Judi's Artsy Essay, 1st anniversary, wootee-woot!!

Judi's Artsy Essay is celebrating its first year anniversary with a focus on animals.

If I could be any animal on Earth......

If asked this question ten years back, or at any time throughout my childhood, teen, and college years; I would have undoubtable answered with a resoundingly solid, "CAT".  I love cats.  I think they are marvelous creatures, have wonderful characters, and they make my mind feel at ease.  However, I am so allergic to them that my eyes swell with hives, my throat closes, my nose and eyes run, and my brochial tubes begin to fill with fluid and suffocating mucus the moment I am exposed to cats and their dander.

Why it is that dogs and their dander don't seem to bother me, I don't know.  I don't question it too hard, because I don't want to develop allergies to them too.  I realize that's a superstitious thought, jinxing the matter, but there it is anyway.

I met my Shaddow when she was two months old.  That was four years ago.  She was my first dog.  Now, Ziggee has joined our home.  He came to stay with us a week before his second birthday in April of this year.

But, I realize that not all animals are loved.  No matter if they are viewed as "pets" or not.  I've known people who leave their animals penned or staked outside, permenently.  They toss spoiled scraps of table food over the fence and rarely see that the dogs receive fresh water.

So it's not just what kind of animal I'd like to come back as, it's the circumstances of Life that I would like to have a say over.

If I had my druthers, I like humanhood best I think.  But, perhaps a well-loved cat would be sweet.  I would feel graceful and slinky and purr with contentment as I nestle into a favored lap.  So long as I wasn't allergic to myself.  Cuz, dude, that'd suck.

The more I am around dogs though, the more I think, wow, I really like them.  Not just love them and feel that awwww ain't that kah-you-T; but I like to watch them and be with them and pet them and feel their unbridled joy and trusting to be in my home, showered with my attention and affection.  Besides I learn things from them, like how to wriggle my entire body when I'm extremely joyous over the event of being visited by my guy.

So if I were a dog or a cat, I would want my domestic situation to be good.  I want loving caregivers.  I want lots of attention, good food, no stressors, and lots of pampering.

But, being homo sapien is just fine too.  Besides, I got some practice with that.  And supposedly, practice makes perfect.