……they argued perpetually over the relative merits of dogs and cats, yet he could never come close to understanding her point of view. Cats were loathsome creatures–sterile and implacable and sans emotions–yet she still defended them as though they were affectionate and deserving of loyalty. Tell me this: Why would anyone love a cat? You could just as easily say you loved your table-saw sitting out in the garage as saying that you loved a cat. Sure, both of these objects serve a useful purpose–the table saw for trimming lumber to size, the cat for catching an occasional mouse–but there is nothing innately lovable about either. In his mind, love and loyalty were interchangeable entities, and he had never in his lifetime claimed fealty to a table-saw, let alone a cat that refused to come rushing up wagging its tail and slobbering all over everything when he arrived home from work at the end of a particularly stressful day…..
Fred's Soapbox 