A Pet For Everyone

My parents have this place in the woods that is a weekend home but will soon be a home when they retire. My parents have never had a pet in our home. The closest they have come to a pet is when my brother and sister-in-law lived with them for a short while with their apprehensive cat, Abby.

Now that they are living in the woods across from my uncle's farm, they have some feline and canine friends. Of course, they just visit and go back to their homes, but my parents are so funny when they talk about them. To my parents, the animals do not have names in the traditional sense. The cat is referred to as Short Tailed Cat. To explain the reasoning behind this name would be redundant. They tell stories about Short Tailed Cat and how she'll visit and bring home dead squirrels. They describe Short Tail Cat with endearing terms like brave and friendly.

Although they enjoy Short Tailed Cat, they also have an animal visit them called Black Dog. Again, they don't say "Oh, there is that black dog again." No. They would say, "Oh, there is Black Dog," as if it his name. In their minds, it is his name. I think Short Tailed Cat is their favorite because it doesn't jump and they consider Black Dog kind of stupid with the way it will block the door and jump on guests.

Short Tailed Cat and Black Dog are everyone's pet in the woods, I guess. They come and go and entertain and bother whoever they please whenever they please. Even though my parents have not been pet lovers, they like the ones that visit and stay outside so Short Tailed Cat and Black Dog are okay with them.