Walking Off New York with Other Species

I see lots of dogs when I am walking around New York, and frequently I bring along a couple of handsome hounds myself. But after seeing the movie Village Sunday, the one I presented to you in a previous post, I got to thinking about the cute pet primate in that film and how that wasn't unusual around here.

Lately I have seen a woman that takes her cat out for a walk. I was in Duane Reade the other day when I found myself behind a woman who sported a live cat on her shoulder. The cat was on a leash, it was well-behaved and seemed to take interest in the transaction at the counter. The clerks engaged the woman in some chit-chat about her cat, and the woman said that, yes, her cat loved this sort of excursion. When she left I have to admit that there was much eye-rolling and knee-slapping, that sort of thing.

My favorite, however, is a woman who takes her pet turtle out for a walk. I saw them in the courtyard of an apartment building, and I was startled to see a turtle in the first place, much less one that walked faster than me. I went over to talk to the turtle's mom to inquire about the situation, and I was delighted to find out that the name of the shelled one is Good Luck. The turtle mom, a human being, said she likes to take out Good Luck once a week.

Other species need to stretch their legs, I concluded, but I think the cat basically got a free ride.

Image: L'Orso Bruno di San Marco, 2006-2007.