Man's best friend? People, Dogs, Cats or Undetermined?

What do we want from a BEST friend?  It's important to know. Do they need to be covered in fur, lick your face or poop in a box to qualify? Do you consider yourself an independent self-starter who has little time and less inclination to take on a 4 legged dependent requiring nurturing an/or emotional investment? Or are you a lover of sloppy kisses and frantic welcoming and overwhelming need of your attention and physical contact? Or are you satisfied with being on your own, unattached and unfettered?

I had a pet painted turtle once (not available/legal to sell anymore) when I was a kid. I had a little plastic terrarium in my room with a plastic palm tree on a little bump of plastic that was surrounded by perhaps a half an inch of water. I believe I called it Frank (forgive me, it was decades ago). Frank ate lettuce leaves. I fed it/him/her and changed the terrarium water regularly. Occasionally I would take Frank out of the tank for a play session. After a while, his tiny head would poke out of his shell and he/it would make a mad dash to freedom. Tiny feet on tiny legs don't make much ground (or carpet in this case) but the race was on. I loved Frank. We couldn't have a dog due to our moving every two to three years and it was especially difficult if the move was overseas so...I had a turtle. One evening I decided to give Frank a bath. I had to have one so I decided to fill the sink and let him take a swim. I put an inch or two of water in the bowl and slid him in. We bathed simultaneously. Unfortunately, I had, in my exuberance, turned on the hot water spigot. In short, I boiled Frank while I took my bath.
I picked up his pink and green lifeless shelled body and ran down the stairs to my mom bawling my eyes out. I had murdered my only pet. If I couldn't be trusted to keep a turtle alive, how would anyone trust me with the care of a cat or a bird or a DOG much less a human child?! I would never have children much less be trusted to bathe one! These are tragic thoughts for a young boy, not yet at puberty and already worried about reproducing! (I was a psychological "early bloomer" and the first pre-adolescent Catholic kvetcher.)

Man's best friend is a relative moniker. I mean for a child man's best friend might be his teddy bear and as he grows up it could be a dog or a cat or his first love. You see I am not wondering about it in the usual sense..."A dog is man's best friend". For some it probably is true. I prefer dogs to cats. I love kittens, but then they grow up to become cats and you have no idea when they will rise up in the millions and take over the world using mice as their minions. Sorry. I have a tendency to go there when it comes to cats. I even can't stand the musical! Enough side trip.Back to the musings.

Let's agree. MAN, in this case, means human. I know who my best friend is. I only have one. True friends are rare which makes them precious. Most folks throw the word around but they are actually referencing an acquaintance, that is someone they know well (perhaps) but in the biblical sense, not a friend.

If friendship was easy it wouldn't be so meaningful. If it wasn't meaningful you wouldn't be willing to give of yourself. And giving of one's self is the key to friendship and friendship is key to happiness and the knowledge you are not alone. (We call it "Got your back" using the modern vernacular.)

The faithfulness of the canine species and the way they stand by you no matter what is what brought about the cliche. I am very attached to mine. He stuck by my side as I recovered from back to back spinal surgeries.

Cats, on the other hand, tolerate you and though they will "play" with you it is always on their terms. Ever try and feed one? Their food is fancier than what we eat and they still turn their nose up to it. Go eat a mouse or something. Now, to be fair not all cats are horrid creatures with mayhem on their scheming little minds. Just look at their beady eyes. You have no idea what they are plotting! But the cats that are not prissy or standoffish or climb your leg with their claws or destroy the blinds or shred the curtains or poop in your shoes are sweet and affectionate and obviously carry the canine gene! They act the same as any normal DOG! I don't get it. I'm sorry. You just can't trust cats.

Man's best friend is a term we no longer pay attention to. It has been decided and we must live with it. I, for one, have no problem with it. But my bestie walks on two very lovely long legs (especially in heels) and is very responsive and affectionate, however very independent and a member of a group that could one day rise up and take over the world. And I have no problem with that either.