June 25, 2018 – I’ve been giving a colleague a drive to work in the morning until he gets his license. Today we were recapping our weekends. I shared with him how my dog didn’t like the heavy rain we had on Saturday. It was a challenge to get him outside. My colleague doesn’t have any pets but he said he was hoping to adopt a dog at some point.
I have, and have had, dogs and cats. He asked me which I preferred. He said he would prefer a dog. I listed a few things to consider before adopting a pet – vet bills (especially as they age), walking a dog when it’s -40C and/or snowing, the clean up (puke and fur), some cats can destroy furniture and so can some dogs.
Then I started thinking about which I would prefer if I could only have 1 pet. I was stumped. Either type of pet can be a great companion. I am grateful for the comfort that my pets have provided me over the years. My dog got me out of the house when I didn’t want to and created an opportunity for me to get to know my neighbours. My cat provided me with so much companionship over her lifetime. All of my pets have been a continuous source of great photos and stories to share.
I felt like I was being asked to identify my favourite child. Plusses and minuses. Good and bad. I still don’t have an answer. I guess it depends upon the day, doesn’t it?
Diary of a DOW 