Tuesday Memories

He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.

Immanuel Kant

 I have pets all my life.  Well, since I was five years old, that is.  For some unbeknownst reason, grandma and grandpa never had a pet, and we lived with them for the first five years of my life.  They did keep chickens, however, so they did have animals.  

It wasn't until we moved into our new home that I had a pet.  Susie.  My very special little girl.  My miracle. She was hit by an oil truck when she was barely a year old and lived to a ripe old age of 16 with three legs.  Got along as well as any other pet.  I hated it when the other kids would make fun of her.

I must have been 10 or 11 when we got Tiny, a little fox terrier....who promptly became my dad's dog.  I remember she was smart as a whip.  When retired to his room for the night, Tiny was right at his heels.  So sweet and so much love.

Throughout the years we had many, many cats, but I do not have a picture of them, only the two below.  I remember one winter morning when mom went out to start her car and warm it up, she heard a terrible screech.  An orange cat had been caught in the fan belt.  We rushed her to the vet who saved her life. Although we already had three, we kept her and gave her a home.  She was never quite normal, but she lived a long and happy life. 

This is the first time in 48 years I've not had a pet, but after my beloved Miss Minga's passing, I've decided that I will not  get another one.  I'm older now, in chronic pain, and living on a limited budget.  When I have a pet I want the best for them, and right now I couldn't give them that.