When I first met Kit, 3 years ago, he had a dog (Professor Bix) and 2 cats. Well, technically, they're his parents' pets - but whatever. Professor Bix and I bonded right away, and you all know how dogs choose their owners. For all intents and purposes, Bix is mine. <br>
<br>So, anyway, when we first met - right. Kit was a cat person. I'm okay with cats, but I'm a diehard dog person. You want to be with me, you better be prepared for a dog. That was step 1.<br><br>So Kit resigned himself to having a dog. Step 2, then, was a basset. I had never had a basset before, but knew that that was what I wanted. Kit didn't get it. "They're so goofy-looking," he'd say. He likes dogs like Professor Bix, an Akita/St. Bernard/German Shepherd mix. Big, wolfy dogs. Now, Bix is one of the most drop-dead handsome dogs I've ever seen, but you all know how it is - he's beautiful, but he's no basset. So convicing Kit to commit to a basset was step 2.<br>
<br>So around the holidays last year, Kit started looking on <a href="http://1800saveapet.com">1800saveapet.com</a> and <a href="http://petfinder.com">petfinder.com</a>, because rescuing was always an unspoken and obvious tenent to basset ownership. It was Kit who found the litter of 6 caramel-and-white basset pups, only 6 weeks old. We both fell in love at first sight at the photo of Humphrey, who was then going by the too-preppy-for-us name of Preston. I suppose that was step 3.<br>
<br>So we adopt Humphrey. Now, to be fair, I don't know how anyone could fail to fall in love with a 10-week-old puppy, but Kit really fell head-over-heels for our new little boy. And we see how well he gets along with Professor Bix, and how sociable he is, and I say, someday, we should get him a brother or sister. And Kit says, sure, but next time, I pick the breed. He'd point out German Shepherds, Mastiffs, Belgian sheepdogs in the dog run. "I want one of those," he'd say. Now, I'd never say 'no' to one of those big, beautiful dogs - but I kept my mouth shut. Kit had already gone from being a cat person to willingly considering a 2nd (3rd, technically) dog. Let's see how far we can take this, I thought.<br>
<br>By the time Humphrey was 8 months old, Kit's song was changing. Humphrey isn't the droopiest of dogs, but whenever he manages to look wrinkly or get that noble basset expression on his face, Kit goes wild. "Who's my bassety boy?!" Kit will praise him, and give him a cookie. "Good boy, looking so bassety."<br>
<br>I'd show him bassets on petfinder, and he'd practically coo with delight. He now swears that our next apartment will have a backyard, which I assumed was because he wants to be able to grill and have a veggie garden. "That too," he said, "but I was also thinking maybe we could foster, and the bassets will need a place to play."<br>
<br>And that is how you turn a cat-loving man into a basset boyfriend.<br><br>Drool to all in need,<br><br>Rebecca, Humphrey, Professor Bix, and Kit<br>