Emily Hoffman

    Last year I informed my readers of a deep and abiding love that had entered my life.
     My love brought joy to my day, greeted me when I walked in the door and snuggled with me during dark times.
     Gone were my lonely nights, my empty days, and my in tact furniture.
     Due to circumstances beyond my control, my last great love, Norah, met with either a dog, coyote or the wheel of an SUV. The tragic event happened on my daughter's 10th birthday, something sure to scar her for life.
     But my new love is totally different. Some of you have met him. It's hard not to be taken in, he's cute, personable, interesting, affectionate and house broken. I simply ignore the claws.
     Hemingway, named after the great American author, came into our lives about the same time that friends of mine got a house dog.
     It's clear after a month that I got the better end of the deal.
     Each day that passes, I feel increasingly sorry for my friends. Having a puppy is more work than having a baby.
     Sure he's cute. Adorable even despite really strong puppy breath and an equally strong urge-which he gives into-to chew on things. My Birkenstocks are not excluded.
     When I have to be gone for the day I make certain the kitty's dish is full, as is his water bowl, and I walk away and shut the door. We don't think of each other again for hours.
     I work. Hemingway sleeps, attacks imaginary enemies and stalks non-moving objects. What great lives house cats have.
     My friends, on the other hand, have to cart the dog along if they are gone longer than five hours.
     They turn down commitments, juggle schedules and effectively rearrange their lives for this little ball of really cute fur. But is it worth it, I wonder.
     Cooper, being a puppy, needs to visit the great outdoors quite often. And, being a dog, has a limited ability to entertain himself, so he does get lonely without his people.
     I'm not saying that dogs don't have their place in American society. They have a place barking at 3 a.m. to the sound of wind in the trees and raccoons rustling in the grass. In fact, they are duty bound to bark uncontrollably even if there's nothing at all rustling around, so to prove they are worthy of staying alive another day.
     Dogs are responsible for 87 percent of all the drool produced in America. This is a very worthy job. And we can't forget the important job of sniffing.
     Admittedly cats can be trouble. Still, especially this week, I can relate to a cat's life much better than a dog's.
     The life of a dog seems to center around chewing, sniffing and seeking attention. Cats, on the other hand, want to sleep, eat, sleep, sleep, play, eat and sleep.
     That sounds good to me. Maybe my new love and I can find time to do that together sometime in the next week or two.