By the age of 20, we're all getting to the points in our lives where our furry friends are just as old as we are. If you're like me, most of your pets were rescued when you were little. Throughout my childhood I've had 4 dogs, 10 cats, countless fish, and a couple hermit crabs (not all at the same time of course). All of these pets I had gotten when I was little, I've only had to put down three and this was done when I was too little to understand the concept. Currently at my moms house I have three cats and two dogs, and my dads house is home to two cats. Unfortunately as I grow older, so do my four legged friends.
It's hard to lose a pet, especially when they've been there your whole life. You come home from school or work and all you hear walking into the kitchen is your dog barking or your cat is there rubbing up against your leg. It's hard to face the reality that one day you won't have that luxury of seeing your pets upon coming home.
I have a small dog about the size of a fox, and she is terrified of thunderstorms. I know the second a thunderstorm starts she'll go into one of the bedrooms and hide underneath a bed. Once she realizes someone is home, shell scramble up onto the bed to snuggle up to whoever is home to stay safe from the thunderstorm. I couldn't imagine thunderstorms without her by my side.
My cat has a tendency to sleep at the edge of my bed every single night. Halfway through the night I find myself accidentally kicking him off the bed, but in the morning he is always back up on my bed. That right there is the meaning of love because even though I kick him off the bed, he always finds his way back.
I'll never forget coming home from school when I was little, and my parents told me we had to put down our dog. She was the first dog I had ever had, and she was my best friend ever since birth when she would lay down next to me protecting me for hours at a time. I didn't quite understand why she had to be put down, because she was my buddy and she had so much energy, even for a 17-year-old dog.
It's hard being 20 and knowing that my childhood pets have grown just as old as I am. I still remember me being little and holding my new kitten thinking I never wanted him to grow up. Appreciate your pets, because it's hard to fathom life without them greeting you when you come home, cuddling with them during thunderstorms, and them keeping you safe at the end of your bed.
