there’s something about mary
our friends kim and andy are back in north america for the holidays, and while they’re away, we are watching their cat maryann for them.
i say we’re watching her “for them”, but truth be told, it’s really for us. i’ve always been a devoted pet owner my entire life (both dogs and cats), and have really struggled with not having had any furry family around me since moving to london. i had a dog who i’d intended to bring over shortly after my move, but she passed away before she could make the trip – and ever since then i’ve not stayed put any one place long enough to really consider taking on the responsibility of caring for another little creature. but i’ve never *not* had a pet before, so until i have the opportunity to remedy that, i take every chance i get to lavish some affection on o.p.p. (other people’s pets).
where my pets were always cherished members of the immediate family (living indoors, sleeping in our bedroom, having run of the house), jonno grew up in south africa, where pets are generally viewed primarily as animals first. that means most live permanently outdoors, and often serve a functional purpose of guarding the property as well. i’m not implying they care less about their pets – just that they tend to view them from a different frame of reference than the typical western culture which caters to dogs and cats as though they were small children. so where we’ve often talked about getting a dog in the future, we both have fundamentally different philosophies on pet ownership.
i think maryann’s visit to our home, however, is quickly and radically altering j’s view. he’s never been around cats before, and the way he has immediately taken to maryann is really terribly amusing. where he initially tried to halfheartedly feign disinterest in what he calls “the walking furball”, his actions reveal a distinctly tender side. he’s become inordinately protective of her – when i grumpily kick her out of the room at 3:30 (!!) in the morning after she starts jumping on my head, he rushes to her defense. when i am more than 5 minutes late in preparing her dinner, he accuses me of being a meanie. when i involuntarily yelp after being pierced by a wayward claw as she scrambles into my lap, he tells me not to shout at her. the balance of favour is shifting dramatically – i’m last to get a good morning kiss and she is first to get a welcome when he returns home. he talks to her, cuddles her, and even sings to her. if it wasn’t so adorable, i’d be distinctly jealous.
so where he originally professed to dislike cats, clearly sweet maryann has managed to wrap his heartstrings around her little paw. as i look over and see him curled up with her on the couch, i have a feeling he’ll be loathe to see her leave. something tells me there’s a cat in our near future.
and all i can say is that if he’s this overattentive with cats – if i have to compete with such a little furball for his affections after only a few days – thank goodness we don’t have kids.
