Pets... what are they really all about?
We have 1 dog and 2 cats. I'm not exactly sure why and I'm beginning to question why anyone really has pets. Admittedly the dog is still technically a puppy (he's about 11 months old) so I guess some of his ways could be attributed to that. But since getting him all I've had is an extra burden of responsibility, more mess, everything chewed and less money. Yes there are moments when it's nice, but most of them consist of when he's asleep.
And then there are the cats. Their strict fussy diet of gourmet caviar washed down with the finest chateau du lait is more than I can really afford for myself. They are on a constant mission to wind me up by asking to go out or come in as soon as I sit down or wanting to sit down when I want to stand up. They claw the furniture next to the scratch post and come in from the garden just to use the litter tray.
We've had 2 guinea pigs in the past (Bob & Tony) but had to get rid of them when the novelty for the kids wore off within 20 seconds and we found that these small inconspicuous apparent low maintenance rodents caused more fuss and made more mess than an army of dogs.
Other people have rats, snakes and spiders... as pets. Why? Ah yes, there's nothing nicer than snuggling up with my pet tarantula on the sofa to watch the Sunday afternoon film.
My Mum had a canary once. This poor yellow bird spent it's entire life in a cage jumping from one perch to the other. Backwards and forwards. Over and over. For years and years.
Surely to cage an animal for your viewing pleasure is more cruelty than kindness. How much time do you spend with this animal? There's 24 hours in the day and if the animal is lucky you give it undivided attention for what? 20 minutes? Maybe an hour? And you think you're giving it a life of luxury?
My first dog went everywhere with me for a big portion of his life and I sacrificed a lot of choices to accommodate him. But he was more than worth it - he was loyal, loving, kind and great company. Just how you hope a pet will be. I guess I got out what I put in. But many people aren't as lucky as I am, many can't spend that volume of time with their pets.
I think we need to think carefully about why we're getting a pet before getting one on an impulse. After all it's a life you're playing with, not just some game that you can switch on and off when it suits you.
No comments:
Post a Comment