My Cat Thinks She's a Dog

Yes, you read that right. My cat things she's a dog. At least that's what we think she thinks. It's really hard to read a cat's mind.

When my father-in-law decided to sell his huge home and move into a condo, my husband and I inherited his cat. We liked Pi, and had been intending to get another cat ever since our last one had a stroke, so acquiring Pi wasn't a problem. Having her acquire us, I guess, is more appropriate.

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There were some problems, though. Pi was used to being both an indoor and outdoor cat. She spent her first five years in a neighborhood with huge homes, huge pie-shaped lots on a cul-de-sac. She was able to roam without anyone worrying that she was near traffic. She was able to chase squirrels and birds at her leisure. And she was quite content just checking in with her people once in a while for some food and petting.

When Pi moved in with us, things were different. We lived on a cul-de-sac also, but the lots were small and ours was not fenced. There were two ways in and out of our neighborhood, and even though the speed limit was 25, cars sped down the street going 50 sometimes. We really didn't think that Pi would survive being an outdoor cat here, so we kept her indoors.

Perhaps she would have been fine with that. She didn't mind using a litter box, after all. And she could sit in our kitchen's bay window and watch the world. But day after day, she watched as our son and his girlfriend walked their dog outside in view of that bay window. The more she saw the dog going out, the more she wanted more freedom as well. Soon, she started dashing for the front door every time it opened. And just as we had imagined, she headed for the busy neighborhood street every time she did escape.

We bought a collar and leash for Pi, but her first reaction was, "Are you crazy? I'm a cat!" Soon, she realized that in order for her to spend time outside, she would have to be tethered.

On day one, she allowed me to put on the leash and take her outside. She promptly lay on the ground and refused to move. On day two, she ventured a few feet, then planted herself in the yard. And so it went. Now, many months later, she has grown accustomed to having a human trail behind her on a leash. She walks leisurely in the yard and on the sidewalk, trying to pretend that she is alone.

But Pi must have been observing more than just how a dog gets to walk on a leash. She must have observed other "dog benefits" and has embraced some of them as her own.

Pi now likes to eat any kind of meat, but especially hot dogs. She has also decided that milk and cream are not at all interesting. She wants to lick any human food plate, whether it once contained veggies, pasta or meat products. But not fish. Pi has decided that tuna and other fish is totally gross. She sits by the front door and meows quietly until one of her humans understands that she wants to walk.

Fortunately, she still does act like a cat. Often she meows noisily, almost sounding as if she's screaming my name. "Meooooooooowlyn." And when I hold her in my lap, telling her that I really don't understand what she wants, she jumps down quickly, glancing at me with over her shoulder with disdain.

I guess she's still a cat after all.

My Cat Thinks She's a Dog

Marilyn Mackenzie has been writing about home, family, faith and nature for over 40 years. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

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