Imagine having one, two, five, or even ten little fur babies or scale babies, whatever you prefer. Now imagine finding out the college you're going to only allows fish. What do you do with your babies?
You can leave them home if your parents will take care of them, or you can find a friend to take them, or your significant other, or you can try to find a home for them. No matter what decision is made, it's going to be a hard one. You've fed these animals, nurtured them, cares for them, acted as if you were their parent. But that's taken away from you.
If you're like me and you have mice, they only live one to two years. Three if you're really lucky. I've already had one for a whole year so her months are numbered. What if I'm at college and she passes? Do I blame it on age, poor care, lack of love? I don't know. When my pets are no longer under my care who knows what goes on.
Maybe to some this is a major overreaction for a mouse or a hamster or a hermit crab or a snake or whatever your pet may be. But to the pet moms or dads out there it isn't. These are our babies. Whether or not the pet knows it's name means nothing. I know their names. I know their unique personalities.
To the people who have to sell their pets, I feel for you. It has to be difficult knowing that you may never know about them again. Their names could be changed or they could be mishandled by their new owner. I couldn't do it.
But on the bright side, as a new chapter opens for you, a new chapter opens for them as well.
Maybe you have a bunny and you give it to a family of four who has a stay at home mom and the main caretaker of the animal can stay and play most of the time. I'm sure that as a high schooler with a pet like that, you had to have worked. They poop a lot and that means a lot of bedding changed which can get pretty pricy. So now they don't have to sit there alone while you're at school and then at work. Someone could always be there for them.
And in the new chapter of your life, you may find that fish are your thing. You might not be able to hold it and cuddle a fish but you can get a pretty cool glowing fish with a pineapple house like in spongebob. Or even you might not have any pets. Maybe you realize you don't need pets to be happy like you may have previously thought. But you always know that your high school hamster was the coolest pet you've had.
Whether the outcome for your animals is good or bad, you can at least say you tried your best. Maybe we'll see you on a TLC show about hoarding animals in ten years due to the four years that you had none so you overcompensated after college. Either way, you've had some good times with your pets that you'll always remember, especially saying your room smells like a farm.
It'll be sad missing your pets but I can guarantee that you won't be the only one.
