petpourri*

*shamelessly stolen from fox 26 news

So, dear reader(s), I've been contemplating the addition of a pet to my household for some time now. I'm getting ready to move to a new place, a more permanent type of place, where I'll have a big yard with kennels, the backdoor has a doggy flap (kinda broken down but could be replaced) and I'm considering being ready to make a commitment.

The question is, should I take the plunge and get a dog? I do like them but as you know I'm hopeless with being an authority figure. I try to be stern with my nephew for my sister's sake but we both know that when he's finally old enough to come visit me I'll probably feed him ice cream and candy until he pukes. I do NOT want to be the type of dog owner who never bothers to train the pooch and lets him/her jump all over people, chew stuff up and generally create mayhem in his/her wake.

That leaves me with the option of getting another cat. I've had several in my life: Ghost, the cat my sister got when she turned 13; Mezmer & Hanna, littermates I got when I was 14; Gabe & Stewie, my very own cats; various and sundry roommate/housemate cats. Until Stew's untimely death at the end of January, I'd pretty much always had a cat either with me or waiting for me to pick him up and dance around with at my mom's house. I like cats. I miss having one, but I've grown to like the lack of cathair on all of my clothes and furniture. I also like not having to keep cat litter & food in constant (expensive) supply, not worrying about stepping in anything on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night, not being awakened by meowing or hairpulling or vulture-like staring.

However! I always thought I'd grow up to be the mean old lady down the street with 50 dogs or cats. Can I let that opportunity pass me by? Should I consider a pet that's neither canine or feline? Should I get married and treat my husband like a pet? The kennels are plenty big... Clearly, I need your advice, dear reader.