The Joys (and Pains) of Pets

You don't really need to see that screen in front of you.

Having a pet is a wonderful thing. They don't care if you've put on extra weight or complain that the dishes aren't done or bitch at you for getting the wrong type of cereal. As long as you feed them and take care of their poop, they'll love you unconditionally.

I prefer my pets cuddly. We tried fish once but that was a disaster (other than providing inspiration for my first book). Give me a dog or cat any day. I love it when the cat curls up on my lap or the dog jumps up on me the second I get home.

Pets become a member of your family. We recently lost our cat because the poor thing's heart got too big and a blood clot went to his brain. It wasn't an easy time because it was sudden and because we loved him. Mourning for a pet can be almost as bad as for a person.

But we are a family that needs pets, and so when a cousin told me her cat had had kittens, it was inevitable that we'd bring one home. Our new kitten is adorable and I love her but man is she a pain in the ass!

As I write this, I have to stop every few words to remove her from my head or my chest because she's climbing all over me. For a while this morning the dog had her cornered between a chair and the entertainment centre and it was a nice break. I actually got some work done.

The kitten also finds the laptop fascinating.

First, she wanted to chase my fingers while I typed. Then she insisted on walking all over it. Finally, she just plunked herself down on it and went to sleep.

Sigh.

At the moment, I am having a brief reprieve because I realized her food dish was empty. That's tough because we have to put the dish up when the dog is out or she'll eat the cat food (the old cat got revenge by eating the dog food while staring defiantly at the dog in the crate) but then we forget to put it down again. Silly humans.

In spite of the problems she's causing me, I still find it adorable when she sits on my shoulder and purrs in my ear. And her little kitty eyes melt my heart every time.

Do your pets have any particularly annoying habits? What adorable features keep you from dropping them off in the country? I'd love to hear about it!