Cats vs. Dogs

Even though we have a cat, I would consider both Mike and myself to be dog people. I love beagles and think bulldogs are awesome and pretty much any breed of puppy just melts my heart. Plus, dogs are a lot more fun than cats. Still, I think it's pretty safe to say that we would both prefer not to have any pets at all. Our cat(s) (we used to have two, but our friend killed one of them while we were on vacation) have really been more of a burden than anything else.

But this post isn't really about pets; it's about affection. I heard it explained once that some people are like dogs (they want lots of affection and they want it all the time) and others are cats (they want affection sometimes, but if you try to touch them when they don't want to be touched, they will bite you).

I am a cat.

And, then there's Mike... If he is in a good mood, he could go for a hug and a kiss. If he's in a bad mood, he could go for a hug and a kiss. If I do something nice for him, he will hug me and kiss me. If I make him mad, he expects an apology and a hug and a kiss. If he apologizes for something he did, he expects forgiveness and a hug and a kiss. If he is excited about something, he will hug me and kiss me. If he feels embarrassed, he will want a hug and a kiss from me. You get the idea...

...And you're probably thinking That sounds great! What wife wouldn't want that kind of affection from her husband?

I am that wife.

This photo was taken about eight years ago, back when I had awesome pink glasses.

Actually, I really do enjoy hugs and kisses from my husband; just not under the following circumstances:

When there is an audience. If you have seen Mike and I kiss and/or hug, you should know that I was incredibly uncomfortable by your presence and I probably yelled at Mike for it later. Our wedding day was stressful. Please stop with the clinking glasses!

Addison's been hanging on me all day. I enjoy giving and getting affection from my kids. But if I hear the phrase "Mommmmy I want uuuuup" in a whiny three-year-old voice too many times, I will hide in a closet for the rest of the day and let my kids fend for themselves.

Nursing a baby or pumping breastmilk. During the act, obviously, but also one hour leading up to and one hour after (those are estimates, I don't set a timer or anything). Right now this isn't a huge factor as I only need to pump 3-4 times a day. But those first couple of months after the baby was born when I was nursing or pumping pretty much around the clock, I was more like a lion than a cat. Come near me and you'll probably die.

When I'm in a bad mood. Particularly if you were the one that put me in that bad mood.


Are you a cat person or a dog person? Are you a cat or dog when it comes to giving and receiving affection?