- reptiles
- birds
- fish
- amphibians
- rodents
I have a good friend, Laura, and she is just a saint when it comes to allowing all manner of beasties to dwell in her house. They once had for a pet, and I promise you I am not making this up, a hairless rat. Yes, they did. Until it developed lesions or boils or something tumor-esque and they had to do away with it. Which her husband did by beheading it with a shovel. Can I get an "eeeeeuuuwww?"
So I experienced a bit of displeasure when Susannah received for her birthday -- from her biggest brother who should know better -- a fish tank complete with four fish. I told her in no uncertain terms that I wanted NOTHING to do with them. I didn't want to hear about them. I wouldn't be feeding them. I didn't want to know about them. I wasn't going to spend any money on them.
Today is the second day in a row now that we've had to endure the inevitable farewell (see how I tie this all in?) to a fish. First it was Benji, and now today, Bob. Bob who was her favorite fish EVER.
I wish I could work up more sympathy. But isn't it to be expected? Don't balloons either pop or float away? Don't juice boxes always always always squirt when you put the straw in? Don't bubbles always spill? Don't goldfish always die?
What are your rules for pets? Am I the only ogre mom out there?
5 comments:
Our pet rules- If you can catch it you can keep it... until we tell you to let it go or we leave, again.
What a fabulous post, from the title to the finish. Jolly good form.
I don't have a lot of sympathy for the fish either... you know I'm still mourning the loss of Vanessa, all these many years hence.
See, Ruthie, I have perfected the skill of "IF YOU PRETEND SOMETHING ISN'T THERE, THEN IT ISN'T THERE." It's an art form, really, and I'm rather good at it. Right now my girls (yes the girls, not Arthur!!) have 2 field mice that they found the cat playing with outside. They caught them and put them in a cage in Rebekah's room. I just put my fingers in my ears and sing, "La, la, la" when they try to tell me how cute these rodents are. Out of sight, out of mind to me.
And poor Jason. We're in mourning in this household.
I am not a cat person. Patrick had to agree before marrying me (he is a cat person) that he would not own a cat as long as I am alive. Seriously, I almost wrote it into our vows. Actually, I'm not much of an animal person. I love other people's pets, but the hair in my house...not so much. We will probably own a dog someday, but only after we have a property where he can spend most of his time outside.
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