101 Posts

I had a random thought today as I was greeted with much tail wagging when I came home for lunch and I felt the need to share.

I know some people get offended when people claim their pets as their children. I get it; if nothing else, there are physiological attributes that make it impossible for your pet to be your child. That, of course, does not stop Husband and I from calling the girls 'our fur kids.' Mandie and Melodie are unique and individual, with their own personalities and quirks. They feel pain and sadness and have the capacity to understand when someone close to them is missing. They require constant attention, guidance and care, so much so that they really do feel like a member of the family (and it doesn't hurt that Husband often tries to get Mandie to "understand" what done; I think he might have watched too many episodes of the Cosby show as a child).

I sympathize with people who argue in defense of their pets and  might say things like, "well you wouldn't drop a child on the side of the rode." It's not a perfect analogy, anyone can see that, but there's a point they're trying to make. I get it, really I do, and as someone who can't help kiss her pups on the top of the head every night at bed time and every morning before I walk out of the house, I might feel the same way occasionally. However, a child has more than 20 years to wonder, "Why didn't my momma love me?" or "Why didn't my momma want me?" While we are both of our dogs second homes, the second I filled their bowl with food and gave them a warm bed to sleep in and became their person, it became all about me; nothing before me exists and I am everything to them (which is why we have pets in the first place, is it not?). I don't think I could say the same for a child, or anyone for that matter. Just a thought.