Mary Angel
(10/2024) Dog, cat, hamster, guinea pig, snake, but which pet is the right one. The American family has 2.5 children and a dog and a cat, right? So, when do you get a pet. Are you ready for the responsibility?
I grew up with dogs, cats, goldfish and guinea pigs. When I was young my mom was known as the rescue lady. Every time someone had unexpected puppies or kittens, they would magically drop them in front of our house. My mom would take them in and sometimes find a home for them, other times we had a new pet. Over the years we had multiple dogs and a cat that appeared in our front yard. My dad would always grumble that they couldn’t stay and in only a month or two he would have a new best friend that never left his side.
When I got married my husband wanted a bulldog and I wanted a kitten. So, we each got what we wanted, sort of. My kitten was amazing, and the English bulldog, Sarah, was a sweet little ball of fur and rib cage. They were both so young and grew up together. Since they were inseparable the cat ended up acting more like a dog. This was perfect for my dog-loving husband who wasn’t convinced he could be a cat person. Unfortunately, our cat passed away at a very young age. The dog lived for many more years and was so gentle and loving with our children when we started having them. My kids have wonderful memories of our dog and asked for another dog for years.
When we came home on Christmas night, after visiting family, we found our sweet dog on the floor in the kitchen. We knew something was wrong when she didn’t come running when we opened the front door. My husband and I were devastated when she passed away. We didn’t tell the kids it happened that night. It was Christmas and we didn’t want them to make that association every year. It was a long time before we could even consider another pet.
When we finally got another pet, it was a goldfish that one of the kids won at the carnival and named Squidward. That carnival goldfish lived for almost 10 years. A few years after Squidward arrived we decided it was time for a puppy. We opted for a rescue because that was how I was raised. It was an adorable little dachshund mix puppy, and oh so tiny. We quickly found out it had one bad habit. If you smiled at him, he would bite you in the face. Actually, I watched my friends’ kids for them at the time and discovered this issue the hard way. I mean, who doesn’t smile at a puppy? Luckily, he was little enough, or it could have ended much worse. After trying to change the behavior for a while, I contacted the rescue, and they said to bring him back immediately. He was rehomed to a family with no children. We decided once again that it was not the right time for us to have a dog.
A few more years past and we moved, and this time we were adopted. On our doorstep every day was a kitten. After a few weeks I decided if the kitten was going to hang around, I was going to take it to get its vaccines. While there I also had her spayed. Although my husband wasn’t on board with a new pet, I mentioned that after the surgery she should recuperate in the house. That was all it took. We were all in love by the time the little patient was allowed to go back outside. She, Rudy, was a great mouser and very cuddly kitten at the end of her life. She passed away right before Christmas last year after she developed a very aggressive cancer.
After having Rudy for a few years, we decided to try another dog. I had been told that golden retrievers have the best personalities and are great with kids, so it was a no brainer. We were only a week in with Bailey when my youngest said she kept trying to bite her. I figured she was just a rambunctious puppy who was playing a little rough. Boy, was I wrong! It turns out she had food aggression. After speaking to a dog trainer and working with her that improved, but then she developed toy aggression. We worked a little longer and were eventually told this dog should not be around children under the age of 12. So, after many tears we actually found a dog trainer with no kids that agreed to take her. For the next two years she would send pictures and updates on Bailey. She continued to have issues, but she was with someone who had the skills to work through them.
After a few more years, our oldest daughter asked for a dog, and once again we went the route of the rescue. This time we got exactly what we should have known we were getting. Our only issues this time were breed specific and if we had done a little more research, we would have known what we were in for. This puppy was half Shih Tzu and half Jack Russell terrier. Baxter was adorable, but his personality was mostly Jack Russell. He chose who his favorite human was and that is who he wanted. Actually, he spent the most time with my dad and as of today he lives n my parents in-law suite and is spoiled rotten. The two of them are two peas in a pod. They go on walks together, are grouchy together, and nap together.
Move forward a few more years and the youngest daughter wants a puppy, so once again we begin the process. This time we ended up with George, a labradoodle. George is like one of the family. He sits next to my chair and waits for pets, goes to my sons room to lay on his bed and look out the window, goes to my youngest’s room to do homework after school, and heads outside when he knows Poppop is walking Baxter because he wants desperately for him to play. Baxter loves to run next to the fence, but he refuses to engage with George.
Our last pet was a gift this past Christmas. After we lost Rudy just before Christmas, our daughter’s boyfriend showed up a few day before the big day and he had a furry little friend in tow. Although we weren’t even thinking about getting another cat, we have fallen in love with Walter, even though he is an orange psycho kitty!
Pets can be a challenge, but they are also a blessing to our family. A pet isn’t necessarily for every family, maybe someone has allergies, or maybe the cost would be a burden to the family. I would recommend you do your research and make sure you have the supplies and space you need before you bring your furry friend home. Then discuss whether a dog, cat, guinea pig, snake, fish, etc. would be the best fit for your family. If you adopt a pet who ends up being a bad fit for your family, or your family is a bad fit for them, do what is best for the animal and find them a new loving home. If you are in a position to offer a loving home to a sweet little furball or scales of love, go for it and by all means contact some rescues to give these animals a second chance!
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