“Take Two Kittens and Call Me In the Morning”

Can Cats Help Humans Be Healthier?

- Lucy Drury and Iris Zinck

True Story…

Setting: Stereotypical post-World War II Baby Boomers suburban household. Cast: Mom, Dad, three girls and a boy, born between 1949 and 1961. However, no pets, despite Dad being a bona fide dog and cat lover. Mom had often declared that it was her or a pet. While the kids at times considered the potential advantages of such a trade, Dad never challenged it. He was devoted to Mom, so the household stayed furry pet-free, though fish, birds and an occasional turtle were allowed. Dad and the kids lavished attention on neighbors’ and friends’ four-footed friends, but Mom stayed firm. The occasional stray dog found its way into the backyard and was allowed to stay there while the owner’s number on the dog’s tag was called. Mom didn’t hate or abuse animals—she just didn’t want them in her house.

She had her reasons—the family knew them and reluctantly respected them. She had been severely bitten on the leg by a dog while riding a bike as a kid, and when pregnant with her first child, she was chased down the street by a neighbor’s retired police dog. He didn’t get her, but it shook her up badly. She was now deathly afraid of dogs and just didn’t like cats.

As the kids grew up and left the nest, each one quickly acquired what had been denied to them as children. Dogs, cats or both became treasured members of all four households. Mom tolerated the furry creatures, as long as the big Lab at the oldest daughter’s house or the son’s Golden Retriever stayed out of her lap. Dad was in heaven when he visited the kids’ houses and showered his furry grandchildren with attention.