A Preference for Dogs Over Cats

I happened to love dogs…well, most of them anyway. And since that’s something to know about me, I thought I’d make the first RTX blog article a short discussion about my preference for dogs instead of cats, …in particular, the Labrador Retriever canine species, commonly referred to simply as “Labrador” or “Lab” for short.

As most owners of Labrador Retrievers already know, they are beautiful dogs. They are reputed to be one of the most intelligent and loyal dogs in the canine species. Of course, other intelligent, easily trainable, and loyal canine species exist. However, I believe that a Labrador’s unconditional and freely demonstrated love, loyalty, and obedience factor can’t be beaten. That’s just an opinion; feel free to disagree. But never mind a Labrador’s reputation! I can speak from personal experience about those dogs having such exceptional characteristics because I have witnessed and experienced such in the Navy and have seen some of it in action at VA (Veterans Affairs) hospitals. Many years later, I would own one… a Black Labrador Retriever. One could say that aside from the technicality of my purchase and registration ownership of that Lab, it was my then-young son who got to own the dog. You see, I got the dog as a puppy for him when he was 8 or 9 years old. He had long been begging his mother and me for a dog – specifically a Black Labrador Retriever. I recall how it fascinated me that he had already chosen the species and color of the dog he wanted. My son aptly named the dog Onyx, after one of his favorite Pokémon characters named Onix, and oh, how my son very much loved that beautiful dog! That was too many years ago. And although Onyx is no longer a part of our lives, he lives on in our respective memories.

I realized in my mid-30s that I am naturally allergic to cats. Try to imagine one who suffers terribly from hay fever brought on by the spring’s heavy pollen season, then multiply that condition by say, two or three. Well, that’s what any long proximity to cats does to me. I have no idea what I’d do should I someday meet, befriend, and/or date someone who owns one or more cats. I guess I won’t be visiting or spending time in that person’s home very often, especially if we’re fucking and/or dating.

In their natural way, cats are usually cute creatures and are ideal for many people but, like dogs or most species of dogs, the felines are not ideal for everyone. I’m part of that “everyone” group. I would never own a cat simply because I neither much like nor trust them. I also neither like their awfully quiet demeanor nor their arrogance to just sit or position themselves anywhere in the home that they please. I’m aware that by nature, cats are usually self-sustaining creatures – which for the most part, is a very good thing, particularly when it comes to cleaning up after them. However, I don’t like the idea of having litter boxes – what I prefer to call “shit boxes”, in my home. I neither want to look at or smell the odor of an open box of animal piss and shit or have to empty and change the litter in the damn things. Ugh!

ANECDOTE: I had my first experience with cats and their litter boxes years ago. I recall a time when I house-sat for a week as a favor for a Navy buddy. I learned that he lived alone and owned two cats. He knew of my allergy to cats but still requested the favor of house-sitting, insisting that I was the only person whom he completely trusted. I agreed to house-sit, figuring that I wouldn’t have to be near, touch, or cuddle his feline pets. I didn’t mind feeding the cats but was not at all fond of the litter box tasks. Fortunately for me, my buddy’s damn cats didn’t seem to like me because they mostly stayed out of sight. Good. The feeling was mutual.

ANECDOTE: Another unpleasant experience I had with two cats happened many years later. I was in bed “getting busy” with a male fuck-buddy (FB) who also lived alone and owned two small cats. It was my first time in his place. I noticed that he had placed the litter box in the bathroom – next to the toilet of all places! Gross! As my FB and I were “busy”, both his cats must have thought that it was a good idea to get in bed and frolic with us! Ugh! I cannot recall the number of times we stopped what we were doing so that my FB could shoo the damn cats away from us and off the bed. Talk about ruining the sexual mood! Finally, my dude got up, picked up both cats, and carried them out of the bedroom into either the living room or kitchen. When he returned, he closed the bedroom door firmly behind him (something he should have done in the first place, especially after I had told him earlier that I was allergic to cats). You’d be right to guess that he and I never again hooked up at his place.

And so, I prefer the company of most dogs. I say “most” because as a matter of mere preference, there are canine species that I like and would probably own, and there are those I do not like and would never think of owning. When I can again own one or perhaps two dogs, I plan to get a Labrador Retriever – preferably like either or both beautiful Labs shown in the photo above. (I’m aware that Chocolate Retrievers and Golden Retrievers exist so I’m not dismissing them.) If I did decide to own two Labs, it would be like the ones pictured. I would probably name one Huey and the other Riley, after the brothers Huey Freeman and Riley Freeman. Huey and Riley are two of the main characters in “Boondocks” the American former syndicated comic strip and television cartoon created by Aaron McGruder. Which of those two Labradors would get either name would depend on how I’ve assessed their individually unique behavioral personality as puppies – something every dog, depending on their environment and other factors, keenly develops as it matures from puppyhood.

Of course, as I near the official senior citizen age, there’s the high possibility that I might not again choose to own a very active dog like a Labrador but instead a smaller dog like a Beagle or a Beagle Lab Mix – another canine species that I love. Regardless of which canine I choose, I do not plan to own any dogs until I have finally and officially retired from working. I don’t want to get a dog that I would have to leave behind and alone at home while I go to work for several hours or more each weekday. I don’t think that’s fair, respectful, and loving to any dog. //⚤//

– RobFather