By now you’ve probably all seen the video of Tara, the hero cat who saved a little boy from a vicious dog attack.
When I first saw this video, I felt justified. Because I’m a cat owner in a dog eat dog world, and sometimes I feel like those of us with pets who don’t bark, chase sticks, or hump legs are sometimes looked down upon. I have nothing against dogs, or people who own dogs. I’ve just always purr-ferred felines to canines. Mainly because they’re low maintenance. I don’t have to wake up early to walk the cat, or worry about bribing a friend or paying for a kennel when I go on vacation. Cats might be a little more aloof than dogs, and aren’t quite as companionable, but they are entertaining as hell. Especially when a laser pointer and/or catnip are involved.
Ever since Tara saved the day (love the cat’s name, by the way), cats are suddenly popular. Trendy, even. You might say they are “the cat’s meow.” (I know what you’re thinking. How is he NOT a comedian?! I’m surprised, too). After showing the video to Audrey, she asked, “Do you think Sydney would save me if I was getting attacked by a dog?”
At that point, we both turned and looked at her. Sydney was curled up in a ball with her eyes closed, snoozing contentedly. Which she had been doing for roughly 17 nonstop hours. I called her name. I clapped my hands. I jumped up and down. I think her left eye opened a slit for a second or two before closing again.
“Let me put it this way,” I said. “Stay away from dogs.”
Audrey’s question got me thinking. Would my cat be as courageous and loyal in the face of danger? I decided to put together a chart showing how I believe Sydney would react in certain situations.
1. Audrey is riding a bike and is attacked by a dog. What would my cat do?
2. An intruder breaks into the house and threatens the family at gunpoint. What would my cat do?
3. An earthquake strikes, reducing the apartment to rubble. Rescuers are searching for us, but we’re buried beneath slabs of plywood and sheetrock. What would my cat do?
4. A fire breaks out while we are asleep, filling the house with smoke as the flames inch closer to our bedrooms. What would my cat do?
5. I’m reaching for a book, and the bookshelf falls over, pinning me underneath. My phone is just out of reach. What would my cat do?
At this point, I gave up on the list as I was noticing a distressingly similar pattern. The only thing that might elicit a reaction other than the one above would be if I dropped a piece of meat on the kitchen floor while cooking dinner. Oh, she’d be all over that in a flash.
Gotta love her anyway, though. As far as cats go, she’s unusually sociable.
When she’s awake.
I’ll probably be away from the blog for about a week. Tara (my wife, not the cat) and I are heading out of town on Thursday for a long weekend in Sacramento, where our friend Heidi is getting hitched. With stops in Klamath Falls, Reno, Carson City, and Virginia City. We won’t be back until late Monday.
Happy weekending!
Mark My Words 
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