fake cat

Meet Chi-Panther, our fake cat.

J is highly allergic to cats, so there isn't any possibility of us ever owning one. I grew up with cats - or really, one cat - who died at the ripe old age of 19. I remember that because when Tigger died, I was 20. Being one year apart, we had been pretty much grown up together.

Once you've grown up with a pet, it's really hard to get used to life without one. Lately, I've been feeling this absence even more, perhaps because I'm starting to feel more (gasp) settled than I've been for years.

So, given that we can't get a cat, I like to invite our fake cat, chi-chi, over for the afternoon when he gets locked out. I adore this cat. He's slightly more dog than cat, a little bit runty, and always wanting to play. He's a great companion, and I'm slightly jealous that he doesn't belong to me.

We hope to get a dog sometime this summer, for which I cannot wait. It will be nice to no longer have to resort to borrowing the neighbor's cat when I'm feeling pet-lonely. I can't imagine not having (or wanting) a pet. I really, really just don't get it.