A Concert of Dogs and Cats

Jorge Milanes Despaigne

HAVANA TIMES, Jan 23 — Dogs have always been considered “man’s best friend.” They’re loyal to the grave, at least according to Angela, my neighbor from across the street. She has 16 of them!

They’re friends to everyone who passes by on the street, since hunger makes them affable to seeing if they can get anything out of it.

These days it’s difficult to keep so many dogs and cats no matter how much you love them. Obtaining enough food is the problem, especially when you don’t have much of a budget or the time required to tend to them.

I think it’s better not to own any then to have to watch them starve to death or see them wind up in the street, as often happens.

I like dogs, but ones that live in homes and are cared for by their owners – not simply wandering around in back alleys or bothering everybody who goes down the street.

When all the different kinds of dogs that live in our neighborhood get together — of all different breeds and mixtures — the number is almost incalculable.

To these they add all the different cats, many of which are friends with the dogs.

On romantic nights, you can hear their impassioned meows wafting out in all directions in incredible tunes as they search for their desired mates.

Still, some of those lullabies can break out into the most uproarious of exchanges, making it that much harder to sleep.

In the middle of the night one is awaken to a grand concert of cats, and then — just before sunrise — a second part of this session continues with the howling of the dogs, with each one going to their corner of the block to let the moon know of their presence.

These dogs and cats usually end up exhausted, some even wore down to silence, but satisfied after having bid farewell to the night.

Last night I couldn’t sleep. I had to listen to the concert of cats all night, followed by the baying of dogs this morning. I hope I’m not forced to take in another concert, at least not tonight.