Growing up in small town, and sometimes rural, Iowa, pets have always been a big part of my life.
We always had dogs and cats in the house and they became a part of the family.
Now, as an adult with a wife and 2-year-old daughter, pets have once again become a focus in my life.
My wife never really wanted to have pets when I first met her.
She didn’t grow up with a lot of them so she didn’t know what she was missing.
After lots of persuasion, she allowed me to get a cat. She absolutely refused to get a dog so we comprised on a cat. I love them both so it made no difference to me.
Bella, named at the animal shelter after the character from Twlight, has been with us for most of our time as homeowners and for the duration of our marriage, which is in its fourth year.
I get attached to pets pretty easily. I like having them around and you mean the world to them.
But when Aubrey became part of our family plan, my wife, who reads way too much stuff online, got nervous and wanted to get rid of her because of something she read on the Internet.
That didn’t fly with me. There was no way I was getting rid of a cat who had done nothing wrong. I didn’t need to make sure the cat didn’t harm our daughter because I knew Bella would be just fine. But why punish an innocent cat for something another cat did?
Bella has a big heart. She was jealous at first. All the attention she got was put into our daughter and she had a hard time adjusting. But now, she comes and gets me when she hears Aubrey waking up from a nap or will rub up against her when Aubrey is in one of her 2-year-old moods.
Fast forward to last summer and the household now includes a dog. Not sure I tried to pursuade the wife to get another pet, but I’m not complaining.
So Chloe is now the wife’s dog and Bella is my cat. We love them both but we have our favorites. Aubrey likes them both and gets a kick out of the time she gets to spend with them.
That brings me to the main point of this column.
Chloe was due for her yearly shots and vaccinations so Aubrey and I began our Monday at the vet. And you would have thought Chloe was never coming back.
As soon as she got removed from the room, a complete meldown ensued.
She knew something was happening. And she didn’t want them hurting her puppy.
Before the “kidnapping” took place, Aubrey gave her dog a big hug. She absolutely adores her and her “kittie.”
That’s why it would have been such a travesty if we would have gotten rid of Bella before she was born and never even introduced ourselves to Chloe at all.
Pets have a way of becoming a part of my family. And I am glad they do.
It allows me to see that smile on my daughter’s face each and every day. And there’s no better feeling than that.