Tom said:
The main reason we don't have one right now is that we (I) don't want to go through the trauma of having to have the pet put down (in our case, due to cancer). It was quite an emotional experience that I don't wish to repeat in the near future.
Wow, can I identify. Over my adult life, I've had 4 pets, three of which died in my arms. I'm getting a bit choked up now just thinking about it. We keep on getting new ones though, and I'm guessing this is why.
The drawbacks of having a pet:
- The destruction of my stuff during the puppy/kitten years.
- Being restricted from how long I can leave the dog alone in the house
- Having to lock all trash cans up before I leave the house (Casey is a dumpster diver)
- The occasional "barf" on the carpet (Why can't they learn to throw up on the linoleum?)
- "Walkies" at night, in the snow, in the rain, in the cold, in the hot, etc.
- Losing them is devastating
The benefits of having a pet:
- In a couple of words, "unconditional love"
I never doubt the unconditional love. I once passed out on the bathroom floor from a raging fever. When I came to, my cat was standing over me licking my forehead to cool me. Another time, when a dog came over to greet my son (Matthew was 2 at the time), Casey our black lab mistook it for an attack and took the much larger dog down by the throat.
Over the whole life span of the pet, I come out way ahead in the end. Plus, as crass as this may sound, the best cure for losing a pet is to find a new one to love. And we never go looking for a new pet - the strays always find us. Good luck, Tom!
As for the pet food, Casey gets only dried Hills Science Diet. I've been checking and have yet to see anything on the FDA site for Hills.
-Dave