All my life, it has been relatively easy to bond with people because I see myself as an easy-going individual. Bonding with animals on the other hand, is a different story entirely.
I love animals dearly and although I don't keep any, if the decision to keep one as a pet had come up it would definitely be a cat. There's a number of reasons why I haven't kept any pets so far and the biggest amongst them is the time spent on taking care of them.
Growing up, the majority of pets I saw people keep were usually dogs but I once had a bitter experience involving a dog chase and ever since then I avoided them as much as I could.
One thing I noticed with people who keep them was that a large percentage of their time is spent feeding, bathing, walking amongst other things.
In essence if you know you can't make the commitment to caring for one, you shouldn't keep one.
The first time I realized I loved cats, was when I travelled to my hometown. A cousin of mine was keeping one and at the time of my arrival I wasn't aware of it.
I was in his room resting from the stress of the long journey when I heard a meow sound close to me. I jumped up screaming my lungs out while the cat also ran for safety.
It soon became a sort of dance between I and the cat. Anytime she peeped into the room and saw my face, she would immediately run back.
Obviously she wasn't used to a stranger being in her owners room and felt I was intruding, while I on the other hand was always cautious not to leave the door open anymore.
We eventually bonded but it was over food. Breakfast was usually a mix of pap and akara (a delicacy made from beans) and one thing about akara was that it had a very nice aroma.
Whenever I was served, it wouldn't take long before I would hear meow sounds at the door.
Initially I would simply crack open the door and drop some akara on the floor, but eventually I gathered the courage to allow it come into the room whenever I was eating.
It seemed food did the trick because soon she no longer ran from my presence.
I think cats are the animals with the biggest mood swings, at least when a dog starts to growl I know it's not safe to be around it.
But for my cousins cat, she would be stretching and rubbing her body around my legs whenever she comes closer and the next second she wants to scratch me.
We eventually bonded to the point where I could carry her on my legs and rub her back.
I visited another time and heard she had died, but my cousin kept one of her male kittens which had grown then. I would sometimes laugh at the look he gives me and think even your mama do pass this one (even your mum did more than this).
