Growing up, we had a collie that was prettier than Lassie, the one on TV in the 1950’s. We never had a cat because my mom hated them. She had a bad experience as a young child, involving her dog dying on account of a cat, and carried the feelings inside for many years.
I was a die-hard dog lover. They were friendly, cats were aloof. They were social, cats were snobby. I could hug my dog, but I had never gotten near enough to a cat to even attempt a hug. When I was 25, my husband brought home a kitten – a beautiful Maine coon cat that he had gotten from a friend. It only took a few minutes of holding this tiny, frightened, furry creature for years of hatred to be replaced with love.
Now I love cats. Long after I moved out Mom did get a cat who got along well with her dog. Unfortunately, this cat was killed by a dog when she ran outside – an ironic turn of events.
What’s the point? We can change. We don’t have to carry the old thoughts and feelings from childhood into adulthood. We are more content if we do not let a few bad experiences define us, allowing them to influence the rest of our lives. Change is possible if we have the desire to let go of the past.
DivineLoveDivineLife 
…used to be freaked out by cats. I appreciate story to illustrate that we do change!
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