Doggie Diaries: A Cat Person Reconsiders

Mar 4th 2010

Only a few months ago, before Anna and I got Pippi, I wrote about the old cat people vs. dog people debate. I called myself a cat person, despite never having owned a dog. Now, with two months of canine companionship under my belt, it's time to reevaluate that label.

When we first got Pippi, I was overwhelmed. Between her insistence on peeing and pooping wherever she wanted and her constant need of attention, I was a bit freaked out. She was as well. Still a puppy, she'd been shuttled between a breeder, a temporary guardian, a foster dad and us, all within six months. And as a dalmatian/pointer mix she had boundless energy, requiring four walks a day and was constantly taunting our kitty Nora. "I thought having a dog would be like having a cat," I told my friends at the time, "but now I see that having a cat is more like owning a pet rock, while dog ownership is more like caring for a baby."

But in the past few weeks I've found our baby to be less of a burden and more of a pleasure. We've gotten into a dog-walking routine, her house training has taken, and I've realized something that is, to me, delightful: Dogs really let you manhandle them.

I've always been a pretty hands-on, rough-and-ready guy when it comes to affection, be it wrestling my brother or aggressive cuddling with my cat. The only thing is, Nora doesn't like it when I hold her too close. Like most felines, she prefers affection on her own terms.