Now, before you read too far I am not talking about Sasha (my BFF and flatmate) or any of my male siblings, I am talking about our family pets back in Adelaide.
I am a firm believer that for a family to be complete there must be some kind of foreign being amongst the humans, whether it be dog, cat, turtle, snake, bird or any other pet that can be loved by all.
As a sideline here you will notice I neglected to mention spiders as pets, whilst some of you may believe that having a hairy eight-legged arachnid in your house constitutes a pet I am firmly on the negative side of that argument! Spiders to me are necessary but they should be neither seen nor heard and they should learn house manners – I did not invite you in - so stay out!
Now sometimes there are circumstances whereby a pet is not a viable option, in which case can I suggest a regular trip to the local animal shelter or even cat café :)
Growing up in a house being the only girl with 4 male siblings has it challenges and I learnt to be just as tough as them on most occasions, but sometimes a girl needs a confidant or someone to listen without judgement – enter Dash.
I am a firm believer that for a family to be complete there must be some kind of foreign being amongst the humans, whether it be dog, cat, turtle, snake, bird or any other pet that can be loved by all.
As a sideline here you will notice I neglected to mention spiders as pets, whilst some of you may believe that having a hairy eight-legged arachnid in your house constitutes a pet I am firmly on the negative side of that argument! Spiders to me are necessary but they should be neither seen nor heard and they should learn house manners – I did not invite you in - so stay out!
Now sometimes there are circumstances whereby a pet is not a viable option, in which case can I suggest a regular trip to the local animal shelter or even cat café :)
Growing up in a house being the only girl with 4 male siblings has it challenges and I learnt to be just as tough as them on most occasions, but sometimes a girl needs a confidant or someone to listen without judgement – enter Dash.
Dash is a Labrador / Golden retriever cross who is currently coming up for her 12th birthday, so for you bright readers out there you will realise I have grown up with Dash as part of the family for almost as long as I can remember
(eg: 21-12=9)
It is amazing how non-judgmental a dog can be; no matter what I told her or how much I ranted and raved she just listened. Then when I painted her toe nails pink and put a big lipstick kiss on her head she just smiled and waited for another treat.
(eg: 21-12=9)
It is amazing how non-judgmental a dog can be; no matter what I told her or how much I ranted and raved she just listened. Then when I painted her toe nails pink and put a big lipstick kiss on her head she just smiled and waited for another treat.
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Sometimes I wish there were more people in this world with that talent.
Dash has been through some rough times in her later years suffering from cancer and having operations to remove some large lumps, thankfully for now she is doing well and I hope she will be around for ever!
Dash has been through some rough times in her later years suffering from cancer and having operations to remove some large lumps, thankfully for now she is doing well and I hope she will be around for ever!
The other two animals that dwell in our humble abode are Sooty the cat and Sparky the turtle. Sooty is about the same age as Dash but cats being cats she is not overly interested in being hugged, squeezed or having a deep and meaningful conversation, however when she wants a warm lap to lie on she is not shy about coming forward – someone once coined the saying that dogs have owners and cats have staff – I agree with that one whole heartedly.
Sparky on the other hand just floats around his tank waiting for you to visit the freezer, he can see what you are doing and starts splashing and carrying on until he gets his little frozen block of who knows what, he snaps it up and swallows it whole and I am sure then spends the rest of the day with indigestion until it thaws in his gut enough to be digested. Sparky was a birthday present for me when I turned 4 years old – and no, I am not doing the math for you again – he is a healthy and from what we can tell a reasonably happy member of our family, however his interaction with us stops at the point of getting food, not what I would say is a great pet if you want to hug, but on the other hand he has a personality all his own and is very much a treasured part of my growing up.
It is amazing how attached we become to our animals and they to us. When you are down, lonely, lost, upset or any other emotion us humans suffer, our pets have nothing but a calm disposition and unending love for us, is this something we can all learn from?
During my gap year I was living at home in Adelaide and waiting for my time with Camp America, I was alone most days as my parents were working and my siblings all at school, my only company on those days were my fur buddies, we would sit in bed for hours on end all watching my favourite show from the US (Nashville of course), I swear Dash was following the plot as closely as I did. Without their company I am sure I would have gone stark raving mad from boredom and loneliness.
Anyway, the whole purpose of this rant and trip down memory lane is to share the delight of having pets. To love unconditionally as most animals can is something I am in awe of and wonder if ever mankind will even come close to that ability.
Feel free to drop me a line sharing some of your wonderful animal stories or even dispute the fact that hairy creatures with eight legs and multiple sets of eyes can actually be suitable pets!
Til next time.
It is amazing how attached we become to our animals and they to us. When you are down, lonely, lost, upset or any other emotion us humans suffer, our pets have nothing but a calm disposition and unending love for us, is this something we can all learn from?
During my gap year I was living at home in Adelaide and waiting for my time with Camp America, I was alone most days as my parents were working and my siblings all at school, my only company on those days were my fur buddies, we would sit in bed for hours on end all watching my favourite show from the US (Nashville of course), I swear Dash was following the plot as closely as I did. Without their company I am sure I would have gone stark raving mad from boredom and loneliness.
Anyway, the whole purpose of this rant and trip down memory lane is to share the delight of having pets. To love unconditionally as most animals can is something I am in awe of and wonder if ever mankind will even come close to that ability.
Feel free to drop me a line sharing some of your wonderful animal stories or even dispute the fact that hairy creatures with eight legs and multiple sets of eyes can actually be suitable pets!
Til next time.
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