Animals have minds of their own. I should know. My cat Sheba held court with 5 young deer the other day. She was on a stump in the back yard and the deer stood around the stump checking her out. Their courtship didn’t last long. The deer scuttled away, and Sheba moved to other places, no doubt to search for a chipmunk. But I digress. After a time of waiting for an appointment to have Sheba spayed, we woke, had breakfast, and then tried to coax her into the cat carrier.
No luck. Sheba would NOT get into the carrier or a box even enticed with deli ham. We tousled... she scratched... I pushed.... she's strong.... I coaxed... she batted ... she's smart... she knew that carrier wasn't the place she wanted to go. I tried a sturdy box. Not so. I put on gloves and tried to pick her up and put her in. She squirmed, twisted, pushed back... she's very strong. I couldn't get her in. We’ve rescheduled with the vets. Felines and friends! That’s the end of the story for now. Alas!
But I am fortunate. I have friends. Friends who care about how things are going with this cat. How things are going with me. With my family. It’s a good feeling, and I appreciate their interest. The older I become, the more I realize relationships are all that matter. A pastor I once had the privilege to know explained that very truth.
People love their dogs, birds, and pets, probably more than they love some family members. The pet industry is thriving like crazy. North America is the largest pet care market globally, but Europe is close behind. Americans spend around 136.8 billion on pet products. According to APPA, in 2021 the pet industry crossed the $100 billion sales mark. The following year, the spending record was $235.32 billion. The current trend now is in the area of pet nutrition. When I did research (internet) on this, I learned the industry is diverse. We think of dogs and cats, but the pet market ranges from fish to monkeys, turtles, and reptiles, not to mention exotic animals. People develop good relationships with their pets so it’s no surprise that services such training, walking, pet-sitting, and grooming are in demand. Evenf my granddaughter had a dog-walking service when she was seven. I believe she had two dogs. It gave her a chance to learn something about business.
Who cannot sigh when remembering books such as Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller, as well as other memorable classics such as Call of the Wild. Certainly the matter of getting Sheba acclimated to our house will lead to an interesting relationship. As the
writer George Eliot (1818-1890) said, “Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.”
It seems strangely appropriate to close this essay with a tribute to one of the most passionate of animal lovers, Neil Case, who died two weeks ago at the age of 93. He was in the writing group to which I belong. He was a regular columnist for a 4-county newspaper for years, often detailing and answering questions about animals, birds, groundhogs, dogs, horses—you name it. No doubt he could have helped me corral Sheba!
No luck. Sheba would NOT get into the carrier or a box even enticed with deli ham. We tousled... she scratched... I pushed.... she's strong.... I coaxed... she batted ... she's smart... she knew that carrier wasn't the place she wanted to go. I tried a sturdy box. Not so. I put on gloves and tried to pick her up and put her in. She squirmed, twisted, pushed back... she's very strong. I couldn't get her in. We’ve rescheduled with the vets. Felines and friends! That’s the end of the story for now. Alas!
But I am fortunate. I have friends. Friends who care about how things are going with this cat. How things are going with me. With my family. It’s a good feeling, and I appreciate their interest. The older I become, the more I realize relationships are all that matter. A pastor I once had the privilege to know explained that very truth.
People love their dogs, birds, and pets, probably more than they love some family members. The pet industry is thriving like crazy. North America is the largest pet care market globally, but Europe is close behind. Americans spend around 136.8 billion on pet products. According to APPA, in 2021 the pet industry crossed the $100 billion sales mark. The following year, the spending record was $235.32 billion. The current trend now is in the area of pet nutrition. When I did research (internet) on this, I learned the industry is diverse. We think of dogs and cats, but the pet market ranges from fish to monkeys, turtles, and reptiles, not to mention exotic animals. People develop good relationships with their pets so it’s no surprise that services such training, walking, pet-sitting, and grooming are in demand. Evenf my granddaughter had a dog-walking service when she was seven. I believe she had two dogs. It gave her a chance to learn something about business.
Who cannot sigh when remembering books such as Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller, as well as other memorable classics such as Call of the Wild. Certainly the matter of getting Sheba acclimated to our house will lead to an interesting relationship. As the
writer George Eliot (1818-1890) said, “Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.”
It seems strangely appropriate to close this essay with a tribute to one of the most passionate of animal lovers, Neil Case, who died two weeks ago at the age of 93. He was in the writing group to which I belong. He was a regular columnist for a 4-county newspaper for years, often detailing and answering questions about animals, birds, groundhogs, dogs, horses—you name it. No doubt he could have helped me corral Sheba!
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