When I was about nine years old, my parents got me a ginger kitten from a nearby farm.  We named him Ginger.  Ginger was a lovely cat and lived to a ripe old age of 19 years.  He was an affectionate cat, but he could be aggressive with other cats in the neighbourhood.  He was my playmate when I was a kid and later he kept my mum company while I was at university and later began working abroad.  This was the beginning of my lifelong love of cats.

Dogs are fun too and my grandmother had a lovely Lakeland terrier called Bobby.  That said, I have always been more of a cat person and these are the reasons why.

Firstly, cats are much more independent than dogs and do not need walking or bathing as they clean themselves so thoroughly.  That means they are easier to look after, or for friends to look after when you go on holiday.  

Next, cats expect excellent care and have high standards.  Unlike dogs, that remain loyal to an owner regardless of the way they are treeated, a cat will spend more time in other homes or even move into another home if they find a much better living environment. 

One of my neighbours Damon back in the UK had a cat called Sofie.  However, he was at work a lot, so Sofie befriended Jason my other neighbour.  He was at home all the time and Sofie became his good friend.  Damon would often go and take Sofie home, but she always went back to Jason. In the end, Damon said that as she preferred living there Jason could keep her.  This cat characteristic is quote admirable and it means we must always cherish them and treat them well.

In addition, cats are really affectionate and are great companions.   They will sit in the window and greet us when we arrive home by purring and rubbing themselves againts our legs.  They will let us stroke and cuddle them.   They will sit on our lap while we watch TV and curl up in a ball at the bottom of our bed while we sleep.  They know when we are sick and will sit with us until we are feeling better.

Lastly, I would like to mention how good cats are at keeping a home free from rats and mice.  Cats are excellent hunters and love catching rodents.  My grandmother said that a house with cats will never have a lot of mice or rats.