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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

John Adapts to Having a Cat

So, yesterday was not my day. While I don't want to go into everything that happened yesterday, it began by burying the family cat, Marshal. Spring had softened the ground enough to confer him to earth, and he'd been waiting long enough for it.

Marshal and I were not friends. He was my sister's cat, though she left him with us years ago to move closer to work, in an apartment that forbade pets. I am extremely allergic to animal dander, and above all danders, cat dander is the worst. Lock me in a room with a cat for long enough and I'm dead. That meant that Marshal spent his life in our basement, with a door leading to the outside where he could prowl and menace the squirrel population.

We had to adapt to each other, because often I'd be the only human contact Marshal could even have in a given day. And further, being the eldest male around, I quickly became Marshal's alpha. He would claw and bite the ladies of my family. I still chuckle remembering the one time he bit my foot as I was too slow to bring his food; I knocked two knuckles on the top of his head, soft but swift, and he looked so surprised that there could be comeuppance for his actions. He never bit me again, and starting that night became much more affectionate.

That was a problem for me since I'd get bleeding hives from a cat rubbing on me. I bought plastic gloves to pet him, and in warmer weather would occasionally wear an old blanket so he could sit on my lap for a while. Even that caused severe asthma attacks.

Marshal never understood why he couldn't rub against my leg or sit in my lap like he could on other humans. However, to illustrate the point of Dr. Pavlov, he learned that he wasn't allowed to. Last spring he finally adapted to following me to the deck and sitting underneath my chair, resting in the shade I created. By the end of summer, he was routinely beating me to the chair for his spot.


It was as close as we could be. Sometimes I'd bring fresh copy out to edit, and talk out plotting problems with him. He was a terrible editor, and if he managed to drool on a page I'd have to throw it out. There was something to having another pair of eyes, sapient or no, to look into as I chatted. There was even the benefit of having those eyes attached to a mind that couldn't understand and thus couldn't object to whatever I was saying, permitting me to have company without distraction. He was a good listener.

A person can adapt to a lot.
 

12 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a mutual relationship of respect. Sorry your editing buddy is gone. Although glad you never inhaled enough cat fur to kill yourself.

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  2. It's never fun to bury a long-term pet, even one you're allergic to. Sounds like the two of you had a pretty good relationship, in spite of it all.

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  3. Awww, what a sweet story, John. Sorry you had to bury your allergenic pal.

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  4. Oh John. I am sorry that he is gone - and in awe that you tamed an alpha cat. I have failed abysmally here. And smiling at his drooling comments on your work - perhaps he was a more skilled editor than you knew.

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  5. Cat's are very good listeners. So sorry he's gone. :(

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  6. Aww I'm so sorry that the cat is gone but delighted that you found a way around your allergic problems to bond with this animal. They give so much and all they ask back is a little love and kindness. RIP Marshal

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  7. It sounds as if you rubbed along together pretty well - metaphorically speaking, of course.

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  8. Brilliant piece. I am sorry to hear of the loss of your cat. But you clearly gave him a good home.

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  9. Hi John. It's wonderful that you gave Marshal a home despite your severe allergy; a lot (maybe most) would have given him away, taken him to a shelter or dumped him out of a car somewhere. Yes, mutual respect and a willingness to compromise and not violate boundaries - human relationships could use a lot more of those things as well.

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  10. Awe, sorry he's gone. sounds like you came to an understanding, asthma and all.

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  11. Awww. Poor Marshall.

    If it's specifically dander that bothers you, there's always the option of bathing the pets. I know two cats who were bathed once a week from kittenhood, and were able to live happily with a severely allergic person without any of the involved parties suffering ill health from it. You have to use pet-friendly shampoo so their skin doesn't dry out (exacerbating the dander), and of course it's better if you start them young enough that they just think of it as normal, but it can be done.

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  12. Really sorry to hear about your loss, John.

    I'm sure Marshal enjoyed your company as much as you enjoyed his.

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