Pets are part of the family
My husband tries to convince me unsuccessfully that he hates cats. But one of our cats is OK because “he thinks he’s a dog,” according to my husband.
Grey follows him around the house. He’s outside our bedroom door in the morning waiting for my husband. Grey sleeps on top of the sofa behind my husband while he watches football on TV. Apparently Grey is a football fan — or at least has the good graces to pretend he is.
Mr. Bean is OK because he is a gentle soul. My husband admires that a 13- pound cat can be so gentle, but when pushed he lets the other three cats know who the alpha male is.
My husband thinks Dark Night is OK. She’s a sweetheart with an attitude. My husband comes to her rescue when he thinks the boys are picking on her.
Occasionally, my husband will find a redeeming feature or two in Mushu. He’s the most aggressive of the cats but also the most needy. He loves attention and having his head and throat rubbed. But if you try to scratch his back or his tummy, he’ll turn on you with all claws.
All four of the cats were fixed as kittens. We adopted them over three years when there was a litter explosion in our neighborhood in McAllen. Because of our love for animals, my son and I used to volunteer at the animal shelter. We stopped when my husbands gently encouraged us to stop bringing animals home.
As much as I love having a dog and four cats, I wouldn’t recommend that everyone run out and get a pet for Christmas. Animals are a big investment in time and money. They are a part of the family and need regular check ups, inoculations, medicine and quality food.
They also need a fenced yard for exercise. It makes me sad to see large dogs chained up. Large breeds usually need a big area to run around in. It upsets me even more to see dogs running loose. Rarely does a day go by when I don’t see the body of a dog on the road.
There’s no doubt we have a problem with homeless animals in the Valley. Spaying and neutering are part of the answer. Even if you keep your female dog in a fenced yard, male dogs, driven by the call of nature, will find a way in.
We are lucky to have a low-cost animal clinic to meet this need. I will send a donation to the clinic this Christmas season. That way I can help with the pet overpopulation problem without bringing more animals homes. This will make my husband happy because he hates cats.
Nora N. Garza is a County Extension Agent with Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Hidalgo County, a part of the Texas A&M System. She can be reached at n-garza@tamu.edu.
