Monday, November 3, 2008

Like milk, three weeks past its "sell by" date.




Matilda is spoiled. I don't mean spoiled like she wears Ralph Lauren clothes for dogs, nor does she have a jeweled collar and leash. I don't carry her around in a purse-like carrier on my shoulder. Nevertheless, she is spoiled.

Since she's adopted, I've decided that I did not create this problem. It surely must have been her previous owners. It was they who made her believe that she has every right, not only to sleep on the human bed, but under the human blankets. It was they who gave her permission to follow the humans everywhere they go throughout the house. It was they who never told her that she could not always sit in the human's lap.

It's not my doing that caused her to think that I should stop what I'm doing in order to pet her. I had nothing to do with her deciding that she will only eat when the food is in my hands - sometimes. I most certainly was not the one who made her think that she gets to dictate when it is time to go to bed.

Okay, so maybe I have lavished her with attention. Maybe I have been overly concerned when there seems to be something wrong with her, so I'll coax her to eat. Maybe I enjoy having her close by all the time.

I was an only child for almost eight years. I remember hating to be left alone. If my mom was in the kitchen, I was in the kitchen. If my parents were in the living room, I was in the living room. I probably was underfoot so much that I got on their nerves. I'm sure I must have been somewhat of an attention hog. And I remember clearly being a cuddlebug. I slept with teddy bears for a very long time.

It's funny how similar personalities have a way of finding each other, even between the species.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Being "underfoot" is fine, until you are repeatedly stepped on. Im not saying you should...but "i'm just sayin'"

The Tildy Spot said...

LOL! I have stepped on her tail a few times. She just looks up at me, waits for the apology, and keeps on following me around.