Pets

They’re there for the good times.  They comfort you in the bad ones.  When you’re sick, they’re right there by your side letting you know they love you.  I’m talking about dogs and cats.  It’s not all sweetness.  I put my dog in a kennel during the day for a reason.  If I leave him to his own desires, the carpet will be torn up, the garbage will be everywhere, he’ll poop in my office (one of his favorite things to do), and chew on my leather chair.  The kennel doesn’t sound so mean now, does it?  But if I’m home sick he’ll lay beside me all day and bark at anyone who enters the home.  My daughter has a cat that is large and overweight but craves attention.  My daughter works two jobs and takes 24 credit hours in college.  When she comes home she is wiped out.  That doesn’t stop her cat crawling up next to her in search of affection.  He practically slides under your hand and always gets the affection he has missed all day.  It is said that having a pet lowers your blood pressure and thereby your chances of a heart attack.  Pets also have short memories. This is both good and bad.  If you are ill-tempered or a moment the pet won’t hold a grudge if you yell at him or her.  On the other hand, if the pet does something wrong and you scold them, they will soon forget about it and go about their merry way.  Yes, there are downsides to owning a pet: damage to the house and furniture, veterinary visits, food, and making the yard into a field of poop or making a litter box that’s disgusting to change.  Still, even with all this, we love our pets.  Their part of the family.