Glad to be rolling out another new feature here at the Pod: “How Many Chris’s”.  The English Department in my building is staffed by a slew of quality folks, four of whom possess some derivation of the name Christine/Christina.  Realizing this, I figured the opportunity for a panel of Chris’s to weigh in on some of humanity’s most crucial issues was too great to pass up.  All Chris’s have been assigned numbers to protect their identity.

Topic:  Cats v. Dogs

Chris 1:  I would never consider myself an animal person, even though I was exposed to many animals as a young person.  My mother is a crazy herpetologist, and growing up we always kept and took care of animals with and without fur at my house and in my mother’s classroom.  This might be one of the reasons why I do not have pets today.  If I had to choose, I would definitely say that I like dogs a lot better than cats.  Cats are an animal that have always freaked me out. 

Chris 2:  Do I really have to answer? I have Boston Terriers posted around my room!!!!  p.s.- my dog has hair!

Chris 3:  I agree with Chris 1.  Cats always creeped me out, but I am also highly allergic to them. I have to be heavily medicated to be near them even for only a few hours, and then I can have a severe allergic reaction that will send me to the hospital. Although I would not want to own a dog at the time, I do love dogs.

Chris 4: I like my dogs small and hypoallergenic.  When I think of the terrible underbite of a shitzu on a rainy day, I smile.  Speaking of bites, I was attacked by a pitbull a few years ago.  Not my dog of choice.  Cats are cool, but like Chris 3, I’m allergic.  Their “way” intrigues me; slick, sly, aloof and tender when they’re hungry or falling asleep.  My neighbor’s cat, “Billy” meows with such gusto that I’m sure he thinks he’s a lion.  If my eyeballs didn’t morph into golf balls when cats are near, I would adopt one - that’s certain.  The question that would plague me would be where to put the litter box - that grosses me out.  Is there an appropriate location for a litter box? I have a hard time thinking about friends who house the box in their bathrooms.  Logical? Maybe, but … EW.

Verdict:  Dogs over Cats, with 4 Chris’s.  A unanimous Chris decision