Part of the Family

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” –James Herriot

I’ve been blessed in my life. If you’ve followed my column over the past few years, you are aware of many of the reasons I make that statement. This time, however, I wanted to talk about the pets in my life.

Cats have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From Sasha and Boots in my childhood, to Marshall and Mr. Gray today, and many in between, cats have been a fixture for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs (I’ll talk about one in a moment), but cats just seem to suit me well.

First, they don’t require a ton of caretaking, which with my busy schedule these days, that’s definitely a plus. Also, they just seem to know your moods. Having a bad day and need a friend? More times than not, you can count on your cat curling up next to you and giving a reassuring pur. I’ve had Marshall since I was a student at VCU. We’ve been through a lot together. Through good times and bad, he never failed to “meet the moment.” Mr. Gray was a neighborhood stray that eventually worked his way into our hearts and home. He’s been a wonderful addition.

My one and only dog that was truly mine was a boxer named Sweetie. It was truly an appropriate name. She came from a litter fathered by a boxer my grandparents had, Sandy. Sweetie was small for a boxer, but she had the biggest heart, getting on her hind legs to give hugs to whoever would receive them. She passed away right before I moved to Richmond to attend VCU. For years, it made me feel guilty. Like somehow she knew I was leaving her. Frankly, I still get a little choked up thinking about her now.

And that’s the impact our pets have on us. To most of us, they’re more than just an animal that lives with us. They’re family. I hope you’ll consider looking at the animals in this edition of Showcase, and consider adding them to your family.