Pets

Over at TeacherScribe, I have seen some posts recently about Kurt’s pets. Boy it sounds like his was an animal-filled home growing up and still is today!

I am not sure if I’ve addressed the Christiansen family pets before but here it goes.

Sinbad was our dog. We got him at about 6 months old from the Humane Society. I was in first grade. Originally, Dad’s hope was that he would become a hunting dog, but it was never meant to be. He could not fetch a training dummy for his life but LOVED to chase tennis balls in the yard. He was a very friendly dog, although he never seemed very bright—we took him out in the boat when he was young, and he decided to jump out in 20 feet of water, for instance, forcing Dad to haul him in by his collar.

As he got older, his health declined. He was arthritic. His vision and hearing started to go. Worst of all, he developed nasty ear infections that wouldn’t go away. He became withdrawn, and really couldn’t do much. Dad finally put him down in 2004—he probably should have gone a couple of years earlier but each time we would discuss it, the dog would have a good week or month and be more lively. It was very hard on Dad to make the decision that it was finally time for Sinbad to go, but it was best for the dog. 14 years is a good life for a larger breed—he was a Lab/Springer mix.

Lint, or “Linty” is our older cat. She gets her name from her gray, fuzzy coat...like the lint from a dryer. Originally we said we would never have cats—Dad was not a fan, and still isn’t in most cases—but he was outvoted by the rest of us. My sister especially wanted a cat, and I wanted something that would sit in my lap to be petted.

We don’t recall the exact year we got her, but I think she’s 7 or 8. She was the runt of the litter at the Humane Society and never got very big. She’s full grown and maybe 7 pounds soaking wet.

Lint is a very independent cat. She can be a very loving and affectionate animal, but can also be a major crab-ass. When she wants attention, she comes to you. Very rarely will she let someone pick her up...I don’t even try. She also rarely sits in your lap, opting instead to stand on you, knead your leg with her foot like it’s bread dough, or walk across your lap a few times before she jumps down. One thing I’ve noticed since I moved back is that she enjoys visiting me in my room when I’m on the computer, jumping in my lap and walking across the keyboard as I attempt to type.

Pumpkin, or “Punky” is our younger cat. She joined the family in 2002 just before I left for BSU. Her name comes from her coloring…calico—orange, black, brown and white. My sister and a friend picked her up one day for free from an older lady after deciding that Lint would be happier with a playmate…

For the first two or so years she was here, Lint was a total bitch and wanted nothing to do with us. The two cats got into squabbles multiple times a day, running through the house hissing at each other. Yeah, a playmate all right…they still fight but it’s more play, they seem to enjoy pushing each other’s buttons.
Pumpkin’s favorite activity is eating. She’ll eat almost anything, lick almost any plate clean. I once saw her steal a chicken bone off a plate of leftovers I had eaten for lunch. For this reason, she’s twice Lint’s size. She’s known as the pig of the house.

Pumpkin is very affectionate and loves attention. When not sleeping she’s almost always near us. Most evenings she can be found sprawled out on Dad’s lap for long periods of time, and also likes to follow him around…she’s certainly imprinted on him the most.

For a household that was once dog only territory, we’re now very content without one. Yes, the cats can be moody and aren’t as loyal as dogs, but they are still very loving. They also require less constant attention than dogs, which has been nice since my parents both work and we’ve been away at school, As long as cats have food and water and a clean litterbox they’re good to go—no need to walk them, exercise them or let them out to go to the bathroom. They also don’t shed like the dog did—big black clumps of hair on a brown carpet—it wasn’t pretty.

Every year Dad does Game Fair for work and comes home, a small part of him wanting another dog. But then we all remember that while Sinbad was great to have around, this household isn’t too shabby as a cat-only place these days. And I think it will stay that way.

We are now “cat people” who still love dogs, we just don’t have one.