Now that I’ve encouraged you to get rid of all the toxic, fake friends and annoying co-workers in your life you may be feeling lonely! Know what you should do? Get a dog! Or a cat! Or some sort of pet that will make you feel like the greatest person in the entire world. There is a reason why people love their animals so much. Because they bring us so much joy without a lot of hassle. A little hassle but not as much as say…kids! They rarely talk back, are always excited to see you and don’t ask for money for the mall. Of course, they won’t take of you in your old age either.
Honestly though, I don’t think my life would be the same at all without the animals I’ve had in my life. Especially my girl Tucker. She literally got me out of the house and talking to more people than I ever have in my life. I was always outgoing but I used to be kind of shy around people I didn’t know (I know, hard to believe, right?) But Tucker changed all of that for me. And know, my husband gets embarrassed every time I struck up a conversation with someone in the supermarket line or sitting next to me at the bar. But that’s me. I talk…a lot!
But back to Tucker. I got her on a whim. I did it all completely wrong and don’t advise anyone to go the route I did. I had just moved back to Philadelphia after living at the Jersey shore for the past four years which I loved. So I was a little depressed to have to move away from happy place and it was the first time since I lived on my own I did not have a pet.
So, you know what I did? I went to the pet store. I know…the horror. It was still acceptable then. But I had recently had a bad experience with an older pup that was virtually untrainable (who I did find a lovely home for and he is still doing well). I was looking for someone young this time so I could get the training started ASAP. I looked at the lot they had in the window. I saw this tiny little furball. I picked her up and started carrying her around. I took her to the little get to know you area and she completely ignored me. I figured…eh, she’ll learn to love me. And it really did take a while but she came around.
I’ve had a number of dogs, hamsters and even a cat at one time. They all enriched my life in one way or another. We got Nappy, a miniature poodle, when I was about six. He was like a brother to me. We grew up together. When I was 12 we went to stay with my aunt for the summer and my mother shipped Nappy off to my father’s house to stay. He apparently infested both our house and my fathers house with flea’s and my mother decided it was time for him to go. They found a home from him not far from another aunt’s house where I did get to see him from time to time. One time, we were driving past and I said hi to him and he followed us all the way back to my aunt’s house. My mother eventually went to his new owners (about a year later) and asked if she could have him back. When he lived with us we used to tie him up to the back door because he had an issue with “going” in the house. I’ll never forget the day we got home and Nappy was there waiting for us. We walked in the front door and us kids could hear him barking and crying. We were all like…”Is that Nappy???” and we ran to find our old dog in his old spot back where he belonged.
When I was 16, I started working with my sister at the Friendly’s restaurant at the mall. It was more money than I was used to having so I had a bunch saved up. We went to pick Nappy up from a grooming appointment one time and they had puppies there for sale. Somehow, I talked my mom into letting me get a puppy. Another poodle that I named Puddles, much to my mother’s dismay. He wasn’t nearly as sweet and nice as Nappy but we all loved him anyway. He became closest with my mom probably because she fed him and took care of him for the most part.
Then there was the time we found kittens in our backyard. They were very small and I’m not sure they should have even been away from there mother yet. But my stepfather caught the bunch of them in the yard and they all scattered except for one little guy who just hunched down. Well, that became Frisco who was with me for 13 years. He was the fattest cat I ever knew in real life. He just ate and ate and ate. That poor cat moved with me five times in his lifetime. You know how much cats hate change. It would take him a good two weeks to come out from under the bed in the current new place. Except to eat or course…he always managed to get over his fear for a quick bit. But then it was back under the bed. It probably won’t come of much of a shock to learn I lost Frisco fairly young for a cat due to diabetes.
And then there is my girl Tucker. She has brought so much joy to my life. I love watching her lounge out on the couch and my husbands chair. She expresses pure joy when she goes on walks. She is always happy to see me and she loves me no matter how fat I get! Since my husband and I don’t have kids I wonder sometimes if we would have anything to talk about since she takes up so much of our conversation. How’d you sleep last night babe? Well, I had a dog in my back all night. Yes, she is a total bed hog. She takes turns on who she will push and nudge to the edge of the bed every night.
The thing with pets (especially dogs, in my opinion) is they give you unconditional life and rarely give you a hard time. If we all greeted our family like our dogs greet us we may all be happier. They don’t talk back and they know who’s boss. Even though many times it is them. Tucker can be stubborn at times. If I try to move her in the middle of the night, she will snap at me. She is getting crankier as she gets older too. But we still love her. We’ll put up with it because she has us both wrapped around her little toe on her little paw. She is the greatest and I know my life wouldn’t be the same without her in it.
Do you have a pet in your life right now that lights you up with joy? If you don’t…they are totally worth any work or hassle they give you. I can’t see myself without a pet. I love having another beating heart to come home to. Aside from my husband of course. And now that I’m home more often she hangs out with me. Well, most of the time. Sometimes, she just wants some alone time in my bedroom. Eye roll! But she is the best and she knows that I feel that way.
So, it is finally cocktail Friday. I hope you have a furry friend that makes your life better and if you don’t…what are you waiting for? Go get yourself one! Have a fantastic weekend and be safe in whatever you do! And make today, your best day yet!
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