Mommy Moments
The Family Pet
By Melanie Lewis
“Mom, I want a ___(dog, cat, turtle, fish, pony; fill in the blank).…pleeeeaaseeee.” If you haven’t heard it yet, you probably will at some time. Before you give in to the cute faces of that little doggie in the window and your little one, here are some things to ponder: You will pay for it and all the stuff that goes with it: vet care, cleaning, grooming, training, collars, tanks, toys, etc. You will be the caretaker of it. The time that it takes to get that all done comes out of whatever is left of your battery reserves.
Before buying, ask about the return policy. Reputable breeders and shelters want the animal back if it doesn’t work out for you. This doesn’t mean you’ll always get all your money back. They do it so the animals don’t end up dumped somewhere. See the kennel where the dog and cat was raised. The formative times in the animal’s life is just as critical as your child’s. You want to see how it was raised for the first 8 or so weeks of its life if possible. Not all shelters will give you a pet due to their policies of not allowing families with toddlers to pull the tails of their delightful pets. Some post this information online, so you may want to check in advance.
It’s been our experience that when we’re going to “take a look,” we end up bringing a pet home. They are irresistible. It was fortunate that the owner of the private sale gerbil was kind enough to take it back. The kids were disappointed it didn’t know how to do tricks. All I was out was a bag of wood shavings.
You may be thinking I’m completely anti-pet. On the contrary, I love pets. We have a purebred Ragdoll cat Percy and a purebred Golden Retriever Rosie. I’m not being snobbish about having purebred; it’s actually a point. The shelters did not allow us to adopt a pet because we had small children and an unfenced yard. Also, it allowed us to know more certainly that were getting the temperament of the breed that we were looking to have.
There are tremendous upsides to happy pet owners. The kids learn responsibility over time. And they learn the patience and gentleness other creatures need. My 6-year-old works with me training Rosie to do agility tricks. The 4-year-old loves to play hide-and-seek with her. He takes a treat and hides and I send the dog to track him and find him, with the treat as the reward. The kids have far more energy than I when it comes to racing around the house with a string for Percy to chase. They also find they are getting good at throwing tennis balls. Maybe there’s a budding baseball player waiting to emerge. The best sight so far was seeing Rosie and the two boys racing each other across a big green field. In the end it is worth it to see that Norman Rockwell sight!
Melanie Lewis is the mother of two boys, ages 3 and 5. She is married to a self-described geek and works part-time. She enjoys reading, gardening and playing with her Blue-mitted Ragdoll cat Percy and Golden Retriever Rosie.