Society for Aesthetic Deletions

Ooh, all about da aminals!

1. What's your favorite animal?
Horses. I majored in college (now it's a University) in Equestrian Studies/Business Management. Didn't graduate, but horses have always been my love.

2. What pets have you had in your lifetime?
Started with Tom-Tom when I was young, he was the family cat. Part Siamese, part big old yellow alley cat. He was a tough cookie; chased a miniature poodle that lived across the street out of the yard. After Tom-Tom died, we had Mona. My sister Jean's cat, she was named Mona after it was made clear that he was a she (she had been named Moe, part of Eeny, Meenie, Miney, and Shadow, a litter of kittens her friend's cat had had), and she was basically a long-haired tortie, a cross between a calico and a Persian. Mona had the misfortune of being around when the family finally caved in and bought a dog, a cute mutt from the pound named Casey. They were wary about each other - I think Casey was more scared of Mona than vice versa. Mona ended up with my sister at one point when she had gotten married and moved out, and went missing for a time, showed up again months later, but then went missing again, and was hit by a car. I don't think, at her advanced age, the move to a busier street was something she could handle.

Then we got Cinnaman. Used to be Cinnamon, but when we found out he was male (can you tell we name cats before we know the sexes of them in my family?), and he was cool. But he was an outdoors cat, never much for hanging around inside.

Casey died a few years later. We were all about moved out by then, so Mom didn't get any more pets.

Lou and I are owned now by Athena and Artemis, our littermate pound kitties, and just the most wonderful thing we've ever done. We love them dearly, even at 5:00 a.m. on the weekend when they decide we should be up.

I should also mention that we had fishtanks and fish growing up, until we really stopped taking care of them and they all died. My brother also had a cockatiel at one point; I've no idea what he did with it after he moved out. And then there were the hampsters. Growing up in Maryland, we had a huge Habitrail, and lots of hampsters, one even had a litter. They all died or were given away. At one point, we had an end of the Habitrail up against the wall for some reason (I was young, I have no idea), and the hampsters ate their way through the wall, and got down inside it. I don't think we ever managed to get them out, alas.

Lastly, when I was in high school, our biology class had gerbils. I volunteered to take them over the summer, and they became our gerbils. They were named Mom and Pop by my friend Dawn and I, because they had The Kids. They also eventually died of old age.

Whew! A lot of pets.

3. Is there any specific pet that you've wanted but never had? Why?
Not really. I'd love to have a horse, but they're not pets by any stretch of the imagination. And that's a lot of work, so I'd need someone to help me take care of it.

4. Are you allergic to any animals?
Not that I'm aware of. I may be allergic slightly to cats, but not my own.

5. Do you have any 'pet' pet peeves (your pets or others')?
Dogs are not lap animals, no matter how small they are. Cats are lap animals. Not dogs.

If you don't have time for a dog, DON'T GET ONE. Save yourself and the dog the situation, please. The same goes for cats, but less so, because they most often don't require as much attention as a dog does.