Thanksgiving can be a real challenge for parents. Kids can complicate a complex social gathering when they turn their noses at Aunt Elva’s oyster dressing, among other delicacies. So I’ll help you by advising how to deal with picky eaters at Thanksgiving.
Some of us are dog lovers. We love the faithful, enthusiastic way they greet us when we return home. Others love the aloof, playful, purring ways of cats. Since I’ve owned both, I have personally witnessed the epic battle between cats and dogs.
Several years ago, I drew a cartoon about one such battle. It was probably inspired by our own pets. We had one dog that loved to play with the cat. The feline was older and not very impressed with the young canine’s enthusiasm. Frequently, the cat would escape to a nearby piece of furniture, or if outside, a tree.
Each pet has its differences as well as advantages. My kids benefited from seeing the personalities of each of them and even imagined what their pets would act like if they were in a movie called Cats vs. Dogs came out in 2001.
Somehow, the two pets learned to get along. When our cat passed on, the dog learned to live with another cat. Though they didn’t always get along, the two pets learned to live with each other.
Whether it is pets in a household, people in the workplace, or even leaders of other countries, peace can feel elusive. Often, we antagonize each other. We can turn small problems into big deals. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves in a battle before we know it.
Yet if we are patient, if we choose to extend an olive branch, peace is possible. The battles of cats vs. dogs can sometimes appear comical. Yet real battles happen all the time with less than comical results.
Am I saying we should be like cats and dogs? Hardly. Our personalities may lean toward one species or another. Yet, we can still learn to live together. I hope you don’t find yourself in a tree today. And may you learn to get along with the person that ever so slightly just showed his fang today!
This article from Inc. Magazine had me thinking about compliments.
We all like to think we’re doing a good job, so why do we downplay them? Like this previous post I wrote suggests, we like to think giving compliments is a sign of generosity and can even boost our likeability and popularity a bit… that is if they’re seen as genuine. Besides, who wouldn’t want a can of tuna?
Compliments can make us uncomfortable for the following reasons:
If a compliment sounds genuine, and it resonates with me, I say accept it. Don’t try to belittle it by playing it down. Let’s all be generous with giving sincere compliments and receiving them.
It seems every other news article is about how pets are reacting while we work from home.
It seems Buzzfeed has a post every other day about annoyed pets during the quarantine. And perhaps all our furry companions can’t wait until we return to the workplace.
But perhaps pets are more resilient than we think. Do we implant on them emotions they are not really feeling? If we assume our cat would be annoyed we are home, do we interpret every action they do as a testament to their annoyance?
When I drew this illustration, my daughter brought home a new puppy. We assumed our cat would go ballistic. He didn’t. He tolerated the new pooch fairly well. I was both relieved and disappointed. I was relieved that the pets got along while disappointed I wouldn’t have an epic struggle to write about. That is one of the curses of a writer. We don’t want conflict, but we know it provides great fodder for our writing.
Pets will get through this just as we will. It will take some time and adjustment. Maybe they will face separation anxiety… or maybe we will. But either way, we will adjust. In the meantime, maybe it’s best to give your cat some space and have his naptime.
When I drew this, we had a dog and a cat that didn’t always get along. They had a nervous pact that sometimes degenerated into a brawl. But the cat was there first. The cat ruled the roost and the dog knew it. She wasn’t the least bit happy about it, but she knew our kitty was the alpha male.
At least the dog would have relished our walks. I have seen so many people walking their dogs these days. People are reconnecting with their canines and that is a good thing. It’s some good exercise for the puppies as well as their owners.
So how are your pets faring in the middle of the COVID-19 stay-at-home party? Are they bringing you some peace or are they getting a little stir crazy as well?
