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Pet Ownership
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| Create | 18% | 33 votes | Total: 181 votes | |
| Relieve | 82% | 148 votes |
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Add to FavoritesIn every single aspect of the word, I am an animal lover. As a child, I would beg my dad to stop on the side of the road so I could bring home that stray, starved puppy and make it my own pet. When I was nine years old, I found a stray kitten behind our apartment that I sat and talked to for days. By the end of the week, I was sneaking her into my room to sleep with me in my bed. She's fourteen now and the absolute joy of my life. After working in a pet store for two years, I've developed an unyielding passion for birds; I just recently bought my first cinnamon green cheek conure that I hand fed myself. I consider him to be my own child and spoil both him and my cat rotten. There's no denying that they bring happiness and laughter to my home; however, they also add a lot of unneeded stress to my life.
It seems that when we're considering bringing an animal into our home, we forget they come with more than just giggles, smiles and happiness. They have to be fed, they need constant attention and they can sometimes be incredibly noisy. I remember countless times where I've had a long, hard and stressful day at work and the only thing I want to do is go home, lay on the couch and fall into a blissful nap. Upon opening the door, my cat is ready and waiting to greet me with her persistent "I"m hungry" meows and whines. Before I'm able to feed myself, I have to make sure she has food just to keep my sanity. Because my cat is making ungodly noises, my bird feels as if he has to compete; therefore I'm lucky enough to listen to his chirping and screeches on top of my cats meowing. The gist of the story is that I lose a lot of sleep due to my adorable little babies.
Animals come with a lot of responsibility; the biggest one being money. At the end of the month when I'm running low on milk, butter and cat food, I have to spend my money wisely. Because I've brought her into my home, I am now soley responsible for her health and welfare; meaning that I have to give up some of my own luxuries to make sure she's taken care of. I spend many Friday nights at home due to the embarrassing amount of shiny colorful toys and liver treats I have in my home. This puts even more pressure on me when it comes to finances.
I've had an animal in the home my entire life but I'm just now starting to realize the responsibility that comes with one. I could never picture my life without an animal and am positive that I'll continue to bring new and lovable little creatures into my home in the future as I firmly believe they bring sunshine and hope into anyones life. Despite all the numerous advantages animals bring; there's no denying the fact that every now and then they make us want to pull our hair out!
Learn more about this author, Jeannine Miles.
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Relieve
The January sun has gone down hours ago, dropping the temperature to a frigid seven degrees. I find that I have to turn my high beams on just to see my way home.
As I turn into the empty driveway, I remember that Mom has her poetry class tonight, and I am alone. I sigh as I get my things together and prepare to make the cold, dark dash from car to house.
Just then the moonlight picks up two bright gems. They are the eyes of my cat, Lindsay, sitting on the front steps eagerly awaiting my arrival. She rubs my leg and purrs as I unlock the door and let us both into the warmth.
I wouldn't dream of not having a pet in a home I lived in. In addition to being a wonderful companion, an animal can be a reminder of a simpler way of living life. On my busiest days of bustling around trying to get a million things done before running out to do a million more things, I often catch Lindsay curled up on her favorite chair. She'll pick up her head as I dash into the room, and blink at me as if wondering what I'm so worked up about.
Whether human or animal, a laid-back friend is usually helpful in relieving stress in your life by simply reminding you by examle that some lives go on just fine without worrying too much.
Now, I'm not saying having a pet is some sort of stress-reducing magic potion. We've all known people whose pets simply add to the stress and chaos in their house. A close friend of mine has not one, not two, but four (FOUR!) golden retrievers. Every time I come to visit I'm- shall we say- warmly greeted. Which, in its own way, is wonderful. However, once we sit down and try to have a pleasant conversation, there is usually some sort of wet-nosed interuption every ten minutes or so.
Pet ownership, like most things, is a delicate balance. You have to know when to say when. Cats, for example, tend to keep to themselves and need minimal maintenance. That said, two or three cats is certainly enough. Any more than that and you're bound to get a couple who don't get along, not to mention the sheer amount of hair, food dishes, and various smells that begin to accumulate all over your house. Dogs- particularly large ones- tend to need a bit more attention than cats, and so an investment in these animals should not be made without serious thought regarding the amount of space you have in your house and yard, and the amount of time you will have to put into seriously training them. I have seen well-behaved dogs literally pitch in around the house by getting the newspaper every morning. But if you let your dog run amock as a puppy, he or she will probably just grow up to stress you out.
The number of pets in any house should be kept to a minimum, and training should be taken seriously. I would recommend first time pet owners start small. See if you remember to feed your goldfish, and if you enjoy coming home and having one-sided conversations, or if it just scares you that that bowl is sitting on your counter waiting to be knocked over. Hopefully you will find, as millions of people do, that a pet is an irreplaceable friend and companion who will never judge you, and who will always provide you with warmth and love.
Learn more about this author, Jane Ward.
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