Confessions Of An Animal Lover

I don’t understand people and pets, together, in the same sentence—a lot of time.

I don’t understand how someone can adopt/buy a pet, then get rid of it/them (IE, throw them away, and forget about them) when the pet exhibits bad habits.

I don’t get how people can all, but yell at me to get rid of one of my animals, because their attributes don’t cohere with what they consider to be admirable qualities, at the drop of a hat. The day I bring them home from the pound, or a rainy night they were abandoned in.

I don’t really understand most people. But, that is another post entirely.

I made a resolution—a little late for a New Year’s resolution—that I would try to blog more. Of course, topics to talk about are few and far between for me lately. So I will rant/discuss/put out my thoughts into the netosphere (I coin that term, you can’t have it! LOL).

When I was a teenager, I had a few cats that when my life got too full, I permitted them to become someone else’s problem, or that of the SPCA. At the time, I thought nothing of it. But, I was a selfish person with an incredible ostrich complex.

Now, I barely resemble that person. I have animals that would make a well-adjusted, reasonable, level headed, calm and collect person scream and pull their hair out. I have animals that have destroyed many a valuable object, both monetary and sentimental. They have torn out drywall, ripped up clothes, destroyed high heels worth about half a bi-weekly wage for me. BOOKS! So many books I lost count. Anyone who really knows me that my book collection means more to me than my house, and all other material possessions combined. They have defecated or urinated on surfaces I care not to remember. They have fought amongst themselves….the list of what I have materially lost is insane. Not to mention the thousands upon thousands of $$$ I have meant on my funny farm.

And, you know what? No matter the loss of silly things that can be replaced, my insane animals are mine, and can never be replaced. I will never replace them. No matter how many walls Diablo tries to chew through, or piece of furniture that’s corner is missing. No matter what Lily or Jada will pee on when they are mad. No matter book or high heel shoe Phoenix drags into a corner and demolishes. Or what ferret decides to stash my jewelry or shoes…

They are my babies. Always. Until the day we part, until one of ours’ last breath. I took responsibility for them. My husband’s love of…some of them, hehe. My kids’ adoration for all of them. If they walk in my front door, they never walk back out, with the knowledge they may never return.

I will fight for them. I will do my best to curb their unruly desires to literally eat me out of house and home. I go to bed at night, knowing I have saved a few truly pure and innocent souls. Who bring me comfort, and the knowledge that while I might not be able to have children now, I raised a rag-tag team of daredevils and crazy-beasts who just might one day rule the world.

I know for certain, they happily rule mine.