Oh. I hear you. Nothing in life is ever a waste. It just needs its season to come so that it can find its use. That's why you had that tree.
A cat and a dog with the dog taking preference? You are my kind on lady. I remeber when I was younger we had a cat and a dog. My dog's name was Rex; the cat didn't really have a name. I just used a sound to call to it. Rex used to play with the cat everyday and everyday the cat used to slap him silly. I never understood why he would subject himself to such pain on a daily basis.
The cat is afraid of heights? Lol. That's something you don't hear everyday. I would've laughed so hard at for being a scaredy cat.