OK. I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that we all have phobia's or things of which were scared of. I have a thing with spiders, the oldest with clowns and emu's and on and on. Well, around 12 years ago I stumbled across a fear that takes the cake for me. A fear of cats. I mean really? Cats? Like...meow?
I knew Tracy for quite some time before we started our marriage together. When she moved in with me it was just like any other new relationship. We had a lot to learn about each other and we needed to begin to take notice of each others likes, dislikes and etc. Well, I have to say I never saw the fear of cats coming. And this wasn't a fear of cats. Its not fair to her to stop at a one word description like "fear". She...is...terrified...of cats.
Now, knowing me as you do, this was not really understood as a 'real' fear early on in our marriage. She would attempt to not make a big deal out of it early on. And I wouldn't take it serious. I assumed it was like my spider thing. I get jumpy when one sneaks up on me and occasionally squeal like a little girl, but normally I am fine as long as I see them coming. But as time went on I began to understand the depth. I started watching.
I've mentioned that my sister and my mother are cat owners. Well...that's saying it a bit lightly. My sister and mom have ALWAYS had cats. My sisters cat, Duke, is so old that it's like an extension of our family it been around so long and is a REALLY loving cat (which for someone scared of them is bad). And my mother, well, she's the cat lady. I'm estimating, but at one time I think that she had 15 stray cats that lived around the outside of her house. She actually named them all. When she went to feed them on the back porch, there were so many that it look like rats clambering to get out of a flooding sewer drain. Now place the object of your worst fear here... She had to have at least thought about leaving me over this at one time or another. This is what my wife deals with on a daily basis.
Early on she would let me know that she wanted me to call my mom or my sister before we went for a visit and subtly let them know they should put the cats up. Well, I understand that. I would want her mom to put up their pet Tarantula’s, right? So I did. Kicker is, my family shares my sense of humor. Just like I love to find the creepiest photo of a clown and message it to our oldest, my mom and sister didn't truly 'get' the depth of the fear. They would say; "Oh, now. Duke wouldn't hurt you!" or whatever, as the cat ran by us and squatted under the coffee table slowly waving it's tail. Tracy's eye's would never move off that cat, and I began to understand. Eventually so did the family. They now make sure the cats are secure prior to our arrival.
Now having said that, we are still, after all a family of humor. Even my littlest sees her fear and wants to poke fun. Just this morning she's laying on the couch Droopy Poopin' in her morning struggle to wake up prior to school, and looks at T and says;
I knew Tracy for quite some time before we started our marriage together. When she moved in with me it was just like any other new relationship. We had a lot to learn about each other and we needed to begin to take notice of each others likes, dislikes and etc. Well, I have to say I never saw the fear of cats coming. And this wasn't a fear of cats. Its not fair to her to stop at a one word description like "fear". She...is...terrified...of cats.
Now, knowing me as you do, this was not really understood as a 'real' fear early on in our marriage. She would attempt to not make a big deal out of it early on. And I wouldn't take it serious. I assumed it was like my spider thing. I get jumpy when one sneaks up on me and occasionally squeal like a little girl, but normally I am fine as long as I see them coming. But as time went on I began to understand the depth. I started watching.
I've mentioned that my sister and my mother are cat owners. Well...that's saying it a bit lightly. My sister and mom have ALWAYS had cats. My sisters cat, Duke, is so old that it's like an extension of our family it been around so long and is a REALLY loving cat (which for someone scared of them is bad). And my mother, well, she's the cat lady. I'm estimating, but at one time I think that she had 15 stray cats that lived around the outside of her house. She actually named them all. When she went to feed them on the back porch, there were so many that it look like rats clambering to get out of a flooding sewer drain. Now place the object of your worst fear here... She had to have at least thought about leaving me over this at one time or another. This is what my wife deals with on a daily basis.
Early on she would let me know that she wanted me to call my mom or my sister before we went for a visit and subtly let them know they should put the cats up. Well, I understand that. I would want her mom to put up their pet Tarantula’s, right? So I did. Kicker is, my family shares my sense of humor. Just like I love to find the creepiest photo of a clown and message it to our oldest, my mom and sister didn't truly 'get' the depth of the fear. They would say; "Oh, now. Duke wouldn't hurt you!" or whatever, as the cat ran by us and squatted under the coffee table slowly waving it's tail. Tracy's eye's would never move off that cat, and I began to understand. Eventually so did the family. They now make sure the cats are secure prior to our arrival.
Now having said that, we are still, after all a family of humor. Even my littlest sees her fear and wants to poke fun. Just this morning she's laying on the couch Droopy Poopin' in her morning struggle to wake up prior to school, and looks at T and says;
"Mom. Did you know that cats can open doors? Even the ones that have door knobs?"
Tracy's look suddenly turns to that look one gets when the scary movie music starts.
She responds;
She responds;
"Cat's can't open doors." in an attempt to secure her deep fear that somehow this might actually be possible. "And besides, that's why we lock the doors."
Well the little shit looks up with a twinkle in her eye and says; "Well they know how to open locks, too." then looks to me and grins. Just an example of the trouble this little one's gonna give us.
There are at least 200 examples that I could list, but I'll give you a few of my favorites:
The fact that my sister’s cat Duke was able to get on top of her kitchen cabinets was a big deal breaker when it came to going to visit early on in our relationship. Duke managed to gracefully leap from the floor, to the counter, to the refrigerator and up to the top of the cabinets. He would camp out up there in the fake bushes ready to attack the first thing that taunted him.
She was a real estate agent. She had the duty to walk into strange houses and try and professionally show a house to clients. Now, I was never there, but to be a fly on the wall when she would open the door and Mr. Tomcat would make that big 'Happy your home' run right at her would have been priceless to observe.
She goes to pick up our oldest at a birthday party when she was eleven or so. The friends mom meets her at the front door and welcomes her in while Al gets her things together. Next thing she knows, Al walks around the corner holding a huge' fluffy cat draped over her arms holding it out and says; "Hey mom, look at their cat! Isn't it pretty!" Tracy screams, runs out the front door crying in humiliation and hyperventilating. Needless to say, Al was in trouble and was forced to explain T’s fears to the mom.
Our neighbors have one of the prettiest white Persian cats I've seen. BIG, solid white with huge green eyes. It's allowed to wander freely about the hood. From what I've been told, it's either deaf, or lost the majority of its hearing, because it doesn't respond to 'shewing'. If Mr. Fluffy is outside when you drive up, it scurries over to welcome you home. Usually it flops over on its back wanting a belly rubbin'. Yeah. It knows T don't like cats too, I'm convinced.
There are at least 200 examples that I could list, but I'll give you a few of my favorites:
The fact that my sister’s cat Duke was able to get on top of her kitchen cabinets was a big deal breaker when it came to going to visit early on in our relationship. Duke managed to gracefully leap from the floor, to the counter, to the refrigerator and up to the top of the cabinets. He would camp out up there in the fake bushes ready to attack the first thing that taunted him.
She was a real estate agent. She had the duty to walk into strange houses and try and professionally show a house to clients. Now, I was never there, but to be a fly on the wall when she would open the door and Mr. Tomcat would make that big 'Happy your home' run right at her would have been priceless to observe.
She goes to pick up our oldest at a birthday party when she was eleven or so. The friends mom meets her at the front door and welcomes her in while Al gets her things together. Next thing she knows, Al walks around the corner holding a huge' fluffy cat draped over her arms holding it out and says; "Hey mom, look at their cat! Isn't it pretty!" Tracy screams, runs out the front door crying in humiliation and hyperventilating. Needless to say, Al was in trouble and was forced to explain T’s fears to the mom.
Our neighbors have one of the prettiest white Persian cats I've seen. BIG, solid white with huge green eyes. It's allowed to wander freely about the hood. From what I've been told, it's either deaf, or lost the majority of its hearing, because it doesn't respond to 'shewing'. If Mr. Fluffy is outside when you drive up, it scurries over to welcome you home. Usually it flops over on its back wanting a belly rubbin'. Yeah. It knows T don't like cats too, I'm convinced.
This cat would move heaven and earth to get T to pet him if he could. It has paced around in circles outside her car after a trip to the grocery store imprisoning and forcing her to 'wait out' the cats patience. She has actually waited inside her car for it to go away. When we arrive home from anywhere at night, Em can't help but to let out "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!!" as Tracy bowls over everyone to get in the door.
She blames the fact that a neighborhood kid threw a cat on her when she was a kid, but who really knows. Maybe they just have it out for her. If cats have a sense of one’s fear, this one has her pegged. Out of all 500 cars we have on the street, it picks hers out to sit on. Not mine. Not Al's. But its Tracy's car. Every time. It even tortures our dog by sitting on our front porch looking through the windows by the door just waiting to get a glimpse of T. Can you imagine? Being terrified of something that is so common? I really feel for her. I love them because of their attitudes, but if spiders were like that we'd have a problem. After all, I make the girls kill the spiders that make it in the house.
I myself find cat’s to be very personable and would love to have one, because they actually have attitudes. This is an example of how they can talk to one another. This one is more than likely telling the other how pissed he is over the little black one playing in the street:
Meow!
J.C
I had kind of a hard time reading this because of that picture! I literally covered it up with my hand so I could keep reading. And NO I did not make it through the entire video.
ReplyDeleteLOL.. I can semi relate.. I hate cats..My brother threw one at me when we were kids and it dragged its claws straight down my face.. If it weren't for the wrinkels, you could make out the scars! I have no idea how the kids talked me into the two cats we have... Tracy, try having a fear of slugs! I have actually barfed at the site of them.. my mouth and eyes are watering right now just thinking of them...
ReplyDeleteLana