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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Kids are Dogs, Teens are Cats (a little Mother's Day humor...)

Kids are Dogs, Teens are Cats
A Little Mother's Day Humor
(author unknown)

I just realized that while children are dogs... loyal and affectionate... teenagers are cats.

It's so easy to be a dog owner. You feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts its head on your knee and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it.

Then around age 13, your adoring little puppy turns into a big old cat. When you tell it to come inside, it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor. Instead of dogging your doorstep, it disappears. You won't see it again until it gets hungry... then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen long enough to turn its nose up at whatever you're serving. When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you then gives you a blank stare, as if trying to remember where it has seen you before.

You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won't go on family outings. Since you're the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave.

Only now you're dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result. Call it and it runs away. Tell it to sit and it jumps on the counter. The more you go toward it, wringing your hands, the more it moves away.

Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you can learn to behave like a cat owner. Put a dish of food near the door and let it come to you. But remember that a cat needs your help and your affection too. Sit still and it will come, seeking the warm, comforting lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it.

One day your grown-up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, "You've been on your feet all day. Let me get those dishes for you."

Then you'll realize your cat is a dog again.

7 comments:

Alyce said...

How cute! I have little kids still, so I've yet to experience the metamorphosis. I do remember one point after being a mom for a while, I finally realized the effort my parents had put forth to raise us kids and I have been nicer to them and more appreciative of them ever since.

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Alyce!
When I read this I kind of remembered being that 'cat' for a while- thank goodness I turned back into a dog! Hmmm, first time I ever said I wanted to be called a dog! :D

Keri said...

That's one reason why I've made sure to take pictures of my son hugging me now, so I can look at them in awe when he's 15 and hates me. :)

Suzanne Yester said...

You are so cute Keri Bo Beari! I'm glad my post made you smile!

Yvette Kelly said...

This is so true but I never attached the dog/cat scenario to it.Definitely applies.My dog left about 2 years ago luckily I still have a puppy.It looks like as soon as eldest changes from a cat to a dog again,my puppy will be becoming a cat.Serves me right for having kids 11 years apart.

Suzanne Yester said...

Oh Yvette!
I had to do a double take- at first I read "serves me right for having 11 kids!" I guess it's been a long day! :D

Tea said...

That Mother's Day cartoon is too cute.

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