How much is that doggie in the window?
I grew up with an aloof cat and lovable dogs; my husband grew up with a horrid dog and a lovable cat. We tried the pet cat, and she was great, but she died several years ago.
My son has allergies, and he tested positive for an allergy to cat dander. The allergist says the allergy probably developed while we had the cat, and that if we were to get a dog, my son might develop an allergy to dog dander too. Despite this, he wants a dog.
My kids want a dog; I (after years of being happily pet-free) want a dog; my husband does not want a dog.
I used the "allergies" excuse for several years, but now I'm ready to have a dog in the house. I did the research, found the breeds least likely to bother my son (among them are poodles and Maltese), and started looking for likely candidates on Petfinder.com.
Almost a month ago, I saw a Maltese/poodle mix with the most adorable face on Petfinder. He was the perfect age for us (four years old so past the puppy stage but still young). And I even liked his name! But it was a bad time for us to adopt--we'd just get him settled into his new home and then go on vacation. I told myself that when I got back, if he was still available, I'd go to the shelter and meet him.
Today I took my kids to the shelter to meet "Sean". I want him! I want him! We weren't allowed to take him with us; they need time to check us out with our references and our vet. My kids seemed only mildly interested while at the shelter, but talked about wanting him during the ride home.
Just before we left the shelter, another family came in and saw Sean. They started exclaiming how cute he is. "NO! He's ours!" I thought.
Guess who has no clue yet. Yep, my husband. The kids told me to wait until tomorrow to tell him because he can't get mad at me on my birthday.
ETA: We got home from the animal shelter to discover that the kids' pet gerbil, Lucy, had died. Lucy came into our lives when the kids wanted a "furry pet"-- as opposed to our non-furry goldfish-- but I wasn't ready for a dog or cat. Timing an omen?
My son has allergies, and he tested positive for an allergy to cat dander. The allergist says the allergy probably developed while we had the cat, and that if we were to get a dog, my son might develop an allergy to dog dander too. Despite this, he wants a dog.
My kids want a dog; I (after years of being happily pet-free) want a dog; my husband does not want a dog.
I used the "allergies" excuse for several years, but now I'm ready to have a dog in the house. I did the research, found the breeds least likely to bother my son (among them are poodles and Maltese), and started looking for likely candidates on Petfinder.com.
Almost a month ago, I saw a Maltese/poodle mix with the most adorable face on Petfinder. He was the perfect age for us (four years old so past the puppy stage but still young). And I even liked his name! But it was a bad time for us to adopt--we'd just get him settled into his new home and then go on vacation. I told myself that when I got back, if he was still available, I'd go to the shelter and meet him.
Today I took my kids to the shelter to meet "Sean". I want him! I want him! We weren't allowed to take him with us; they need time to check us out with our references and our vet. My kids seemed only mildly interested while at the shelter, but talked about wanting him during the ride home.
Just before we left the shelter, another family came in and saw Sean. They started exclaiming how cute he is. "NO! He's ours!" I thought.
Guess who has no clue yet. Yep, my husband. The kids told me to wait until tomorrow to tell him because he can't get mad at me on my birthday.
ETA: We got home from the animal shelter to discover that the kids' pet gerbil, Lucy, had died. Lucy came into our lives when the kids wanted a "furry pet"-- as opposed to our non-furry goldfish-- but I wasn't ready for a dog or cat. Timing an omen?