(Used to) Not Want Pets

There was a time when I rarely considered having pets. From what I remember growing up, I only had a couple of pets.

They were some hamsters I think my brothers wanted and two small goldfish I won at a county fair. I was about seven when I had the fish. One was gold and the other was silver (Sampson and Hampton). I was a mere toddler when we had hamsters and I don't remember much about them, except I needed to be supervised when I fed the little cute monsters. Since then, I've always had a fascination with hamsters, mice, degus and other similar rodents because...I guess I'm weird like that. But as for dogs and cats, I was completely against it.

Don't get at me, I love me some animals. The only reason why I was against having these pets was because of my allergies. I usually react to anything with fur. If a dog jumps up on me to be friendly, I immediately wash my hands. After spending years cringing at cute little pudgy furry faces at pet stores, my mother decided that she would get a dog after my last semester in college.

I didn't know how to feel about that. I wasn't angry, I wasn't happy, I just had an indifferent reaction. All of that changed the moment she brought the cage into the house and I heard the pitiful wimpers of a Shipoo puppy. My sister opened the cage and a little ball of fur was staring at all of us figuring out what was going to happen next. Ginger meshed right into our family.

Photo courtesy of Miss Rivers

I absolutely love this dog!!! She is a friendly, beautiful hot mess. When I would clean the house, she would sit and watch me. She jumps and dances with me when I play my favorite songs, (she's really into Motown LOL). When she was still a young puppy, I would greet her every morning by tapping my toe on her little nose and rubbing my foot on her belly. She's about to be three and everytime I go home, she jumps in my lap, jumps down, and lays her head on my feet. 

I didn't understand where my animal anti-socialisms came from until I read about children and pet loss in September's issue of Hudson Valley Parent Magazine. The writer used a personal story to express the trying journey of having to euthanize her beloved cat and helping her children cope. The story suddenly sent me back to memory lane of, not about my dead fish, but of other families and how their beloved dogs, cats, horses, lizards, mice, and ants have impacted their lives. And that movie with Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Aniston with the dog...had me crying for days.

I never wanted to deal with the death of a dog. But sometime after a little growing up, I realize that God did not intend for neither animal nor human to be a memory on Planet Earth. I know He wants us to enjoy many things (even in this heartless world, yes it is possible to be happy). Everytime I visit my mom, cousins, and friends, I'm going to enjoy that wandering ball of fur who insists on keeping my feet warm when I'm sleeping.