My Pets, My heart

Before I ever crawled out of bed this morning, I was already locked in a struggle that would set the tone for my day.  An acquaintance proclaimed boldly how dumb a person would be to spend money on a pet.

With friends and strangers alike, I make it very clear that my pets are like children to me.  As you know, we can't have children.  For reasons completely out of our control, we can never be considered for adoption or even foster care. 

Also out of our control, the amount of love that we have the natural need to share.  Without family around, that love gets poured into our pets. 

This is Gizmo. He's our big boy. At almost 4 years old, he's our most anxious but probably our sweetest.  He jumps up on our laps and demands attention after a long day of being kenneled.  He's probably our funniest and predictable too.  The only time he gets in a bad mood is when he's got a belly ache.  He's also our smelliest and gets bathed about once a week.  He definitely loves his toys and often carries them outside when we aren't paying attention. 

This is Lucy.  Our oldest at just over 5 years old.  She is our watch dog.  We are certain she will bark if someone slams a door two blocks away.  She is the only pet we've ever bought from a puppy mill and is the reason we will always adopt from a shelter.  She's our least healthy pet.  When she was spayed, the vet said some of her organs never fully developed.  She also has very malformed back legs and recently had a leg surgery.  She's our singer, howling on demand or as we walk in the door after being gone all day.

This is Kirby.  At almost 2 years old, he is the youngest and the only feline of the bunch.  He is minus his claws because even as a kitten, it was clear he would use them as weapons.  He is our biggest instigator.  If nobody is paying attention to him, he will go on the hunt for the first person or pup willing to play.  He loves to curl up in peculiar places.  In this picture, he is trying to stow away in a bag as we prepared to leave for vacation.  He has quite a personality and the longest legs I've ever seen on a house cat. 

This is Winnie.  She is the newest member of our family and the most timid.  She was a severely abused and neglected rescue dog.  She's afraid of men, but is a serious momma's girl.  All of 10 lbs, she's almost 4 years old and has amazingly given birth several times.  She sleeps beside me or above my head on my pillow and rarely leaves my side.  She's still a work in progress with Kent.  Even though he pets her and sings to her, she's still hesitant to warm up to him.  She's so little that her favorite toys are cat toys.  She's also our fastest runner and the only one who isn't big enough for a fair fight with the cat.

As you can see, my pets are a big part of my life and have an enormous place in my heart.  My 147 point IQ could potentially be used to refute the idea that I am dumb.  So, I unequivocally disagree with my acquaintance. 

I would and have spent a lot of money on my pets.  Just a trip to the vet costs at least $100 and we average $75 a month on food.  Our little Lucy just had leg surgery, which was a whopping $1600 process.  Yes, that is money we desperately needed to finish our bathroom.  But, I wasn't heartless enough to leave my pet in pain, no matter how badly I want to take a shower in a tub that doesn't leak or how much of a mold problem I have. 

Unfortunately, my day got worse for several reasons I can't really go into.  This evening, like I've only done a few times before, I fell to the floor in a weeping mess. 

When I finally pulled my head from hands and wiped my eyes enough, I saw a half circle of animals sitting around me.  All with varying looks of concern, they stared at me intently.  Every time I can remember sitting on the floor crying, they've come to my side.

Dumb?  I don't think so!

Crazy?  Maybe!

When I fall to the floor in disbelief, sobbing over the friend who hurt me deeply or took advantage of me or turned their back on me, they are always there.   They don't judge me for my faults.  I never have to worry about them sharing my darkest secrets.  They are easy to please.  I never have to worry about their compassion or love being given on a contingency.  They never disagree, but in an odd way their simplicity makes me want to do the right thing.  I never have to pretend I'm happy or something I'm not around them.  They never hurt me and they leave. 

Sure, they live their natural life span and it is always far too short.  But who could call that dumb?  

I kind of wonder if maybe I'm not dumb at all and this was just the plan for me...

Maybe, it's just what's in my heart!