The Cat Hugger - Living Arrows

The Cat Hugger – Living Arrows

The Cat Hugger – Living Arrows.

I’m a firm believer that it’s really good for children to grow up with at least one pet in the house.  I certainly had my fair share as a child as we had rabbits, gerbils (two males that clearly weren’t!), hamsters without even taking into account the macaws and other parrots and budgies my Dad kept in the aviary.  When I was about the same age as my son is now, I finally won the battle to introduce a kitten into the mix and so began a lifelong love of cats.  We had a couple of dogs over the years too, but my heart always belonged with our cats.

When my son was born just over eight years ago, I had two very saggy old cats, in their late teens.  They were a little shocked by the arrival of this noisy being who took up so much of my time and they kept a very wide berth.  Just after my son was one we lost Roxy and two years later I had to say goodbye to my beloved Monty.  somehow my son had always known that he had to be careful with the boys, they were old and frail and he never once pulled their tails or chased them. Truth be told, he wasn’t that interested in them at all.

Then Brewster arrived, our little bundle of fluff.  A kitten was so much more fun for a toddler than a geriatric old cat.  But my son was still a little wary of this furry dynamo who could run around the house way quicker than my two and half year old son.  It’s been lovely to watch the two of them grow up together, and to see how much my son loves Brewster.  It’s also fairly clear to see that that love is not truly reciprocated!  Brewster isn’t much of a lap cat, and he definitely prefers school days, when he can sleep on my bed in peace.

The Cat Hugger - Living Arrows

When my son joined Cubs at the start of the year he was asked to pick a badge he’d like to work towards at home.  He decided on the Animal Carer badge and over the last few months he’s taken responsibility for feeding Brewster twice a day, making sure his water bowl is full and he’s even helped me give him his monthly flea treatment.  I got told off when I bought Brewster’s cat food without him being present!  I’ve been rather impressed with his dedication to the task and it’s made him even more adoring of our feline friend. Poor Brewster!

As soon as my son wakes up he shoots downstairs to let Brewster in and give him cuddles, whether Brewster wants them or not.  He gets a kiss and a cuddle before he goes to school and as soon as he’s home again he makes a beeline for wherever Brewster is trying to sleep.  Mummy take our photo, we love each other.  The Cat Hugger, I’m really not convinced that Brewster feels the same way.  I think he’d be quite happy to be looked after by the adult in the house.

They’ve certainly both grown since Brewster first arrived in 2012.

The Cat Hugger - Living Arrows

We’ll see how long this devotion lasts once he’s been awarded with his badge at Cubs next term, but I hope the love he feels for Brewster will last a lifetime.  Do your kids have pets?

Living Arrows

4 thoughts on “The Cat Hugger – Living Arrows

  1. Aww, this is a lovely picture (even if Brewster doesn’t look that keen on the idea!) – aside from a guinea pig when I was about 10 we never had any pets. I’m allergic to nearly all animals so it’s never really been an option for us. We are thinking about getting some fish though 🙂 #LivingArrows

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