Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.
Anatole France
Those who know me well will tell you I love cats. I’ve had 5 cats in my life so far, with the latest one being Knight (a furry grey/black Persian).
That doesn’t mean I don’t like dogs… I love them too! But I prefer cats as they are independent and the hard-earned affection from them brings such warmth and comfort.
As Nobel Peace Prize laureate Albert Schweitzer said:
“There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.”
How true that is.
Whenever I’ve had a rough day, I spend time cuddling Knight and listening to him purr just makes everything seem better. He’s such a silly cat, innocent and playful, making me laugh at his funny antics and how much he loves sleeping on my dryer.
I knew that I wanted my children to grow up with a pet. The friendship between an animal and a child can be a special one. It teaches a child kindness and responsibility. So when Kaitlyn became a part of my family, I introduced Knight to her, and vice versa, slowly.
Kaitlyn was rather oblivious to Knight at the beginning, though Knight eyed her with suspicion. Her first few close-up encounters with Knight resulted in him losing some fur while she held up her fist to show us her achievement.
As she started crawling about more, she would go up to Knight and grab his fur, and at times, Knight did react by swiping his paw at her hand. However, he never ever bit her or used his claws — his gentleness is just amazing. Kaitlyn was never fazed by it. Over time, she followed by example and starting patting him instead, though occasionally she’d use her finger and poke at him. I always reminded her: “Pat Knight Knight gently.” Knight would just sit still and let her do as she wished, only getting up to walk away once he had enough.
Kaitlyn is great at being a lookout, especially when I’m cooking and don’t want Knight jumping in and wandering in the kitchen. She would see him poised at the window, point to him and shout out to me. I’d then go “Knight Knight… go down” and Knight would slink off, looking hurt as if he had just been tattled on.
It’s really amusing to watch them together — she goes after all his toys and even ventures to his food bowl. Then she crawls towards him and Knight runs off to the other side. Yet when she sits still and plays with his toys, Knight would walk over to her and sniff her from the side. It’s like a love-hate relationship, and I can’t wait to see how it goes!
