Love and comfort can come in a million or more ways.

It can be a simple hug.  Holding a hand of someone.  Even just a look can convey a sense of love and comfort to someone at times.

But the love of a pet is something that most pet owners can agree is one of the most comforting and calming things.

Meet Peek.  Short for Peek a Boo.  She was our family cat when I was young and this is a pretty early photo of her from when we lived in Hannibal, Ohio.  I recognize the brick and the porch boards from that house where I lived until I was 8 years old.

Peek was the recipient of many of my hugs and love.  She was the cat that always “listened” and was probably the smartest cat we ever had.  We lived on a hill with two banks and a busy road in front.  She was an outside cat (although we did sneak her in the house from time to time) and loved to hunt in the field that was across the road next to the Ohio River.  We watched her stop at the road and look both ways before she crossed.  Not just once but many times.

Peek was also very fertile and had several litters of kittens a year which supplied our community with pets and mousers.  The days of spaying and neutering pets was to come but when we had her that was not something that was even in the front of our minds.  She gave birth to many offspring and we creatively came up with names for them.  Some were mundane like Junior and then there were the more colorful names like Pumpernickel and Amaryllis.  The Brown kids had vivid imaginations.

Viewing vintage pictures made from my daddy’s slides have made me nostalgic.  Pictures like the above picture of Peek in her very young days remind me that pets have always been a big part of my life.  I can find picture after picture of me with a cat or kitten as well as pictures of my siblings with similar poses.

I think having a pet growing up made me a more compassionate and sensitive person.  There is just something about having a pet that softens a person.  Learning the responsibility early of taking care of something else builds character.   I can not tell you how many secrets Peek heard.

Of course I still love animals and my own two cats Buddy and Holly grace my Facebook and Instagram feeds often with their antics.  They are always a source of comfort and love when I need an extra dose.

What are your earliest memories of pets ?  Did you have one growing up?  Do you have a special pet now?  Remember that all comments this month go to support our Comments for a Cause – The Bookworm Box.