They certainly are gifts from God! And so are cats. Both give unconditional love.
Geez, not my cat! We refer to him as "the mass. mauler.(for Massachusetts where we live). He likes to lay in wait around the corner and when you enter the room he lunges for you and wraps himself around your leg. Sometimes if you walk buy him and he thinks you are going to pet him he hisses. He totally dominates my 85 lb German Shepherd but actually does her no harm. He just leaps at her when he's had enough of her trying to play. One of the things he enjoys most is grabbing my arm and gnawing (literally) on my hand. It's his way of playing and I guess a form of affection but he does occasionally break the skin. All in all I get along with him very well and he'll curl up on my lap when the mood strikes him. The rest of the family steers clear of this 18lb terror.