Several years ago, new neighbors moved into the house next door to us. They had two full grown cats – one small black and white cat named George and a very large black cat named Dexter.
Within a few days George had completely checked out the neighborhood and made friends with all the people and other cats. Since the people George lived with worked all day, George was lonesome during the day. Therefore, he decided it was fun to wander around the inside of our house, demand food and sleep on our couch for a few hours each week. Needless to say George was a very neat and smart cat.
Dexter, on the other hand, was a mental mess when he first moved into the house next door. He spent the first few weeks secluded in a closet. It then took him several weeks to check out the inside of his house. After three months Dexter was able to spend a few minutes each day outside of the house. It was over six months after he moved in before I met Dexter. After a few more months Dexter had figured out the neighborhood and was stealing food from all the other cats. It turned out that Dexter was really a big mean bully. I liked Dexter and he and I became very good friends. I would not feed him until he did tricks for me. After over a year I found that Dexter was a very neat and smart cat.
This true story clearly illustrates the point that all cats are not alike. Just like people, some cats like and enjoy change while others are afraid of change and are forced to adjust. The question is "are you a George or a Dexter?"
I would like to be George; however, to be honest, the facts indicate that I am part George and part Dexter.
Ed Wilson, 1999