Importance of Animals

When younger, James was nervous of animals. They moved quickly and were tough to anticipate. At a young age he was knocked down by an enthusiastic and friendly dog. Animals also made noises that sometimes triggered his anxiety.

I have always had cats, so James grew up with at least one, sometimes two, house cats. Over the years he has slowly gotten used to them, although Mr. B, the cat he's known the longest, used to hide around a corner to jump playfully out at him in surprise. James would inevitably startle, surprising the cat right back. Sometimes, I'd watch them both race through the house, only to surprise each other as they came to the same corner from perpendicular sides, and then streak away at opposing angles.

At school, James made friends with all the therapy dogs, who are usually Prozac in large, placid golden retriever form. I grew up with dogs, and know what it takes to give them a good home. I am not there yet, but it is my hope to someday get James his own companion dog. Someone he can take for walks, brush, and be a calm, friendly anchor in his life.

In the meantime, now that we have our own place again, in the time of COVID-19 lockdown we adopted a rescue kitten. Her fosters named her Pandora, which is actually pretty apt, as she is relentlessly curious, playful, and hell-bent on opening things. I renamed her Sassafras, and call her Princess Sassy. For the kitten and James, it was fascination at first sight. Slowly, he moved to pet her and now even meows at her, with her answering back. Sassy camps out in front of his bedroom door, and takes all opportunities to enter and explore. While this frustrates James, if she goes up on his bed, he is calm and charmed.

Several times, a cranky morning gets turned around by Sassy. He is starting to enjoy feeding both cats kibble, and is even talking to Mr. B, and starting to pet him as well. I have long known that animals can enrich lives. It is so nice to see this happening with James.