Every Saturday, while I am at work, Packrat takes JED down to feed the cats. He does it to get them away from the television and because the JED really love animals. One of the teenage cats downstairs got herself in a situation we don't want our teenagers to be in; knocked up. And she had 4 kittens who nursed and grew bigger as she grew thinner and thinner. So, Packrat took even more pity on her and would bring JED to feed the kittens in a bid to wean them away from their frightfully malnourished mummy. Jordan has on numerous occasion begged to bring home a kitten. She tries very tactics, "the kitten would be happier with us.", "we can feed it then the mummy cat won't be so thin", "we need to give the kitten a home".
Thankfully, her dog-loving father is allergic to cats so he doesn't bend there. I don't know what would happen if she came home with a puppy. She loves Aunty S's house because they have a dachshund who is used to being manhandled by little kids and every time we see a dog in the lift, she begs for one.
I find myself a one woman embargo against pets in the house. I love animals. I just have enough to take care of. 3 kids, a husband, a big enough house with a whole lot of clutter. I don't need to add a pet into the mix. On top of that, I've had pets die on me and have cried for days, heartbroken. I don't want JED to go through that. Once again, I understand why my mother declared in an equally failed manner, that she didn't want pets in the house because they led to heartbreak.
So, I resist.
But Jordan really really wants something to mother. She mothers her brother who is growing up fast and I suspect, she like me knows that he will stop letting her do it soon. So, with the traditional cat and dog being out of the question for now, she's asked for more unconventional pets.
Last week it was a butterfly. Today it was a stick insect. And she is even thrilled and excited at the thought of caring for those insects. It didn't help that I told her that a butterfly's lifespan was 2 weeks. She just went on like a broken record about wanting to bring it home. Same thing with the stick insect.
Technorati Tags: twins, nature, pets
I never did get a pet for the same reasons... I couldn't handle the sense of loss if they choose to die on me.
ReplyDeleteNow my son is showing signs of liking animals a wee bit too much, especially the small, furry kind. I've drawn the line clearly in that aspect. NO rodents, please - and I cannot be budged. I don't want to fear staying in my own home!
Yay! I have someone who is on my side! :)
ReplyDeleteI was in your shoes for many months until the day happened. Just last month we brought a dog home. It was a trying time for me at least because guess who has to do the dirty work of caring for a pet? Though my kids are already 12 & 10 and able to bring the dog down for walks, I was thinking more like enjoying my start of turning 40 instead of mothering a pet which is akin to a newborn baby. Put it this way, there's a huge difference with a pet lover and one who never grew up with one. I miss my freedom. :(
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