I have been asked this question at least twice a week by our now-4-year-old Tate since he was 2. My response has always been this: "Daddy is allergic to fur. Do you want Daddy to sneeze every day, or not be able to breathe?" Of course, the guilt applied here worked effectively until Tate went to pre-K and learned that there are plenty of pets that do not have fur.
We decided that we would investigate a pet when Tate turned 5. We would consider a non-furry, hypo-allergenic pet that could be cared for by a kindergarten-age kid with a lot of motivation. I had plenty of pets growing up: a dog who lived to be 16, several cats, hampsters and gerbils, fish etc. My brother also had a bunch of other pets that we barely knew about; he hid quite a few of them in his room. Hubby had pets, too, and we agree that having a pet is a really important and wonderful part of childhood. We just wanted it to be about the kids taking care of it, not us. (I know, wishful thinking...)
We selected age 5 because, at the time, it seemed far off enough to deflect most requests. It also seemed like the easiest way to allow us time to investigate options.
"Mommy, can I pleeeeeeeeeeeeease have a pet?" (Cue adorable face and sad eyes.)
"Tate, are you 5 yet?"
"Mommy, pets don't care if I'm 5 yet. They neeeeeeed me." (He does have a point.)
So this summer we have been deluged by requests to adopt other people's pets. These owners with lovable, older pets -- all moving away to places where the pets would not be allowed or happy -- each assured us theirs would be a "good first pet." So I did some research.
- Cats have fur, are decidedly not hypo-allergenic and hubby really dislikes them. = OUT
- Turtles require lots of space, wet and dry, and adults have to clean the cage regularly. = OUT
- Fish and frogs are just kind of boring, slimy, and you can't "hug" them they way Tate would like. = OUT
- Ferrets are nocturnal, back into a corner and pee (which therefore makes them somewhat smelly), and like to "hide," sometimes for days at a time. = OUT
- Hampsters are not very friendly and can bite. = OUT
- Rats....?
Wait. Did you say rats, like the kind we have to exterminate in the alley? As a pet? You've got to be kidding. Oh, whew, you meant a "fancy rat," like in "Ratatouille," with refined tastes, love for his family and amazing skills. But people are still scared of rats, right? I mean, won't our friends and family all be freaked out by our pet if we get one?
It turns out that rats are almost the ideal first pet: smaller and friendlier than a guinea pig, cleaner than cats, smarter than dogs, and more loving and bonded to their owners than ferrets. That being the case, I thought, "Maybe we should just check to see if there are any rats for adoption in the area..." and lo and behold, I found one.
Remy. Just like the main character from the adorable, Disney/Pixar animated film. So we are going to his "foster home" to meet this 3-4 month old little guy and see if he is a good fit for our family. If he is the chosen one, we will need to get him a friend, because rats, like most small pets, need companionship. So if we get one, it will probably be two.
I am excited and a bit nervous and wondering if I'm on the precipice of Tate's Menagerie... But it's gotta start somewhere, and maybe with this rat.
No comments:
Post a Comment