It was a long four day weekend for my household. I goofed around most of it and now I should be grading papers, but I thought a new rant (via this blog) would be a better way to spend my time.
Pets. Some people love them, some people hate them. I have found my view varies and seems to have changed throughout my life. When I was a kid we had a black lab. My dad loved that dog; it was his constant companion. He took it EVERYWHERE and played with it constantly. My brother and I loved that dog, but it was really my dad's animal. When I was six the dog got cancer and had to be put down. My dad was never the same. I really wanted a dog or a cat growing up - you know the normal pet every kid wants. My dad always said no, and it wasn't really because of the mess they made or my lack of responsibility. I think it was because he didn't want to get emotionally attached. I, like almost every kid on the planet, was obsessed with animals. I was even convinced I was going to be a veterinarian. I was sad and angry that we couldn't have a real pet. My dad's solution? To get us an aquarium with some goldfish like that was going to solve my yearning for a pet with fur.
My grandmother knew she couldn't go against my dad's explicit rule of NO dogs or cats, so she did what any good grandmother would do. She got us random exotic animals - usually for Easter gifts. The first year we got baby ducklings. My dad was forced to build some kind of cage (with a pool) for the ducks. Then they got too big, so we took them to Land Park and let them loose at the pond. That didn't stop grandma. She bought us a tortoise which dug its way under the fence and escaped. So next we got two baby bunnies. We kept them in a hutch for a while (another thing my dad built), but the bunnies were so tame and sweet we eventually just let them run free in the backyard. So, most of my childhood we had random bunnies in the yard - they would breed, some would survive. As they grew up, they would leave the yard and some people adopted them, but there were always a few bunnies that would come when called that I could pet or feed.
That fulfilled my need for a pet (almost). I really still wanted an indoor pet that could be my very own. My grandmother talked my father into letting me have a cockatiel bird. Pepe was the love of my life. Even my dad thought he was pretty cool. That bird never left my shoulder, and my dad would even let him at the dinner table to have some scraps. For six years, my longing for a pet was filled by that sweet bird who talked to me and let me treat him like a baby. Of course, like all animals we seem to get attached to, he got sick and died. I was heartbroken, so to make me feel better, my dad bought me a couple of pet mice. Those (who were supposed to be all girls) soon had babies, and we were overrun. So, we sold them back to the pet store and got a single rat instead. Like my bird, that rat went everywhere with me for a couple of years. One night we came home and thought Stormy, my rat, had gotten out of her cage, but we discovered a wild rat had gotten into the house in an attempt to mate. That was the end of that pet - my dad freaked out and made me sell Stormy back to the pet store. I was officially without any kind of pet.
Luckily, when I turned 15, I went to live with my mother. She just happened to live on three acres with horses (my aunt's animals). My mom told me I could have whatever pets I wanted as long as I paid to feed them and took care of them. Within a year, I had a farm full. Five dogs, six chickens, a duck, a pig, around 12 cats (people would dump them in the country and I would take them in) and of course, my very own horse. I found satisfaction caring and playing with my animals every spare minute. I was in pet heaven for three whole years. Then, I had to grow up. I moved out and went to college. I got a full time job and my mom found homes for all of my pets, except my one dog. I was living in an apartment and for the first time in many years had only one pet - my dog, Kylara, who was my 16th birthday present and never left my side.
Once I got married, Kevin and I would have some pets throughout our lives. We had a couple of cats, another companion for Kylara (so two dogs). When Ethan was born we had only one cat and the two dogs. By them time Emmett was born, both the dogs had died of old age, and soon after so did our cat. Now we were without pets again, and I felt relieved to be honest. I went through a stage where no pets were a good thing. Probably because life itself was enough work. Caring for my sick mother, then two small children, and Kevin's business was just getting started. We were busy, and I was happy without another animal to care for.
Kevin and the kids would often ask if we could get a pet. I always said no. Then, I gave in and let Ethan get a hamster. They only live two years! Finally, I let us get a kitten (okay two). The kids named them Red and Blue. Blue was stolen by the neighbors, and only Red remained. That was the beginning of the end. We adopted a dog. Max was amazing. Grown and already trained. He fit into our lives perfectly. I was happy that I had given in, and we got him. For two years, Max was a true member of our family. Then one morning he was gone. Someone took him out of our yard. We searched for him for a week, and then I got a call from the vet that they had his remains - he had been hit by a car and killed (we assumed trying to run away from whomever had taken him). Heartbroken again, we did not get another dog. We still had our single cat and the kids loved him, so it was enough.
Fast forward four years later - we have just moved onto six acres. Apparently, living back on some land has made those old needs for lots of animals to surface. Within three weeks of moving in, we adopted a dog. A golden lab named Jake who is like the missing piece for our family. Of course, we still have Red the cat. Then came the turtle my grandma "found" walking down the street. This week the family added three pet mice: Whitey, Snowy, and Bear. The Leopard Gecko, Lizzie, was not far behind. The house is full of pets again, but we don't seem to be satisfied. By the end of the month, we will have chickens (6). Two goats will be here in May. A sheep in on my list, and of course, I would love to have a horse again.
So now I have quadrupled the amount of living things I have to care for. My husband and three boys take enough work, my students feel like my kids at times, and now I have a whole farm of animals that need my attention. I feel good about it - my inner child who wanted and needed animals feels satisfied.
Or, it may be official -- I have lost my mind.
