I love animals. I've grown up with both cats and dogs in my house, since before I was born.

Fred was my first dog, and he was there before me. He wasn't exactly keen on not having all the attention anymore, but one Easter I became sick, and he was snuggling me, and that was it. Fred was my pal until he left this earth when I was in seventh grade. Fifteen years of love, cream cheese, and friendship.

I always hear "you're either a dog person or a cat person." Why can't you be both? I love dogs, and if it wasn't for our small apartment and Trav and I's crazy schedules, we probably would have a dog right now. But, I adopted a small gray kitten whom I named Phoebe a month after moving to Tennessee, and she's the best pal I've ever had.

But, I also had dogs living in the house for my family that I nannied for, and I loved both my cat, their cat Misty, and the dogs, Lucky, Ranger and Daisy (and my other aunt's dog, Marley). I love snuggling them both, all of them have their own personalities and their animals. They're just happy to be alive and happy to be around you, whether it's a cat or a dog.

Sure, some people have bad experiences with either, and that happens, but that doesn't mean you should always shew one away. Cats aren't unloving and cold all the time, that I know from experience. Phoebe loves to snuggle on the couch with blankets and sleeps with us every single night.

Cletus is a stray whom we adopted from the shelter over the summer, and he's very hesitant about being held. We hold him because we love his fluffiness and because he's cute, but from the way he acts, we think he may have been abused, or seen a lot of it.

But, that doesn't mean he doesn't have his times where he loves to lay right up against us while asleep or on the couch working on things like writing articles, or studying for tests. He might not be the snuggly-est, but he's still lovable and sweet.

Just because at one point I had no cats and just dogs doesn't mean I don't love cats, and just because I now have just cats and no dogs doesn't mean I don't love dogs, I just don't want to keep a dog in a small townhouse without a yard to roam around. It IS possible to be a dog AND cat person.