Spots
Almost everybody has a pet, some more than just one. When you take in a pet it appears like you are doing it for the pet, but no, it is actually for you. A pet adds so much to your home and your life. You are never alone. Even if you are going through something bad, like a death in the family or a divorce, or some other tragic event.....your pets will still need you to care for them. They keep you focused so you cannot let the dark hole of depression swallow you up.
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| Mickey and Carrots |
When you are a child, having a pet is fun and it teaches children to care about someone other than themselves. If the pet is the family pet, then everyone shares in the care of it.......or that is how it should be. If it is one child's pet alone, than that child should care for it as much as possible with adult supervision, of course. When I was growing up things were so different from today. In my house our dog ate leftovers, no bought dog food. That was fine in those days and in our house, I was a "finicky" eater, so we had plenty of leftovers. My parents were not the kind that made you clean your plate.
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| Silver |
After we moved to Florida in 1962, I was allowed to get my first cat. He was an orange kitten I named Tiny. My brother and I soon had an assortment of pets after that. Cats.........lots of cats, hamsters and a pet rabbit. Her name was Carrots, and my brother brought her home from school one day. I kind of forgot about Carrots until the day a white rabbit showed up in my barn many years later. I had a pet red hen who bonded closely with me and she was a pet that I enjoyed very much. Of course, everyone who reads my blog here, know about my horses and my beloved dog, Nikita Blackwolf, who passed away in 2013.
Nikita
Getting a puppy taught me a lot more about dogs than I had ever known. I never had one of my own as an adult. Getting Nikita in the winter of 1998 when she was just 6 weeks old was a learning experience for me. She was with me more, because I was home with her and my husband was driving an over the road truck. He was only home on the week-ends, but she adored him right from the start. Boy, did this puppy test my patience! She needed a lot of attention at that time. I trained her quickly though and she turned out to be an extremely intelligent dog her whole life. Sometimes I wondered if she was training me instead!
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| Rabbit, my house bunny |
One area I see that pets are essential is for people who live alone. A pet gives you someone to talk to and care for. I know for me, living alone, I have my pet rabbit to be responsible for. To feed him and clean his cage. Although he does not live in the cage, being a free roaming bunny. When I go anywhere, I am aware of not leaving him home alone too long. I like to keep my apartment clean and uncluttered for his safety. Other pet owners who live in my building have pets, mostly dogs and cats. The dog owners have to walk the dogs outside and that is good for them too, getting them outside for fresh air several times a day. Whatever pet you choose, they will give you more love than you could ever imagine and are well worth the work and time. Plus, if you are living alone, they truly become your companion.
Copyright © 2019 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2019 Kathleen G. Lupole
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to my house, and we found he was infested with fleas. We had him come pick the dog up because we did not want our animals to get fleas. He was not happy with us. Said his dog did not have fleas and there wasn't a flea in his house. Come on! His cousin who lives with him has a little puppy
and they are very susceptible to fleas and worms. He told us when he brought his dog to our house that he had just been treated for fleas.
, Patches has fleas now. She has long hair and is a very sensitive cat. She will only eat one brand of dry cat food (Purina) and that is all. No canned food and definitely no people food! Patches is my biggest cat but she is the most shy. Most people that come regularly to our home, have never seen her. Most of the time she hides upstairs. If a car pulls in she growls and runs upstairs. If she is outside when they arrive she stays hidden in the woods until they leave. My best friend has never seen her and she has been here many times.
is that I will not use the chemical repellents. I am very much against chemical use in animals and the home. I am trying to rid my home of chemicals, aluminum and plastic. That is easier said than done. I found a couple of various natural products to use except that cats don't accept anything easily. The best way I found to protect us from fleas and ticks is to keep our lawn mowed and paths as well. I tuck my pant legs into my socks when I go out in the forest. Peppermint essential oil on my hair and clothing helps with the deer flies and other flying insects. I don't think it is good for cats though. 