The experience I’ve outlined above-particularly the questions about size and temperament-are questions responsible pet owners ask themselves before they adopt an animal to bring into their home. In the end, I wound up adopting the offspring of my aunt’s Shih Tzu: a sensible move, since I didn’t have to pay a breeder for the privilege of adopting the puppy, plus we already had two other Shih Tzu in the house one more would fit in perfectly. In this regard, I had to be a bit more thorough: it would have been all right to bring a kitten of unknown heritage into the household, but dogs were another thing entirely due to size and temperament concerns (more so, since we already had two other dogs in the house).

I had actually managed to talk my mother around to the idea, and had begun to lay down some fairly concrete plans (including which rescue organisation I was going to adopt the cat from, as well as a budget for food, toys, vaccinations, and so on) but the plan was sunk when my father refused to have a cat in the house-not because of any health concerns, but simply because of dislike (or, as I like to think, unwarranted prejudice).īut I still wanted a pet of my own, and since I couldn’t get a cat, I decided to go for a dog. In my mind, a cat was the ideal companion for someone like me: independent enough that I could leave it alone while I was at work, but companionable enough to pet and play with when I was at home.

Three years ago, I made the decision to adopt a pet of my own-specifically, a cat.

Domesticated richard francis