Our Fur Babies
Did you know that 62% of households in the United States have at least one pet? In our household (the one I’m most familiar with), we have two. Two dogs. Or, as I like to occasionally call them, my “other kids.”
These other kids? These little black and white furballs? I love them.
Zeke was our first baby we got as a couple, nearly 8 years ago. He was feisty and liked to poop on clean floors, but he warmed up to sleeping at the foot of the bed and on the back of the recliner in the sun. A few years ago we had to have his eye removed, which just about broke my heart.
Harvey is our ‘baby’ that we got when he was a puppy. He was the cutest thing, with his one blue eye and one brown eye. When he’s being particularly cute, we say he’s “giving us the blue eye.” His first toy was a squeaky carrot. I think we got him so young that he really thinks I’m his mother. No sooner do I sit down after getting home from work and he’s in my lap rolling over to be petted.
We had a third shih tzu named Oliver who passed away a year ago, about which I wrote this article on Richmondmom.com. I still miss him very much.
In our daily life, my routines of parenting extend to the dogs. In addition to the mundane stuff, I make sure to make time to cuddle them, pet them, show them special attention, and spend time with each one individually. I try to get them special treats when I’m at the store. One year, we included them in the family Christmas photo. [That was an interesting photo shoot!]
The time any of us spends taking care of another living thing is important and should be honored.
We are far from alone in our parenting of fur babies. Millions upon millions of families, with and without other human children, count fur babies as part of their family. Of course they are not really our kids, but we love them. We take care of them. We show them affection, give them a place to live, feed them, take them to the doctor at least once a year, get their hair cut, make sure they take their medicine, clean up their poop and vomit, make sure they are socialized, get them some exercise, and give them hugs and kisses. Oh, and we spend quite a bit of money doing all this too!
If doing all that isn’t mothering, I don’t know what is!
On this mother’s day, maybe we can also take a moment to honor not only mothers of human babies, but mothers and parents of fur babies – whomever and wherever they may be. Thank you for deciding to make a pet part of your family, and for taking care of a creature who needs you just as much as you probably need them.
About Mary Beth Cox
