Cats and Dogs

Growing up as the son of a marine engineer who swallowed the anchor,” there were always going to be cats around. There were also going to be dogs because ancient tales going back to the prehistoric period described the doings of family dogs. Usually, the two coexisted. Sometimes, the two formed a team for the commission of crime.

There was the particular tale of the cat Daisy and the dog Honey. The family was gathered in the living room before a meal. The cat and the dog went into the dining room to check the joint for something they wanted. They found the particularly delectable offering brought by my Godmother. Cat and dog decided that it was way too good for mere humans. Up on the table went the cat, and down came the dish. The two thieves had only a moment before the crime was detected. The cat dove for a closet, and the dog ran into interference. When my Godmother attempted to collar the cat, she was attacked. Then my Godfather went to kick the dog. It was then I entered the fray on behalf of my pets. It ruined the festivities. I think my Godparents would have preferred the tale to remain untold. But it took on a life of its own as one of the most frequently told and retold family tales.

Family tales take a circular path when they are told and retold over the years and even generations. For example, the one about my grandfather riding a horse into a bar. The event happened well over a hundred years ago. But the tale has been retold as part of the family story. As a result of that and other “little” peccadillos, he was exiled to his father’s company office in New York City. There, he met and wooed my grandmother. What does that have to do with pets? Her black cat, Marucka, and the many generations of strays she took in became legendary in the family for their personalities and escapades. Grandma’s dog Blacky ” babysat” my sister and me. He was a Spitz and brooked no misbehavior from his charges. A trip to Grandma’s meant a trip to see Blacky and the cats.

In our family, pets were inextricably linked to the concept of family. I could go on about the shop cats we had, but that would be hundreds of words more. But I think you get the idea that the Carreras loved their cats and dogs.