Pets

I like animals.  I really do.  When I was a kid I dreamt of becoming the world's greatest veterinarian.  My favorite toys were my stuffed animals and my littlest pet shops.  I loved animals.  I begged my parents into owning a stray cat that I found.  When they finally gave in to my demands,  I treated that stray cat as a prince.  He was my little soldier.  I loved him.

Then I took it a step  farther and pushed for a dog.  We had a few dogs over the years.  I loved them all, with probably the exception of one, considering he was twice my size and liked to jump on me as soon as he saw me.  I was terrified of him.  Our little sheltie dog, I took the liberty myself to train her and to nurture her.  I was so proud.

Now that I am away from home and all "grown up", I see other friends opt for a pet of some sort before kids start rolling in.  I have played with the idea of having a dog, but then I remember how much maintenance, but most of all hair, a pet can have.  That convinces me otherwise.  In addition, it seems that over the years, I have become allergic.  The moment I start breathing in animal hair, my head starts to pound, my nose begins to itch, and my throat becomes swollen.  No thank you.  It takes a good chunk of money to care for a pet.  Pet food does not come at a cheap price.  When you factor in the mantra "time is money" the bills start to add up.  Constant walks, constant play time, constantly waking up in the middle of the night to let your animal out, picking up their poop, training them, etc. etc. etc.

The more and more I think about it, the more I convince myself that owning a pet is NOT a good idea.  Not for now, anyways.  They're cute, and oh so fluffy, but not worth my time, money, and effort for the moment.  I'll just go visit the local pet shop to enjoy their cuteness.