Personally, I pity anyone who can possibly think of any animal as "just a
___". It surely means they've never experienced, to the bottom of their
heart, the unconditional love of a pet. Even if they had a pet, the pet
didn't live in their heart the way our cats (and assorted other critters)
do in ours.

I think that humans who bring animals into their lives take one of two
possible attitudes. They regard said animal as a family member, and love
it wholeheartedly. Or they regard it as a piece of property, the more's
the pity for both them and the pet.

I feel sincerely sorry for anyone who's never experienced what it means to
REALLY love a pet, regardless of whether they've had a pet or not. Because
you don't actually have to have a pet of your own to love them. Gosh knows
that I loved the pets of family and friends for years before my mom let me
get a pet, and I sure as heck got loved plenty in return.

But the people who've never experienced what that feels like... how
colorless their lives must be! I'd be so much less of a human being if I'd
never known and loved the beautiful, wonderful animals and birds who've
been a part of my life... both my own cats and the pets of my family,
friends, neighbors, etc. If those people only knew what a priceless,
spectacular thing they're missing, they'd never utter the phrase "just a
____" again.

It's sad for those people, really.

Donna and the two cats who are "just" among the most doted-upon, spoiled
creatures in the time zone, Captain and Stanley