Do you have pets? Are you considering adopting or buying one? Before you make a decision, hopefully, you have already read this post, and could help you come up with whether you want one or not.
I currently have 5 dogs and 4 cats. Yes, it’s a challenge to take care of them every day. Sometimes, I get stressed when they fight each other but like with humans, I try to be patient with them. It takes a huge responsibility when you decide to have a pet. They’re like kids that you have to feed, give them a bath, and make sure that they’re in good health.
I was in 5th grade when we had our first pet, a cat named Cat’s Eye. My eldest sister named her after a book chapter. Weird and not very special. My parents tried to get rid of her and her kittens when she gave birth in my little sister’s drawer. I can no longer remember what happened after that but the sadness that I felt at that moment is still inside me, hiding. We also got 3 white mice from my 6th-grade classmate who needed someone to adopt them because they need to move to a different city. Her parents didn’t like to bring her pets with them. They got eaten by the neighbor’s cat in the middle of the night. The only thing that was left to me was their cage the next morning.
When I entered high school, we adopted another puppy. His name was Spot because he only had one round black spot around his left eye. He almost died when the neighbor’s pitbull attacked him. I’m aware that breeds like that are naturally gentle but our neighbor trained his dogs to fight. And that was the reason why he became violent with other animals. My godfather said that Spot doesn’t have a chance to survive but he was wrong. My mom covered his neck with a clean cloth and put pressure on it. He was bleeding so much and I was in tears while caressing his head, making him sure that he would be okay. I can’t remember how long it took his scar to heal but he grew healthy along with Pinky, a kitten.
Pinky was a very active kitten. She loved running around all over the place and after kids too. It was the same year when my parents decided to leave our hometown and live somewhere else. One of our neighbors looked after our pets for a couple of years until someone poisoned them. It was very heartbreaking. Until now, as I type this post, the guilt feeling of leaving our pets behind makes me feel less of a human. If only I was already an adult at that time to decide what would be the best thing to do than leave them, then I wouldn’t be feeling this way.
Animals have feelings and lives too. They give us humans so much affection, attention, and unconditional love even though some of us don’t deserve it. I don’t understand how can some people treat them with rage and hate. They don’t feel conscience when they hurt animals. I’m not sure if they had been treated like that too but it’s not an excuse to hurt other people, especially animals. They’re special. They don’t deserve to be treated in so many cruel ways.
If you’re thinking of getting pets in the future, this is unsolicited advice – having pets is a lifetime commitment. They’re not like toys that when you no longer feel like playing with them or you find them very active to deal with your lifestyle, you can abandon them. NO. It doesn’t work that way. Animals are gifts from God. Us humans don’t have the right to take lives just because we can. Think thoroughly.
Let’s be all compassionate for animals just like how we are to people. The holiday season isn’t just about sharing blessings with human beings but also with animals who need our help to survive and that is one meaning of life. You could adopt instead of buying pets. There are so many animal shelters that rescue poor animals who don’t have their own homes to keep them warm and families to look after them. May this post enlighten people not to be selfish and be kind to them whether they have “good” breeds or none.
Thank you so much for reading!
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