We've been playing with the idea for awhile. The boys have begged. They all want one. We go back and forth...
Pet or no pet?
I'm strictly a "no pet" girl myself. I had bad allergies as a kid and was pretty much taught to hate and fear anything with fur. (DON'T TOUCH THE DANDER!!!) The only pets we ever had were goldfish won at the school fair. (Much to my mother's chagrin.) And those never lasted long before they took their last, long swim down the toilet.
Doug was the opposite. His family had quite the managerie over the years. Cats, Dogs, Rabbits, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Hermit Crabs--most of which met with tragic ends. (Some given away, some run over...) But surprisingly, he never wanted to add any of these to our family. Happily for me, he's been content with the occasional snake or fish. So the pets I HAVE had over the years, (post High School) were of the swimming or slithering variety.
(With the exception of a Chinchilla we got from Wendy and had for a short period of time before Dental school. I'm pretty sure we sold it at a garage sale before we moved. Or possibly just gave it to a neighbor...?)
Anyway, I've had fish, frogs, and two or three snakes but nothing you can cuddle with. And that's been fine. Until now.
NOW, the boys want a pet. And not the slimy or slithery kind.
Oh no, they want...
Something to cuddle.
Problem is, Max has allergies. He's definitely allergic to cats--that's one of his worst reactions. Dogs used to score a big reaction but didn't show up as strongly on his last prick test. So we thought maybe he was growing out of his dander allergy...
(We'll always keep that cat one though. We're all allergic to cats in this family. Mentally if not physically.)
So I came up with the brilliant idea to get a chicken. I've seen around the blogosphere that they're sorta hip pets to have these day. Fun and functional! Free eggs! Kids love 'em! And they eat the bugs in your grass! And if you get sick of them, you can have them for dinner! (Kidding!)
Unfortunately, upon checking with the landlord, we discovered they're not allowed by the HOA.
No chickens.
Then, in my quest for something that would satisfy the kids and not be too gross for me, I learned
(on Facebook and then on YouTube) about Sugar Gliders!
Weird, slightly rodent-like, but also cute and cuddly and tricky! They'll sit in your pocket all day! A pocket pet! How cute is that?
Sugar Gliders would be the pet for us!
Unfortunately...
They're ILLEGAL in California! Along with Ferrets, Gerbils, Hedgehogs, and concealed hand-guns! (California=Fun killer.)
No Sugar Gliders.
Then one day on a bike ride, Doug saw a sign advertising "Bunnies for Sale". He texted me the number.
Hmm. Bunnies.
Bunnies are cute. And it was almost Easter.
I've never actually wanted a bunny, but I've also never NOT wanted a bunny.
Wendy had bunnies. I never wanted to touch them, but I figured maybe if I bonded with it as a baby...
In my indecision I proceeded to do...
nothing.
At least not that day...
To Be Continued!
Poodles are good for allergies. They don't shed and are hypoallergenic. You can get them in the mini, toy, and tiny toy variations. The downside is that because they don't shed, you have to clip them, or take them to a groomer. My in-laws have 2 tiny toys and they are about 6 and 8 pounds, respectively. Very cute, very fun to play with, and very good with snuggling.
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me, I started reading your blog after the earthquake in Japan last year and have continued reading because you crack me up. :) I have had asthma since early childhood, tried different dogs as a child, including a poodle and was allergic to them all. Three years ago we bought a Shitzu/Bichon Frise mix (Shichon) because I read somewhere that they were best for asthmatics and we knew of someone who was deathly allergic to dogs and could have one of these. Best dog ever, cute, smart and I haven't so much as wheezed in the three years we have had him.
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