Here at Central Oregon Pets, we love and appreciate all kinds of furry (or scaly) friends. We believe it's important to raise awareness for what's happening within all pet communities or animals that have stories to tell in the area.
In an email, we got word that Smokey, the chair of Cats of Bend and Lucky, the chair of Dogs of Bend, would be sitting down for a very high-profile meeting. We decided to invite them over to hold the meeting in our office with exclusive media rights. Below is a 100% authentic and accurate transcription of the meeting that 100% happened in real life.
Lucky: I'm glad we could come together to sit down and talk today, Smokey.
Smokey: Agreed. Thank you for hearing me out. As the chair for Cats of Bend, it feels great to speak on behalf of the rest of the cat population.
Lucky: Dogs of Bend is glad you'd like us to work together more in the future. What is it you wanted to bring to my attention?
Smokey: Well... Equal representation, equal opportunity and just equal rights along with all the dogs in the community.
Lucky: Uh, what do you mean?
Smokey: Do you see any cat parks around here? Dogs in Central Oregon are treated like royalty. While we just get left at home with a litterbox and some catnip, you guys are out having beers with the family and enjoying the weather. Does that seem fair to you? Cats like the outside, too, you know.
Lucky: I didn't think cats really liked anything, honestly. But what about the bird population? And what if you guys ran away? For the most part we dogs tend to come back or hang out with our humans. We're man's best friend.
Smokey: I'd be open to a cat harness. And have you seen those backpacks with the little window for cats? You can take us on your next hike to enjoy the view together!
Lucky: I mean, I guess that makes sense. It's just that dogs, you know... we listen. We're the ideal companion for all the outdoor enthusiasts here. We'll go on long runs, go paddle boarding...
Smokey: Wait. I never said cats wanted to run. You can have that. And paddle boarding? Cats can stand or lie on a board. As long as we don't fall in the water, we can make a nice addition to any paddle boarding day.
Lucky: I suppose. How do you propose we fix this then?
Smokey: For one, humans should adopt more cats at animal shelters. We need homes too, and with how fast dogs get snatched up these days, cats can sometimes build up in shelters. There should be a cat cafe in town, where humans can go and enjoy a latte and play with adoptable cats and even take one home. Kind of like Purrington's Cat Lounge in Portland.
Second, we need more cat-friendly hangouts in the area, where already housed cats can be taken to go play. Maybe an indoor cat playground? I believe Central Oregon has the pet infrastructure available to accomplish these things, and it wouldn't take away from dog opportunities at all.
Lucky: There is definitely room for more cat-related amenities in the area. Bend will probably always be known for being one of the dog-friendliest places in America, but I don't see why life here for cats can't be improved.
Smokey: I'd also like to see local companies do more social media with cats. Dogs with glasses of beer are a given on any brewery's Instagram. It's time local businesses accurately represent the cat population here. We're pretty cute. And with help from Dogs of Bend, we feel we'd be able to get through to the humans and better address these things.
Lucky: Do you smell that?
Smokey: Oh sorry, we've got bacon frying in the kitchen.
And that was the end of the meeting.
Editor's note: This all really did happen... in our minds. Cats and dogs would never sit down together, silly...
