Monday, August 23, 2010

Help control the pet population: Have your pet spayed or just don't get one.

My boys desperately want a pet.  They actually beg for a pony but would settle for a hamster.  They are getting neither.

People are genuinely surprised when we tell them that we have a pet free home.  They ask if we have allergies.  No.  They ask if we hate animals.  No.  (Except dragons) Finally, they ask why we don't want to teach our children the value of having a responsibility. 

Of course, we think teaching them responsibility is important and that is why we only allow them to carry guns AFTER I have had a chance to teach them where the safety switch is.

It's not that I don't like animals.  I do.  So much in fact, that after my youngest son enthusiastically jumped on my crotch with his shoes on the other day for the third time, I considered trading him in for a German Shepherd. 

The reason we do not allow our kids to own pets is that we simply have not found the right pet.  For every animal they throw in our faces (not literally, except for the gopher), I throw eight reasons back at them why that animal will not be burrowing their nests into our furniture.   Let me give you a brief tour of my no's.  (Not a brief tour of my "nose", unless you want one, but I have to warn you: it is hairy and you may get tickled, and not in a good way.)

1. The Dog.
Dogs are loyal and perfectly admirable pets for dog owners.  Unfortunately they chew, poop, bark and shed.  No, the only way we are getting a dog is if I suddenly go blind, which worries me because my boys have been sharpening sticks in the backyard with their knives all summer. (Another "responsibility" parenting technique.)

2. The Cat.
Cat's are much beloved and certainly there is no shortage of cat lovers on the internet.   Cats, however, are not an option for our family because they can't be trained to bring me a Pepsi or give me a back massage. Also, a cat once did this to my leg while I was jogging around the park:


3. Gerbils, Mice, Rats, Guinea Pigs and Hamsters.
I am morally opposed to acquiring any animal that requires purchasing large quantities of sawdust. Trees simply should not be cut down for rodents to urinate on.  I am also opposed to cutting down trees simply so that llamas can spit in their remains.

4. The Fish.
I hate having to chase a fish around with a net every time I clean it's bowl.  That really has to freak the fish out a little.  What if every time we had to clean our house, a giant net fell from the sky, scoops us through some water and then places us in a tiny glass cell where we spin around in circles until we were plopped back into our home?  Actually, that sounds 10 times better than actually cleaning the house myself.

5. The Reptiles.
I hate anything with scales because they remind me of those last ten pounds I need to lose.  When I was a kid, I would have nightmares about Kiss sneaking into my room at night, so things with long tongues are also out.

6. The Bunnies.
Bunnies are for girls, wussies, pansies and turd wads.  I refuse to let them become any of these things.   It is for their own protection.

7. The Pet Rock (and other fake pets).
I've tried this, but through years of schooling and experience, the elder of my two sons can now tell the difference between living and nonliving things and he prefers living.

8. The Sheep (and other farm animals).
I'd worry about SOME of the neighbors, if you know what I mean.

9. The Ponies and Asses (including: mules, miniature donkeys, donkeys and burros)
We've got .25 acres and they are not conducive to a lavish pony lifestyle. The pony would revolt and we'd probably eventually find it up in that Park City rehab center with Lindsay Lohan or Andy Dick or both.

10. The Birds.
There is a saying, could be a Chinese Proverb, it goes something like this: "A bird song in the morning heard from your kitchen window is a majestic sign of God's love.  A morning parrot squawk from inside your closed laundry room door will make you want to strangle a bird with your own bear hands."

It's a lovely little saying.

Clearly, every idea and suggestion has gone down in a blaze of Bon Jovi glory.

Heaven forbid that our boys actually play with each other. Certainly, they could just treat each other as pets. I know that the older one could throw a collar around the younger one and take him for a walk around the block.  The younger one is already housebroken - why I just watched him pee on a tree in the backyard yesterday.

85 comments:

Kristen said...

I agree with ALL of your reasons - and did right up until we brought home a Guinea Pig who proceeded to have a seizure and die on the kids first day of summer- right in front of them and the brand new babysitter. (This was also about 1 hour after we had spent $90 at the vet) Needless to say, we bought two kittens (they were buy one get one free at the rescue place) and I curse those cats every single day. However, despite my constant aggravation, they can be left alone on long weekends, they have taught the kids how NOT to do their cat jobs and get away with it ( it was too gross, the bag of food was too heavy, I did give them fresh water-it already evaporated!!)and most of all love - cause someone has to love the cats after I have scared them into a corner.....

Joe Cap said...

Ja, well, I do enjoy cats...but they tend to urinate indiscriminately, I don't like that. Snakes are actually quite clean, and low-maintenance pets. I don't care for rodents, like rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs...I don't trust animals with small brains and big teeth.

Copyboy said...

Wow! You single handedly killed any future pets I might purchase, except a Llama of course.

Bibi @ Bibi's Culinary Journey said...

Lol, that reminds me of my childhood. My parents wouldn't agree to any pets.My little sister used to bring home cats, dogs, guinea pigs, but she had to return them every single time. Finally, she gave up and pretended she was my dog. Collar and all.I quite enjoyed it....her not so much.

SherilinR said...

"Bunnies are for girls, wussies, pansies and turd wads." - wow! that's intense. i'd like to add that eating parfaits also makes a person fall into that category. the name alone screams poofer!

mCat said...

After several pet disasters, my bro and sil actually MADE their kids sign a "no-pet"contract.
Enforce to this day, and while I consider them to be ill-prepared, sheltered and lacking in necessary relationship skills all due to this no-pet nonsense, I am sure your boys will turn out just fine.

Mrs. M said...

Why couldn't I have read this 5 years ago?? :)

Macey said...

Cat's are devil spawn. That is all I have.

Silver Strands said...

We're a non-pet family as well. Because of my husband. He's the one that says "no" (so I don't have to ... no one's caught on to that yet!). So anyway, on "bring your pet to school" day, Sierra (I think she was in 3rd grade) brought Azure (age 3 at the time). She talked about all the things she'd taught Azure to do, had Azure perform tricks, then gave her a treat. Azure was the pet of the day. (this is all true)

I've actually been tempted to get a sugar-glider. But I think it'll have to wait till I live alone. Still can't talk my husband into any pet.

Melissa said...

Oh, you sound exactly like my husband! We don't hate animals, either, but we don't want to live with them. Spongebob the cat came around just because we had mice-it was either 600 bucks for an exterminator just to look at the place, or a free cat on KSL. Surprisingly, we have all fallen in love with the useful critter, and some days I love him more than anyone else in the house :)

Stay pet free, and hold your head high!

tammy said...

So you mean looking at all the pics of my adorable dog hasn't done a thing to make you change your mind?

And since you value your eyesight so much, don't ever play sword fight with my father-in-law then. He once thought it was a good idea to play with my son and these long pointy sticks. Yeah, we almost needed a seeing eye dog after that. He's no longer allowed to play with them unsupervised.

Kristina P. said...

I'm surprised you didn't say that cats are the Mario Lopez of hairy mammals. Meaning pure evil.

McKenzie said...

You do have great reasons for not getting pets. We have two dogs that I love to hate.. Maybe you could get an adult dog instead of a puppy? One that is already trained. Then you don't have to worry about them barking, biting, pooping, chewing etc?

Just an idea =].

-stephanie- said...

My girls want a dog. We say no. They now play dog. Leashes and all. Works for them, works for me.

Sam Liu said...

I pretty much agree with every single one of your reasons for not having pets, Cheeseboy. They are reasoned and well argued (and hilarious). However, my soppy and "Oh-my-gosh-look-how-cute-it-is" mind completely overrules this logic. Hence the reason why I have three dogs...And two cats...And a parrot...And a few fish :D

mamahasspoken said...

I love my dogs except for the hair, having to pick up poo in the back yard, being woken at 3 in the morning to be let outside.
But can you teach your sons to do this;
http://mammahasspoken.blogspot.com/2010/07/cupcakes-and-unicorns.html
Yea, I didn't think so ;o)

Living Life said...

What about all of that unconditional love that a pet brings into your life? I'll bet it will only be a matter of time before you give in?? But, I admire you for standing firm on your decision for now.

Stef said...

Okay, so that was hilarious! Seriously. I have a thing about claws...can't stand them. SO for me the counts out cats, birds, reptiles, hamsters and such. Any animal in a bowls stinks and horses stink. So we went with a dog. My husband is Hitler so it has been interesting to say the least.
Found your blog over at Teachinfourth's blog. I will be back!

Pat said...

I am an animal lover, but oddly enough, all your reasons sound logical. Now this could be because I'm a little tired from blogging all day, I don't know, but still.

Just a word to the wise - I'd remove all sharp objects from within your kids reach.

Tgoette said...

I know exactly what you mean. At one point we had two dogs, two cats, two freshwater fish tanks and a salt fish tank, a snake, a tortoise, several frogs and a koi pond. They are a lot of responsibility.

Now we only have the dogs and cats and the koi pond because, well, who wants to eat them?

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

You know, they do make the Obama Chia pet. I'm guessing you could track that one down somewhere in UT.
xoRobyn

Nicole said...

First of all - I am curious as to how you were attacked by a cat in the park??

Second - I am a HUGE pet lover, but when I aquired an egyptian - that went out the door. I have to admit, it is a beautiful thing not to have to worry about cleaning up after one or worrying about who's going to take care of it when we go out of town.

As for teaching the little ones responsibility - how about taking out the garbage w/o being told to do so!! ;-)

Allison said...

I grew up in a pet free home, and I turned out fine!

Right?

...

No one had allergies and we have a huge yard that could have easily been fenced in. But I only had some goldfish as a kid, and a hamster for a year in elementary school. Those pets, I can pretty much handle. I had a bunny for a day when I lived on my own, and a puppy for a day. I like animals... but I think I'm just not ready to care for them as they need to be. Maybe I'm just not a pet person. Maybe it's along the lines of liking kids, but not wanting my own.

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

You didn't mention a hate of dogsnot.
On your nice clean car windows, dogsnot.

Amy said...

I think you should get them a Zhu Zhu pet. They never die and if they do you just replace the battery. They don't smell and they never shed.

In fact, every day of school so far I've heard a Zhu Zhu pet story, so they are also wildly popular.

You can't go wrong with this one!

Lourie said...

We do not have pets either. I don't want pets. The responsibility would fall on me.

Loved #8! Hahahaha.

I have neighbors on the other side of the street with Macaws. They put them outside every day. And those birds are lucky that decent size street and a cinder block fence separates us.

Joann Mannix said...

I was always against the pets and well, look how that's turned out for me. My husband who just thinks it's hilarious every time he comes in the door with a grinning kid and another pet, bought my daughter a fish the other day.

what good is a fish? I mean, really? the fish was welcomed by the 3 moronic dogs, the cat who is an asshole and the 2 ducks and the now 16 eggs of those horny ducks. Every time I see them mating, I start to scream hysterically and run out the back door, waving my arms and screaming for them to stop. I am a fun sucker, that's for sure.

And nice leg, Cheese. You can definitely tell that's a runner's leg.

Oh and the animal I hate the most, far more than even a Kimodo dragon, is the ferret. That is the vilest creature known to man.

Marnie said...

You will be the cat guy one day, that I'm sure :0)

Sadako said...

Pig! I just watched a youtube clip of Charlotte's Web...Heh.

That cat scratch looked painful, though!

Unknown said...

Turd wads...lol..do people still say that? :) My dad is a member of the NRA, he'll be glad to know you are teaching your kids right! LOL

Baby Sister said...

If you ever do find an animal that will bring you a Pepsi, let me know. Then and only then will I consider getting one.

Donda said...

I have no pets and refuse (and not because my Avery has allergies to pet dander) because they shed. And if you get a crazy cat like my sister's Layla Ali, you have scratches that require immediate medical attention, well like you have there on your leg. For the record, bunnies are not girl pets, they crap all the time...like boys without the girly magazine hidden beneath the sink!

Posh Totty said...

We were a pet free family home for many years too. I am an animal lover, but we were just not in the position to be able to provide the care and attention needed to a pet and yes many others found this very strange.

However after my thought, planning and pestering from the kids, we took the plunge and got a puppy last summer and we can not imagine life with out her now.

One thing bugs me though is because she is female, the amount of people who constantly ask if we are going to let her have puppies ... like I don't already have enough on my plate with out caring for a litter of pups too. (obviously the answer to that is a firm NO!! and she will be speyed with in the coming months)

Allyson & Jere said...

THANK YOU for completely articulating all the perfect reasons why I hate, um I mean why I don't have pets. Oh whatever, I freely admit, I DO hate animals. Because they shed and pee and stink and scratch and bite and stink and shed. So good for you for sticking to your guns. Don't ever give in like I did and end up with an unloved dog in the backyard. It's not cool.

Unknown said...

I am so with you on all of those! You crack me up! Know whatchamean about wood shavings and urine. They shouldn't go together unless a bear has just had several Route 44's and has to let it go right in an area of the country where the logging industry is huge. There are wood shavings all over that a bear could acceptably pee right in without a problem. Okay, it is clearly late and I am clearly tired and delirious. Still, you crack me up. I'm awake enough to know that...

Tammy said...

Absolutely agree 100% with this post! Wish I would have read it before spending $500 on my Min Pin but at least I got $200 back. Our friend is now trying to sell his for $200 if you change your mind and want to invest in a small, housebroken, overly energetic but very cuddily little dog!

C'est La Vie said...

oh my gosh, you and my mom would be best friends, i can tell you that right now

i grew up with no pets, and i HATED them as well...look what you do to your children!!

LKP said...

if the older could get a cone of shame around the younger one's neck, then i think you've got your situation handled. ;)

Queenie Jeannie said...

Still laughing from your post, and Joe Cap's comment to write one of my own.

Good stuff!!

We're still in the market for a kitten, no matter WHAT Mr. Man says!

Powdered Toast Man said...

Here are pets I had when growing up that I never had a problem with: Penguin, porcupine, skunk, cockroach farm, Pterodactyl, Piranha and a woolly mammoth.

W.C.Camp said...

Your list was amazingly complete and reasonable. I would vote for a Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig which are very smart and cute when they are young. The problem is that they grow up and will be bigger than your boys when you finally turn him into bacon. But seriously, I had a large desert tortoise when I was young and it was actually quite interesting and mostly maintenance free. No barking, or fecal duties - just a head of lettuce once in awhile. They will outlive you and your children if you treat them right.
W.C.C.

ScoMan said...

I had a hermit crab. Hermit crabs are easy.

Mama-Face said...

#5. hahahaha.

Okay, listen to me. NEVER get a pet. I've been through each type you talked about and now we have a dog-he's two and I actually thought to myself last night-"I wonder what is the life span of a beagle." As if I need another guilt inducer.(Turns out dogs live much longer than any other pet). And dogs are just another kid... just saying.

Doing the dishes will teach responsibility btw.

Martha H. said...

Oh my word! AMEN to all of that. I wouldn't own a pet right now if someone paid me. Too much work.

Emmy said...

Love it love it! Great job house breaking your son as only a dad can do something like that :)
We too are a pet free home. I always had a dog, my husband's sister had allergies. I have seen the light in my old age, we are a pet free home.

Amy said...

My girlies LOVE animals. They can tell you anything you need to know about dolphins, penguins, hedgehogs, rabbits, chickens, dogs, gerbils, etc. We fill the void in their hearts by buying a menagerie of stuffed animals. They also love playing "pets". Ashley howls, sniffs and barks just like a lap dog.

jayayceeblog said...

I've always been a dog lover and found out 30 years ago that Yorkies do not shed. This was after having a Cocker Spaniel that shed big hunks of hair on everything. Yorkies also eat very little, have tiny poop, are terrific company and make ferocious watch dogs. They don't know they're little. So even though they're not your typical "manly" dog, they make great pets. Just sayin'. =)

Mrs. Potts said...

The Goat? They could take care of your .25 acre yard & you wouldn't have to cut the grass.

I like dogs - big dogs that make me feel safe, even if they only thing they'd do to a stranger is lick them or bring them a ball to throw.

We do have a cat - he wasn't planned. Kind of like people who have all their kids in high school & an "oops" happens. We kept him.

Stephen C said...

Having a dog to love is a wonderful thing. No matter how much the kids promise to take care of it, they won't. But for all the trouble they can be, they love unconditionally. Don't ever get one unless you want to be hooked for life.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

And bottom line, if a pet enters your home, YOU, not your boys, will be taking care of it.
Makes sense to me.

Marlene said...

I'm an animal lover. I'd get a pet skunk if I could.

Writing Without Periods! said...

We've had pets and they've all broken my heart by leaving us too soon. Watch "Marly and Me." I cried for two days.
Mary

Ally said...

Oh man, as a kid I wanted a pet so badly. My parents were kind enough to give in when I begged for a hamster for months and months. I even cleaned the cage and did all of the work. I think I shocked them. I see your reasoning though. The fetching you a Pepsi thing is cute!

Hart Johnson said...

I had a cat who would massage my back--I swear. All I had to do was lay on my belly and pat my shoulder and up she'd hop and knead away...

I love love LOVE my pets. I will always have some. (though they ARE spayed and neutered)

Melinda said...

We're pet free too. Even though I have a legitimate allergy, we still would be a pet free home.

Who would take care of them? I mean, when we go on vacation, who would take care of them?

Nancy C said...

We don't have a pet. We had a dog, and it was hard to accept the fact that we had to sweep up our own onions when cooking when she passed.

Other than that, life has been so much easier.

CB said...

You have some great and funny arguments there! The perfect solution? Get a pet for your classroom - that the kids take care of and you give away at the end of the year - and let YOUR kids come visit it. yeah?? Noooo???

I have 5 kids and been through many many pets - seriously alot! I think the dog is the best of the lot - we have the perfect dog right now - she is fuzzy and cute but doesn't shed at all!, no fleas ever, she does not make messes or chew furniture - we really lucked out but after her we are done with pets I think!
Did I mention we do also own Satan's Cat....Yeah we do!

Saimi said...

There's always Sea Monkeys to consider!

mintifresh said...

I need to print this list out and put it on the fridge. I just always so, "Nope, I deal with enough needy creatures and have my share of cleaning up poop." Course, I do have chickens but at least they give me breakfast..

A cat attacked you while you were jogging?? I've been bit by a dog but never attacked by a cat! next thing you'll tell me is that you were attacked by a llama while out for jog! it just doesn't make sense!

elesa said...

Ah, thank you. My stomach hurts from laughing. And I am with you on the fish net thing. I would love it if once a day I got scooped into a tiny tank and then got scooped back later into a clean home. I wonder if that is a service that anyone provides?

Kelly H-Y said...

Hilarious! We're having an identical conversation with our son and daughter (and anyone asking why we don't have a pet!!). Glad to know we're not alone!

Sara @ Domestically Challenged said...

Good reasons. I agree with them all, so? Explain to me why we have 3 turtles!

Anonymous said...

Wait, you don't have pets? Do you have allergies? (JK. I read it. Just tryin to be funny.)

I'd totally get a pony if it meant I could meet Andy Dick someday.

'...they throw animals in our faces, literally (except a gopher)...' ha!

This was a great post! Enjoyed it.

I'll admit I haven't read the other comments, so if someone else mentioned this, sorry, but what about a virtual pet? Like online? Or are those in the category with pet rocks?

Missy said...

You are right! They do not need to experience the unconditional love a pet can provide. They do not need a pet they can tell all their secrets too. Just give them a piece of wood. They will be just fine!

Unknown said...

We had an 'eternal life' goldfish, which was interesting because it was also clinically depressed. That blasted creature launched itself out of its bowl so many times I kept looking for the tiny catapult he was obviously hiding in the castle. And I hated touching the crazy thing, so I would use the ASPCA sanctioned method of "slipping a piece of carboard under the fish and flinging it in the general direction of the bowl." General direction, in this case, meaning "north". So it would slam against the wall, or bounce off the dresser, or fall behind the bookcase umpteen times before the law of averages took pity on the poor creature and landed him in the water, brain damaged and dazed, but otherwise none the worse for wear. That damned fish lived for SIX YEARS!!

Teachinfourth said...

Amen to not having pets! I couldn't agree more…especially with your reasoning behind the bunnies.

Unknown said...

When I married the DH I didn't have one single pet. Not because I don't like them, I just didn't have one.
Now? 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 birds and two 55 gallon aquariums I couldn't imagine not having them. That being said, I have considered charging an admission price to enter the petting zoo that we call home. But, pets aren't for everyone and if you have them you MUST ( and we do ) clean up after them and keep on top of things. Its a trade off I suppose. People are often surprised when they come in and realize just how many fur friends we have. They always say.. "It doesn't smell like you have pets" I take it as a compliment

wendy said...

THAT was funny. I haven't really been a pet lvoer per se...but ended up with 4 horses and 2 dogs.
Yupers.

oh and a husband

You have hard core pet issues though if you are throwing out even the PET ROCK.

what about a Chia Pet

wendy said...

lvoer...I speak many languages

meant lvoer

TisforTonya said...

my thoughts exactly. well, aside from the kid peeing on a tree thing - mine are getting a little too old for that. and our trees are all in the front yard.

j said...

DUST Bunnies are definitely NOT for wimps. I can send you some of mine if you would like.

When you do give in and get your sons a dog, don't get a Husky. They think they are from China and will dig their way through your yard trying to get back there.

Miley said...

awww, I can relate! I opted against ALL of those things, except for fish... and I have a 30 gallon tank so I don't have to touch the fishies to clean the tank unless there is a catastrophic accident involving my daughter, which basically means she decided to "Take care" of the fishies. This has involved books, extra food, candy and flowers.

When my son was 3, he asked if he could have a pet frog. I told him "for your 9th birthday".
Well, he turned 9 and wanted to know where the hell his frog was. Well, he did SAY hell, but you get the idea.
8 months later the tadpole arrives.
2 months later the half-frog, half-tadpole dies. The one for his sister died too.
We held a funeral. There was bawling that involved phrases like "You were my very best friend ever". It started raining. I thought my daughter (who fashioned the coffins, btw) was going to throw herself on the grave.

It was INCREDIBLY tragic. They don't do this when the fish die.

Crystal Collier said...

Great. I agree 100%, except that I do have allergies.

Bill Lisleman said...

I'm thinking they would need to wait a long number of years, but the line - "you can have your own pets when you have your own place" is a good fallback.

One daughter did get a rabbit (along with a boyfriend that lasted even less time) when she had her own place. The poor thing (the rabbit) got some weird inner ear infection and could not walk. Guess who when to the vet with her to have it taken out of it's misery?

Holly said...

Sometimes I can't help but wonder if you and my son-in-law are one and the same!! ;p

ANYWAY... Get a yorkie or silky terrier from a RESCUE that is already trained and they're great mousers!! Problem SOLVED! (Yeah... doesn't work on the SIL either!) *sigh* I tried. ;D

Anonymous said...

Haaaa.. we started with a gerbil 14 years ago...which turned into 2 hampsters, guinea pigs, rabbit,2 white rats(who by the way had very big balls...LOLOLOL..they had to drag them around...very weird),lizard 2 cats and now 2 dogs....Dont do it..! I now love our dogs but its so much work and when you vacay its so much more of an added cost...the pet rock sounds feasable...and you could actually start a nice little village with little or no cost or upkeep...

Julie said...

I agree except we have a dog and a cat, 50 chickens and 4 ducks and not sure just which one we could get rid of. Pets are not for everyone and lots of people have them and shouldn't. I love your reasoning. Hey, bunnies aren't for wusses, they are for eating. Well except that darn mini one we got onces that died in the daycares arms, nope not happening again, if I can't eat it, it's not going in a cage in the house.
Thanks for stopping by and your encourgement. Take care and have a blessed day.

järnebrand said...

It's cute how they beg for a pony but would settle for a hamster... ;) I have sure missed coming here! Hugs/ Jo.

Vanessa said...

I have a cat. He kills mice and birds. That is a bonus.

Our dog hunts birds. He stays outside. That is the only way to go.

And this is comment 79. You are a blog star.

DEZMOND said...

I believe that if people decide to get a pet, they should not buy it from a breeder but instead adopt a sick dog or cat or an animal from a pound.

I have two cats and their five babies.

Cruella Collett said...

I should warn you - I grew up in a pet free home, and now I want a giraffe. So there is that. Once your boys have saved up enough pocket money, you'll have an 18 feet ruminant on your doorstep. It might be easier to deal with a regular sized pet while they are young enough not to choose.

lindsey v said...

I think you forgot to mention that you must have been running in a quiet park and you snuck up on that poor kitty and scared the bejeebies out of it and it attacked you in defense of it's life. That's the only reason a sweet little kitty would do that. You were probably wearing a "Scream" mask too. Poor kitty...

Also, what's a turd wad? A lump of poo? I guess I wouldn't want my kids to be one of those either.

Aunt Juicebox said...

I had an uncle who kept tarantulas when I was a kid. Most awesome thing EVER.

Wood shavings are actually BAD for rodents. They make a product now called Carefresh (google it) that is made of recycled materials. So much for that excuse. ;)

If I could have any pet I wanted, I'd pick a chicken. Instead, I'm in the city and stuck with two cats I don't want, that I saved out of misplaced animal pity.

Mary said...

I think you have valid points!! We had dogs before we had kids...so the kids are just gonna have to deal, or find another place to live :o)

Sco said...

Amen. Just don't get one. It could be worth it just once for "Rabbit Balls" though! My daughters didn't think so. Jessica especially thought eating your own pet rabbit was unthinkable. Don't worry, she doesn't know who did...

Great post!