along the way, to keep me company as I get ready for the day. This is our daily routine and that’s why I have a cat.
Fresia Rodriguez – www.kingleyandposh.com

3. Last year my wife and I, who live on our ranch north of Austin, rescued a kitten who just had one front leg because the other had been mangled–probably by a coyote or hawk. We nursed him back to health and he has been a joy. He does not seem to know that he is “handicapped.” He catches mice, climbs trees, and even harasses the deer that feed in our yard. As an artist, things can be up and down. Anytime that I need an attitude adjustment in the positive direction, I just watch Miro for a while. If he can do it, so can I. That is why I have a three-legged cat.
Pablo Solomon – www.pablosolomon.com

4. A cat or a husband? As a lonely widow, which should I choose? When the cat meows, I can pretend not to understand. The cat’s dinner comes prepared, in a bag. No clothes to wash for a cat. When I go out, the cat stays home, takes a nap, and doesn’t complain. He is always there when I return and greets me at the door. The cat knows what my day was like, and does not ask. He does not complain about how bad his day was. No mother-in-law or former cat kids to deal with. I can count on his purr when I stroke his fur. The husband list? Don’t ask me. I have chosen Sterling to live with me.
Marta Felber – www.SterlingTheCat.com

5. I have a very special cat that entertains me daily by explicitly letting me know “who is who” as guests step into my home. This seems only natural to have a “communicating cat” due to my being an animal communicator. He has a talent for sorting out the genuinely nice folks, who are the “givers,” and the people who are the “takers.” He does this by greeting them at the door, checking them out and then coming to me and either purring or meowing loudly. The purrs are for the folks who are “OK” and the meows are for the one’s who are “NOT.” He also leads me out of a room when the “NOT” person is in the same room by meowing and rubbing up against me and showing me how to leave an area. Being a very talented judge of character, he is spot on 100% of the time. During the day he loves to grab a helium balloon by the long ribbon with his mouth and carry it about and play with it. At night he quietly collects toys and brings them onto my bed as gifts so I wake up in the morning with small cat toys around me. The caring and love that this brings to my life is exactly why I will always have a cat.
Paula Brown – www.animalhearttalk.com

6. I’m a freelancer and work from home except when I have meetings and events to attend, and I often lose track of time as I get absorbed in my projects.

My fat and fluffy female cat, Molly, is dumber than dust about everything, other than time and her food. Bear in mind, that she of course has her crunchy food and fresh water 24 hours a day.

Every day at exactly 2:00PM she will come and find me, stare at me and give me her loudest scream to remind me that it’s her snack time and I’m to immediately stop what I’m doing, go to the kitchen and give her her special treats. Then, at exactly 7:00PM, she does the same thing to let me know it’s time for her to be given her canned wet food for dinner. Her internal clock is amazing! Without her, I’d never know the time. And that’s why I have a cat!
Candice Sabatini – www.BeautyNewsNYC.com

7. My cat Fred is actually a dog. He follows me around the house, he follows in front and my husband and I make up songs to sing about him. Every morning when I wake up to go to the gym he wakes up too because he knows it is time to play. He follows me to the bathroom and looks for things to kill. He follows me to the front door and attacks my shoe laces as I put on my sneakers. Then when I get home, he follows me into my office and wedges his 12.9lb fluffy striped self into my in box. He keeps me company all day as I work away running my sales training company, and he is the best business partner I have ever had. AND that is why I have a ridiculous cat named Fred.
Carolyn Ziel – www.essentialselling.com

8. I work as a freelance journalist, a job that many consider to be a lonely profession. My cat, Mr. Earl Gray, lies in a sunny spot on my desk keeping me company. I have to be careful not to rattle the pile of papers that he sometimes sleeps on.
Michele C. Hollow – Tattoos, Microchips, and ID Tags Keep Dogs Safe

9. I was sitting by my fireplace working on a drawing one day when I realized the only sounds in the room were the soft breaths of my dog and quiet purr of my cat. It was perfection. That’s why I love having a dog and a cat.
Arlene Lord – www.mosaikdesign.com

10. When life gets me down, the recession makes me worry, I gain weight, whatever is going on in my life I can count on Sophie and Lulu to love me no matter what. Sophie is my beautiful tuxedo kitty and Lulu is my ever loving and happy black lab/border collie mix. Lulu can be counted on for company wherever I go (the license plates are dogscar) and Sophie can always be counted on for a nice morning cuddle before the day begins. This is why I have a cat and a dog!
Mary Ann Mayer – www.mtwashingtonbb.com

11. We got Mr. Grimsby just over a year ago from a local no-kill animal shelter. Before we got to the shelter, I told my husband that we’d either have to get a cat who didn’t like feline company or we’d have to get two cats to keep each other amused. He adamantly refused to get two cats. Unfortunately, Mr. Grimsby doesn’t like men very much either – that’s why he’s my cat only.
Phyllis Harber-Murphy CAP – www.morethan925.com

12. Bubba is my little knight in shining armor. When the world gets too tough, and the kids don’t listen and my husband is mad at me, one thing is always constant, my cat.

He cuddles with me even when I don’t want to cuddle (he doesn’t take no for an answer), and it always makes me feel better. He even has a way of telling me off when I’m out of line. That’s why I have a cat.
Rudy Santamaria

13. At first, I only knew I was being followed from carport to apartment building. After a couple of times, I did more than stop and turn around, only to see nothing; I rapidly moved forward and hid behind a wall, then turned to catch my stalker. A calico was first curious about me and then nervous – eager to flee from me. Soon I persuaded her inside and began a journey of learning that stalking was not the only habitual neurosis of a calico; these are nervous cats, a veterinarian told me, when I noticed she was biting out her own hair in the months before my divorce. Thirteen years later, she’s laying beside me when she’s not following me; she’s a teddy bear who appreciates love and has finally let go of her fear of feet (she used to box any which came too close). She is a best friend who licks me when I cry as if I am her kitten, and that is why I have my cat.
Angela J. Sisson – www.scnguide.com

14. I have four adopted cats and two adopted dogs. Both species seem to have picked up traits from each other. The cats will come running when they are called like dogs, the dogs will walk on the top edge of the sofa and groom themselves. My rescued Malti-poo dog Heidi is the last to have joined our group and came to us as a young, lost soul, She has picked up and seemed to improvise upon the cats’ use of their forearms to grab objects. She uses this newly found gift to grab people’s hands in order to guide them to pet her. My cat Omar, has witnessed that Heidi’s trick works in getting her lots of attention and he in turn has copied this move in his own fashion.

I can never be in a bad mood for too long because I will have a little dog jump up next to me wag, stare at me earnestly, take her tiny paw and firmly guide my hand to her body, while my other hand is being held by a cat. This is why I have rescued dogs and cats.
Audrey – www.hopeforpaws.org

15. When I’m working late at the computer and it’s getting dark, my orange tabby meows incessantly until I get up to feed him. As I look at the clock and realize I’ve been working for 12 hours, I realize my cat’s mission in life is to help me lead a more balanced life.
Brenda Avadian, MA – TheCaregiversVoice.com

16. When I come home from a long day at work and start up the long staircase, it’s downright refreshing to see her little face looking around the corner to greet me. She leads me into the bedroom, where her brush is, and her soothing purr helps to put the day behind me. That’s why I have a cat.
Monica M. C. Tombers – www.JustSoJewelry.com

17. I own my cats (or they own me) because there is no more genuine love than a pet’s love. They love you unconditionally. It doesn’t matter if you have morning breath, put on 20 pounds or didn’t get dressed that day. They still love you – no matter what. And my cats are my ultimate companions – curling up with me in bed, laying on my desk while I work, trotting behind me in the kitchen waiting on “treats.” Having a pet makes me a better person, without a doubt and they enhance my life exponentially.
Cindy Houston Hazen CPC- Certified Personnel Consultant

18. I have that most unique of all pets – a considerate cat! No early morning yowling to be fed, no pawing. My girl Misha waits until I turn onto my back, which I do as I wake up, before she comes in to sit quietly by me, snuggling with me into my pillow. When I work, she does not plop onto the papers or book I am looking at, she walks carefully around it, perhaps lying close by with her head on a corner. When I work on my computer, she lets her paw hang over the edge onto my hand, ‘mousing’ along with me. And at night, she comes to put me to bed, always jumping up onto the right side of my bed, then jumping over me onto her pillow at my side – this leap I call her ‘pussy blessing’ for me, as it is a habit since she first did it as a year old kitten. She stays by my side until I place my book away, turn out the lights, and fall almost into sleep. Then she heads for her bed in the living room, there to wait until I awake for the next day. My dear, loving, considerate cat! I wake up to her sweet love, and am put to sleep by it – never alone. That’s why I have a cat!
Cynthia Colby

19. Every night at 10 PM, Monk and Mingus get on the steps and start meowing. It doesn’t matter if I’m watching TV with my wife or working on my new novel on the laptop, these two want to play “the food game.” As soon as I get up, they run upstairs, Mingus jumps in the bathtub, Monk gets on the vanity and they wait for me. I have to toss pieces of dry food into the tub while Mingus races around trying to get them. Monk insists on being fed by hand; I can put the bowl down in front of him but he won’t eat any other way. They’re gorgeous little black animals and they have so much fun playing, what can I do? That’s why I have two cats.
Ian Randall Wilson, author of Great Things Are Coming – www.hollyridgepress.com

20. I have had a dog and/or cat in the house with me for as long as I can remember with very short breaks – while I was at University or shortly after one dog had passed and another entered my life.

I have three children and we have had 1-2 dogs and 1-2 cats in the house for my 15 years of marriage. When we live with other creatures it teaches us tolerance and respect and how to live with different natures. I believe it’s important to care for animals and it helps us understand that all beings have needs, that humans are not the only great animals. Somehow I feel it humbles us to share our lives with a variety of Mother Nature’s creatures. They are some of our greatest teachers and I have learned a lot about my self and animal behavior by observing animals. I love the way they love. That’s why I love living with pets.
Suzanne Ballantyne – www.simplepractice.net

BONUS – One more reason to adopt a dog (actually, three more reasons):

Zak has a dog door, and he loves to entice you to go outside and play with him. He has a toy box outside. He’ll grab a toy and then peak his head through the doggie door with the toy inside his mouth to try and persuade you to go out and play keep away.

And then there is the Captain Jack Sparrow impersonation. Zak will come into the kitchen, put his two front paws on the counter and beg you to throw a cookie for him. He’ll chase after the cookie all the while he is throwing his front paws in the air, head turning from side to side, and dancing like some contortionist from a circus! That is why I have a Samoyed.

Zak gets two walks a day. We walk about two miles so both of us get our exercise in. Since having Zak, I’ve lost 12 pounds and I haven’t felt this great in years! That is why I have a Samoyed.
Ashley Oakes, Zany Zak Dog Collars

I read a heartbreaking story in my local news today about a woman who lost her Shih Tzu and found him a week later at the pound – with an “Adopted” sign on his cage!

The shelter felt terrible. They called the adoptor to explain, and said she understood and agreed to return ownership of the dog back to its original owner.  But then minutes later, called back saying she’d changed her mind!  She’d already paid the adoption fee and signed the papers, so legally the dog was hers. Despite offers of refunds and free replacement by the shelter, and money from the original owner, she will not give the dog back. She claims that since the dog was lost in the first place, it will be better off with her.

As someone who got my dog when he was full grown–from someone who found him wandering the streets–I wonder all the time about his life before me. I have so many questions about so many of his quirks. Sometimes I wonder if I even really know him. If there is someone out there who knows all the deep, dark, joyous events that ever happened to him. If there is a wonderful trick I’ve never seen him do because I’ve never known the magic command. If he’s unhappy because we don’t share the same bond as he did with his past owner.

I try to make myself feel better with the words of Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer: “dogs live in the moment.” But humans do not. I feel terrible that this woman can’t see how a few weeks or months down the line, especially after she really forms a bond with this Shih Tzu, she might realize the love she took away from his previous owner and feel remorse. I can’t imagine how she can look the young girl in the eye (although they’ve probably only spoken by phone) and not understand the love that grows between humans and their dogs…or understand it and not submit to it. She has no history with Gizmo and could find herself another dog, one who is truly unwanted, and create a wonderful, new bond of lasting love.

Click here to read the full news article. I sincerely hope the adoptor changes her mind, and so do most of those who posted comments there.

Please consider adopting a shelter dog or cat.

January 24, 2009 has been deemed National ”Change a Pet’s Life” day. At participating shelters, the first ten adoptions of the day will be free (up to 3,000 across the country). You can find participating shelters here.

Shelters will be using their normal screening processes to help parter pets in need with only qualified adoptors, so the emphasis will still be on quality over quantity.

Finding 3,000 pets a home in one day won’t reverse our current shelter crowding, but it will achieve great strides and hopefully draw out adoptors to shelters who might have gone to a store. This effort is Go Fetch Approved!