The introverts of the pet world

When I was 10 years old my family got a cat. A little predominately black cat with a little bit of white fur and a white bit at the end of her tail. Elizabeth (we are quite formal with the names of our pets in my family) was named after my younger brother's music teacher. We had her for seven years until one afternoon my friend and I was asked to cross the street to identify a body that had been found outside our neighbours house. Unfortunately Elizabeth had been hit by a car.

After Elizabeth, Dougal arrived. He was a grey cat who for whatever reason liked to stalk both myself and my mother. Either one of us would be walking down the driveway and we would hear a rustling in the bushes and we would be attacked.

A couple of years later, Dougal was also hit by a car and that was quite sad as well although my legs were secretly kind of relieved.

The scratches on my legs had only just healed when Helen turned up. (Actually her full name was Helen Margaret Mary) I told you that we were formal in the naming of our pets. No Tiger or Missy or Ginger for us.

Helen lived the longest of the clowder (this means a group of cats, like herd of cows) and was probably the most friendly. No scratches for my legs at this time.

Why am I talking about cats today? I can almost hear the dog fans snoring as they read this. Well what if I was to say to you that cats are the introverts and the dogs are the extroverts?

It's pretty obvious isn't it. Cats don't run around wagging their tails trying to talk to everyone they see. They don't go up to everyone with their tongues hanging out saying will you play with me? (Doesn't that sound familiar? Calling everyone on their phone list and putting a message on Facebook to meet him or her at the local pub.)

Cats wander around the house. They will approach only if they want to. They go and do their own thing. They will go and sit in the corner, hopefully with a bit of sun on their backs and go to sleep.

Cats are the introverts. They are very selective about who they give their love to. When they have a cat party they only invite their closest friends not 700 of their best friends.

Cats, like introverts don't need a great deal of attention. They don't mind the spotlight now again but they don't go seeking it 24/7. You don't see them hamming it up too often in the middle of the lounge or the night club dance floor.

Cats don't need to to get out of the house too much. They are pretty happy to stay at home. Sound familiar?

Cats and introverts are loners. They don't mind being in a group but if push comes to shove they would much rather be at home by themselves chilling.

There is however one thing that I want to know. If cats are introverts and my mother and I are the introverts of the family why did Dougal go after us? Why did he decide to pick on us? I don't understand it. Maybe he was an extrovert trapped in a cat's body. Who knows?

Picture above: A couple of introverts chilling on the sofa.