Dogs - not just man's best friend

My mother, for lack of a better term, would have been considered a "cat person". This is not to say that she was a devoted cat aficionado, but she preferred the feline to the dog. Growing up our house usually had at least one cat hanging around, but other than the two that were there during my high school years, I am hard pressed to even remember their names. Our pets were never considered family members, they were just there for enjoyment while it lasted. My mother was also an exceptionally clean person, so oftentimes the mess that can come with animals was not tolerated.

Flash forward to 200...