Why Yes, I Have Children

I was planning on doing a more entertaining post on funny things children say but I don't have any myself so I needed help from others in that respect.  I received too short of a list to make it it's own post so I will put down what I received so far:

1.  "While at Julia's concert today, Luke was begging me to go with him to find the "confession stand" "
2.  "At the zoo, my niece asked me why sometimes the kids have brown mommies when they're not"
3. "Brayden asked to see my cane and at age 4, said as he tried to use it 'I'm so old grandma' "


I do have two children of my own.  They just meow instead of talk.  When you think about it, pets are like having children, and many people decide NOT to have any kids since they already have pets and treat them as such.  For those fellow pet owners, you are probably shaking your heads in agreement.  For those without pets, I'll explain why pets are considered pets (with some specific examples I've experienced with my current two cats and from when our family had a dog).

1. They are living creatures.

•  Animals have their own needs that you have to be on top of.  They require to be fed, given water, a nice large queen-size bed to sleep on er.....a pet bed.  They also need to have playtime and acknowledged by you, their "parent"

2. They have additional needs besides food and shelter.

• Since it's just me living here, both my cats are constantly trying to get individualized attention from their mommy.  They will even "push" each other out of the way.  And by push I mean swatted at or chased away.  Millie, my dog, used to be the same way, except she was an only pet and there were 4 of us in my family so attention was not a problem.  Though she did have an issue with family members hugging each other and tried to join in....
• They also will miss you when you're not home.  My homecoming is usually me being met by two cats bounding down the hall to purr and rub against me.  Of course, that could also be because when I get home from work, they know they're getting their wetfood.

3. They get sick.

• Unfortunately, I have had plenty of experiences in this category.  But to generalize this: pets are living creatures and therefore are prone to bacteria/viral infections.  So they have to go to their doctor....and it isn't cheap in most instances.  
• Also, please spay/neuter your dog or cat.  It's the single most responsible thing you can do as a pet parent.  You wouldn't like your teenage daughter coming home pregnant or to find out you 14 year old son is a soon-to-be dad, the same should be true about your pet.  Plus, they typically have more than 1 pup/kitten at a time.  Remember that next time you're thinking your pet knows how to say no (because in most cases, they don't)

4. They like to bug you in the middle of the night.

• I don't think there has been a night since owning a pet that I've slept the entire night without having a cat pounce on me, tap my face to lift up the blanket for them to crawl under, a dog whining to go outside, a dog whining to be let into the bedroom, etc.

5. You have to clean up after them

• I'll leave the obvious explanation out.
• They also tend to knock things over.  I've had countless cups and the like knocked over by a cat (usually Sascode) filled with water for the past year.
• Dogs also have a strange fascination with the garbage

6. They get pissy

• It can be against each other or you.  Either way, you usually end up with scratch or bite marks on you. Oh those teenage years.

7. They misbehave

• I know I've had to shout at my two cats for fighting or injuring each other.  I know I'm not the only one.

8. Occasionally, you need to find a baby-sitter

• This may be because you're going out of town or because they need to be under watch due to a recent surgery and you have to work.  Either way, they can't be left alone for the amount of time you won't be home.