Get a dog from the pound

....I have been working as a pet-sitter/dog-walker, so I have plenty of dogs in my life every day. Some are better than others, but they all have their own unique quirks and personalities that I have grown to love.

I am now, the not-so-proud-owner of a cat. My ambition was to adopt a dog from the pound. I’ve never really been a cat person. I think dogs would make much better pets (they can play themselves, and aren’t usually fussy eaters). Also, you can play with a dog. However…

We were throwing food on our lawn for the native birds, the crows and the fruit bats. The house we live in is in a cat-infested neighbourhood. Anyway, this white mottled tom cat came regularly, and slept in the sun on our patio – no biggie. I can handle other people’s cats sleeping in my yard. But it was also nibbling at the ham and bread. Than one morning at 5am, my flatmate and I were woken up by “meow, meow, meow.” It wanted to be fed. We have done EVERYTHING to get this cat to leave! Sprayed water and lemon, and we didn’t feed it for 3 days, in the hope that it would go home. It hasn’t.

Every morning he wakes us up at 4:30-5am, then again at 7am wanting food. Then he meows about 5:30, then 8pm, and sometimes through the night. Bloody attention seeker. I hate it. I wouldn’t mind so much if he were friendly. He’s not. Stalin had nothing on this cat. He is mean and scratchy, and lazy. (OK, all cats are a bit liike this). But he is also very nervous of atrangers. He doesn’t like to be touched. Maybe he’s been mistreated. He won’t play with the toys I bought him, and will yowl outside all night if I do the wrong thing. The cat has taken a shine to me, so it is ME it wakes and yowls at. It is only the fact that I beleiev in animal welfare that prevents me from kicking it, strangling it, or feeding it to the neighbours bull mastiff some days.

Then we come to his name. I didn’t want to name him. I don’t want him. But I went to a friend’s overnight, and the cat was christened “Oedipuss Martin Pat the Frist” by my Dad, cousin and sister. Dad was responsible for “Oedipuss.” So the question arises. How do you take care of a tempremental cat you don’t want without losing your sanity (or sleep?) any idea gang? Comments would be apreciated.

Not often do you get to write that things changed your life, but in this case it’s really true. I’ve had dogs before, but this was the first time I’ve ever really set my mind to training one. I’ve learned so much, both about myself and dogs. http://www.dogster.com/?215893.