Nature v Nurture and the Mighty Louis

This week in sociology, we learned about how important socialization is in our development as people. A person can't be born and live in isolation and be able to function as a member of society. Humans grow up constantly interacting with others, from birth to death. It is these connections with others who make us who we are. Perhaps the most important years of socialization are the younger years. When we are born, we are completely vulnerable. We are helpless and rely on people to survive. At this stage, our frontal lobe, the part of our brain stimulates by our interaction with humans, is still run by nature and instincts. It takes the love and care of our parents and family to devolve us into people.

While my cat isn't human, he still acts as an example of the importance of nurture. When we got him, he was sick and underfed. He was very afraid and shy around people. However, when we brought him home from the animal hospital, his feet never touched the ground. He was always being held or cuddled or played with. As the family's first pet, he got an extreme amount of attention. Now he acts like a dog. He is very trusting and curious of people, and runs to the door when it rings. He's one of the few cats I've seen who will plop on a strangers lap or lick my face while I'm trying to sleep. He also drinks out of the toilet ;). I know that my cat is like this because of the attention he got as a kitten. Our family made my cat who he is today, and if he had grown up with other people, or with less nurturing, he would've been a very different animal.

This is my kitty Louis. He is very ferocious when he yawns: