How many different types of pets do you adopt? You would decide to raise pets for different reasons. One simple reason could be that you simply love certain types of animals. You may grow them as a living ornament, to beautify your home. You may do it willingly or unwillingly because you inherited one. Or because the family next door owns one or you reckon its the latest trend to own one. For me, the most compelling reason would be that, they often turn out to be better companions than people. Why? because they are honest, their lives are devoid of stress, issues, problems and as long as they are fed and cares for, you will be their world. And they are not afraid to show it. I used to have an aquarium at home, full of beautiful fish. They would swim round the clock, and watching them do so, has a calming effect on you. Its kind of a meditation. I had a dog too. She was the most playful, yet the most amazingly loveable creature I have ever known. As time passed, I lost all the fish I had in the aquarium, and my dog passed away due to an illness. I was distraught with grief when I found out that my dog had died. But I didn't feel nearly as sad when my fish died one after another. It bring out an interesting observation. Why do people feel differently when one pet dies, as opposed to another? After all, they are all living things with lives equally precious. I suppose it has something to do with the degree of attachment you had for the animal, just as it is for another human.
I have no pets of any kind now. But I yearn to adopt a dog. But there are mental shackles that I find hard to break through. Dog's lives are much smaller than that of an average human. Hence, I don't want to go through the sorrow and pain I went through when my previous dog left me for good, if I live long enough. Other thing I have experienced is that having a dog, actually any pet for that matter, limits the time you can stay away from home. You can no longer enjoy those weeks-long holidays away from home. There are facilities now where you can rent a kennel and pay people to look after your dog. But, let alone it being a very costly option, if you truly loved your dog, your enjoyment will be hampered by the constant reminder that your pet is in some enclosure with hardly any room to move, unsure of the nature of treatment it gets from people who have no genuine affection towards it. I wouldn't do that if I had a child, and hence I would be able to consider that for a dog that I would love nearly as much.
There are some things in life that you cant get, no matter how much you want them, unless you choose to go against your principles.
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