My family and I recently decided to relocate to West Texas for a job opportunity that was too good to pass up. The only real problem with the move wasn't the logistics of getting everything moved over, it was what to do with the animals. Our home consists of two dogs and four cats! We had the option of hauling each of them in the cargo hold of an airplane, flying to Texas with them. Let’s just say that was a very short-lived conversation between my wife and me! I was ok with getting each of them carriers and having them fly on the plane to get them across country. My wife was ok with it too as long as they could be in the cabin with us! For her, she wants them to have all the creature comforts of life that we do. I’m starting to understand that. It’s taken me a while, but I’m finally beginning to realize that our pets truly are a part of us.
As I mentioned previously we have four cats and two dogs. One of our cats has always struggled to get along with the rest of the pack. She has a very unique personality – drinking from the faucet and not the water dish, licking herself incisively, refusing to play nice with the other animals, etc. She was also one of the most loving cats I’ve ever seen as well. Once you gained her trust she would come to you and insist you pet her. She’d do her “kitty dance” in the closet and roll around trying to get you to reach down and pet her. She was a handful to say the least! Of the four cats we decided to put her up for adoption. Our concern was that she’d really struggle with the move, and we determined that this particular cat would make an older couple of single person a great companion. We also knew that she would do better in a home where she could be the queen all on her own. The decision to put her up for adoption was extremely painful for us, though. Not know exactly who she would be with was difficult to grasp. There was a part of me that thought, “Come on Russ, she’s just a cat!” The reality is that she is more than just a cat; she’s become a part of me and my family. She IS family! She’s a pain in the butt, she’s fussy, she’s messy, she’s temperamental………she’s us. In the end I know she’ll probably be happier in another home, but we will always wonder about her. We can’t help it; it’s our nature to be concerned for members of our family regardless of where they live.
So off we will go to Texas with two dogs and three cats, putting them in the limited space our SUV will allow. We will stay in hotels and motels that accept animals. We will make frequent stops so they can walk around, go to the bathroom, get some fresh air, and bark at strangers. Some will come up and ask what our dog’s names our. Others will take a wide path around our Puggle due to his consistent barking of “Hey, Hey, Hey, Whatcha doing? Wanna play with me? What’s your name? Got any dogs of your own I can chase?” Nonetheless, away we will go to West Texas as a family, humans and animals alike. In the end, we will continue to make sacrifices everyday for our animals just like we do our children. We will love them, nurture them, feed them, take them to the doctor when necessary, play with them, and provide them with a safe place they can call home. After all, our animals are our family, right?
A Common Man
A Common Man
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