by Jeannine Miles

Created on: April 09, 2009

In 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.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.