first off, i understand some people want a puppy or kitten, and they want to go to a breeder for this. while i'd hope they'd first consider adopting from a shelter instead (because puppies, dogs, kittens and cats all get dumped by people and end up in animal shelters), if you must find your furry friend elsewhere, just please do your homework. some breeders are amazing and treat their animals with the dignity and respect they deserve. some don't. the moral of the story here is be informed. my mom and i got our cat (tiffany) and dog (charlotte) from breeders, so i know the draw here. both are lovely animals and i couldn't love them more. both sweet, both cuddly, both from breeders who treated them with dignity before coming home with me.
when john an
d i were looking for another pet to add to our place though (we already had 2 budgies - atticus, blue; arthur, green), we headed to our local spca. the birds were purchased at a pet store, a decision john and i both regret. we love the birds, but their "bird bin" upbringing has them a little high-strung, not making for the most affectionate animal friends. we're trying to gain their trust and little by little we do, but pet stores take a toll on animals when they aren't hand raised in a loving environment (and birds are much more likely to hold grudges than furrier friends who just want a bed to cuddle up in). so, off to the spca we went in search of one of those furry friends, to hopefully add more animal cuddle time into our lives. this turned out great for the birds, because they now have a cat to taunt (and taunt they do, all day long!) but now i'm getting ahead of myself...john's parents found their dog, penny, at the same spca a year and a half ago. with the amazing pooch they ended up with, going to the shelter for our pet seemed like a no-brainer. this is the floppiest dog on earth who loves nothing more than cuddling and snoozing in the sun, unless you're going in the house, in which case, she's following you indoors. this past summer she learned to swim in the lake at the cottage, much to her mom and dad's amusement! (she's also something of a frady-dog so we were shocked when she took to the water. congrats penny!)
on our trip, we found nala, a beautiful brown tabby with the most lovely personality i've ever seen in a cat. she snuggles with us when we're sitting, follows us around when we're cooking or doing various things around our place, and sleeps at the tops of our heads (always distributing time between both of us equally - she's rather considerate). she's helped make our apartment a home. she even helps me (un)write my blog by pushing down keys and closing programs for me. makes me a tad less productive, but it's well worth it. isn't she cute?!so folks, there you have it. animals are amazing, but make sure they come from responsible places, and rescue animals whenever possible. good karma and good friends are found at shelters, just ask nala and her very proud parents :)
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