Animals grow on you
After moving to the country, the author discovers a new love for animals.
To be honest, apart from a one-sided boyhood relationship with a welsh terrier, I have never wanted to be close to animals or have them as pets. My grandpa famously didn't like dogs and I think I inherited that. I'm allergic to cats. My childhood egg layers actually walked off the property. By my early 40s, I had joined my 90-year-old neighbor in his opinion that "livestock should stay outdoors" -- and by livestock he meant "all animals."
I'm not sure what happened to change that opinion when we moved onto 10 acres in the country a few years ago. Maybe a combination of loneliness for the "crowd" in town and more time up close with animals?
For whatever reason, I have found our animals (not dogs) to be endearing. Our first forebear, Adam, was tasked with zoology, so maybe I'm getting back to our roots?
When it's cold, I now warm up my hands by picking up a cat and tucking it under my arm.