If you have a dog that is not what Americans call a ‘yard dog’; you will know how important that daily or twice daily walk is for Max, Charlie, Buddy, Teddy or Bella, Lucy and Daisy. Have you noticed how our pets are increasingly given human names? Socks and Spots don’t seem to be that popular anymore. With the lockdown in South Africa, dogs don’t have a lot to do apart from chasing a ball in the garden and waiting for scraps to fall from the table. There are also less people walking past that they can chase at the gate or along the garden fence. But as this article in the Wall Street Journal indicates; they are loving the constant company. Cats appear to be the pet that have an enviable life right now, as they are the only pets that can escape for a bit of socialising or a good scrape with other cats that venture into their territory. In countries where citizens in lockdown are allowed to go out and walk their dogs, the dogs are having a really good time. My dog, Milo – a labradoodle who without a regular clipping now looks like the sheep that was forgotten in the mountains after more than six weeks of lockdown – can’t believe his luck as the members of our household offer him four walks a day. In this tongue-in-cheek article, WSJ stages a dog versus cat debate on easing the lockdown. And if you are worried about your pets contracting Covid-19, Prof James Logan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Disease in UK has recently told BizNews that a recent study has proved that dogs are not very susceptible to the novel coronavirus but cats are, but the risk is not high. – Linda van Tilburg
Stay home! Back to work! You think this decision is strictly yours. It’s not.
By A Cat
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
(The Wall Street Journal) – Enough is enough. American business has taken a historic plunge over the past month. It’s time to consider a practical plan for protecting public health – while also allowing for a return to work and, hopefully, a revival of the economy.
Oh, who am I kidding?
On behalf of cats everywhere, I’ll just say it: We want everyone out of the house.
It was cute for a while, but the party is over. We’re sick of this quarantine, shelter-in-place directive.
Sheltering in place? That’s a cat’s job. Cats invented sheltering in place – sleeping in the windowsill, the corner of the couch, the sock drawer in the closet and, if it gets a little too noisy, under the bed, eyes open, annoyed. Cats know what it takes to stay home all the time. We’re just tired of sharing our home with everybody else.
Have we liked getting snacks at unexpected hours? Sure. Is it nice to roll around on that warm laptop keyboard during Zoom calls? Sure is. Warm keyboards are heaven.
But it’s gotten to be too much. The other day I walked into the kitchen and saw someone standing in my 9am sun spot. So rude. That sun spot is only there for 15 minutes a day!
We (sort of) love you, and appreciate the occasional pats on the head, but cats are not the most social creatures. Sure, there are some exceptions. You might have one of those cats who actually enjoys human company. Congratulations.
But the vast majority of us –
BIRD OUTSIDE THE WINDOW! MUST! GET! BIRD!
Sorry. Where was I? Right. The vast majority of cats are ready for you to get back to work. Or just leave the house for longer than 15 minutes.
Please consider it. Not for America. For cats.
Why not work at home forever?
By A Dog
As America debates a return to work, it’s important not to rush. We need to balance the economy against the extremely valid concerns about public health and protecting lives.
And walks. We need to think about all of the walks.
And ball. We need to also chase the ball. Lots and lots.
Look: I’m a dog. I’m not some public intellectual. I’m a good, good dog, most of the time, but I just ate half of a baseball glove in the garage. I also knocked over a potted plant in the living room. I’m sorry. I’m a dog. What do you want?
The important thing is: Dogs want you to stay. These past four weeks, they have been some of the greatest weeks of our lives. You’re there in the morning. You’re there in the evening. You’re there at lunch. It’s the best.
And the walks… we’ve never been so fit in our lives! There’s the 8:30am walk, the 11:15am walk, the 1pm walk, the 3pm walk, the 7pm walk, and, if we’re lucky, a 9:30pm walk.
Sometimes you throw the ball. And then I get the ball and bring it back to you. And then you throw the ball again, and I bring it back again. And again. And again. And again. Bliss.
I’m sure the cats are telling you they’ve had it. Never trust a cat. They’re rude animals. They don’t appreciate you.
But dogs understand what you bring to the table. We love having you at home. Stay. Stay forever. We promise to be a good dog. Or at least a pretty good dog.
