You can look through all of my childhood photos, and I bet that you wouldn’t be able to find a single picture of me posing with an animal. The reason is simple: I have never had a pet before. Unlike me, most of my friends grew up with dogs, cats, hamsters, and if they were lucky, bunnies. I remember having nagged my parents for a dog, “Please daaad, I promise to take good care of it! I will even clean up its poopy, please please please!” Yet, they never said yes.
My parents had reasons to say no, mostly because they were two busy working parents who didn’t have time for an extra family member, and because my mom is terrified of dogs. Being the “my roof – my rules” kind of parents, they agreed that I could decide for my own only when I move out.
I did move out for college, but living on my own isn’t a piece of cake. My plan of getting a pet never came through, but right now I’m OK with having a pet a bit later on. So here’s a little confession of an animal lover who has never owned a pet.
I’m ridiculously anxious around other people’s pets.
It’s not because I’m afraid of animals (well at least not puppies and kitties,) but because I’ve not had a whole lot of petting experience. What if I hurt their round, fluffy little heads? What if I accidentally shake their paws to hard? What if I’m not supposed to touch their tummies?
This might sound absolutely ridiculous to you, but it’s very much like holding other people’s babies, especially when there aren’t a lot of babies in your life. You don’t want to upset the baby nor their parents!
I imagine the perfect pet.
Do I want a dog or a cat? If I had a dog, what breed would it be? What’s my cat fur color? Wait, what if my cat is furless – ooh, a Sphynx, I like them. What’s my cat’s gender? What if my cat doesn’t identify with any gender? Do I want a hedgehog? Why not five hedgehogs? I heard that pets usually look like their owners; maybe I should look for a pet that looks like me? Hey my friend has a Maltipoo. I want one! Or maybe I should adopt a pet instead?
Even though I know that I wouldn’t be having a pet any time soon, it’s still a lot of fun to imagine my future baby animal. It’s like, you know, imagining your future home or future wedding.
I love virtual pet games.
No, really, I'm obsessed with them.
The nine-year-old me loved her Tamagotchi, and the 19-year-old me loves her Neko Atsume. They are literally the closest I ever get to having a pet, and they are already so much fun! I don’t really have to take care much for Lexy, Pepper, Lady Meow-Meow or any other cats, but then again, I do wake up at 3 a.m. to refill Frisky Bitz after Tubbs munch them all.
All in all, I'm happy knowing that I will have a pet one day, when I'm truly ready. Until then, I'll continue being secretly jealous with my pet-owner friends, spend gold fishes on Neko Atsume, and learn more about the art of petting step by step.
