“The Zoo”

Our house has now been named “The Zoo”. WHY? It has to do with animals!

About one-and-a-half years ago I’d gotten a puppy, so my two cats gained a sister. Interestingly enough, one of the cats that was completely feral when I got her, completely came out of “her shell” after getting my puppy, Aggie. Chloe, the feral cat, blossomed in a way that I truly would have never imagined she would have. She became a more friendly cat with all members of our family, not just two of us–dad and I–whom she already was friendly with! Good news! All the while my other cat, Cubby, got along just fine with the dog, Aggie, after a short adjustment period!

Recently, our family got another family member of the dog family. Millie is her name. Millie is now a 3 month old puppy. She is my mom’s dog! She is a happy little puppy! Aggie now has a playmate, which she is THRILLED about most of the time! The cats are probably happy about Millie too. Our home is busy, crazy at times, with animals…which is why my dad now calls our house “The Zoo”.

Adding a new member to the family has been good! We all enjoy animals, and pets for sure! All our pets get along. With each one, they have a unique relationship with the others. Some relationships are sweet, some are comical, some are a whole lot of animosity, and yet they all get along. “The Zoo” is a good character name for our home, and we enjoy all that goes with it!

Considering that zoos (and aquariums) are the most popular attractions and have more visitors than there are people who go to NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB games combined, we hope you are glad to know that zoos are a rather NORMAL part of life in the USA!  Did you know that both zoos (and aquariums) have over 183 million visitors annually, and over 200 million worldwide? Amazing! Do you enjoy going to the zoo?

We’ve not been to a zoo for a long time. However, about a half-dozen-year-ago, we stopped in at a rescue for Tigers, Lions, Bears, and wolves, in Colorado. It’s called, “The Wild Animal Sanctuary”. https://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/ Take a visit to it online if you have interest!

Zoo animals are not your normal pets. The caregivers to them, at the zoo, probably see the animals as “their pets” since they interact with them everyday. But zoo animals and home pets are very different. Why? Well, for 1.) Our pets are IN our home, engaging with us all day, every day. 2.) Our pets have freedom to sleep by us, or with us at night. 3.) Our pets completely trust us and show us unconditional love. Those are just some important differences pets have with zoo animals.

So why have a pet? A pet helps us to be responsible and less self-centered. My parents had my brother and I taking care of bunnies, Samoyed puppies we raised for resale, and had us help with the ducks, all at very young ages. It helped us to see other’s needs before our own, and to be responsible for other’s care. Food and water, making sure the pets ALWAYS had water available, were first and foremost of importance. I enjoyed caring for our pets. We had inside cats and a dog, outdoor ducks my dad had as a migratory waterfowl side business, and outdoor bunnies and dogs. Once we had some chickens too, but they didn’t stay for long.

Pets, also, are a source of unconditional love. I dare say, pets are more loving than some people. We all seek unconditional love, don’t we? Seems hard to come by these days, but not from our pets! They love us, no matter our bad hair day, our being irritable, being gone for work, or for whatever silly reason! Pets are so happy when we come home after a long day at work! Does your spouse or your kids get that excited to see YOU?

There are many reasons, I’m sure, why people have pets. A big reason that comes to mind is a feeling of not being alone. Having an indoor pet for companionship is a fix for loneliness! If I lived alone I’d definitely want a pet or two, or three! I don’t think I’m alone in that thought! Some people solve their loneliness with activities, television viewing, hobbies, or by hanging out with others. Me? My pets and hobbies keep me engaged and full of wonder! I see my clients at work, with just enough human interaction (along with living with my parents…and our pets)!

Do you have a pet? If so, I’d love to hear about your pet(s) if you’d like to share! Reach back to me here, and tell me about your pet(s)!

I’d love to tell you stories about our pets here at “The Zoo”. I’m sure I’ll be back writing about my furry felines and dogs in the future. For now, just know that “The Zoo” is a great character name for our home!