Can We Keep Him?

Or, in my kids case, it would be, "Can we GET him?"

The Parent Bloggers asked us to write about our family pets.  From the site: 

Tell us about your pets - the ones you had as a child, and the ones you have now. Are you a cat person or a dog person? How about birds, fish, or hamsters? Any exotic pets in the family? Or are you pet-free and loving it?

This week, we’re helping Burger King get the word out about their latest line of Club BK toys - iDogs! These iDog toys light up and come with a costume and sticker sheet, but they’ll only be at Burger King through November 2. They don’t bite, don’t shed, and don’t need to be walked. Sounds like the perfect starter pet to us!

I can't write about pets, because we have NONE.  We are pet free and lovin' it.  At least the adults in the house are lovin' it - the kids, not so much.  Take this letter than I found on my bed one day a few years ago.....

Dear Mom (and Mrs. Masses)
We would love to have a dog.  We promise to keep him out of your way, to wash him and bathe him, to clean him and feed him.  We will even pick up his poo and walk him.  You will never know that he is around, we promise.  We really mean it this time!  All of us in the neighborhood will help.  Please believe us this time.  We will not let him bark and bother you.  We will let you sleep and we will do all of the work.  Please?  Please?  Please?
Signed by all of my kids and four others from the neighborhood

No matter how cute the letter was - and it was, I saved it - no matter how much they bargained, begged or promised, the answer was, and always will be NO.

I do not want a pet.  Had one as a kid, and have no desire to ever own another.  They can keep trying to wear me down.  I'll never give in.

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Burger King Corp. Write a post and enter - you could win $250 to start your family on the road to pet ownership!

Comments

[Angela in Ohio]

Hold your ground, Carmen! JUST SAY NO!

[Headless Mom]

I second that-NO PETS!

It is a little easier around here-HB2 is VERY allergic to cats and dogs-asthma attacks every time.

[Thumper]

I love cats and dogs and can't imagine life without at least one furball, but if the adults in a household absolutely don't want one...it sucks for the kids, but someday they'll be the adult can and get whatever they want. Face it, no matter how well intended a child is, it's still the parents who wind up with the burden and expense of care. And if the parents *seriously* don't want an animal around...the cat or the dog is definitely going to feel the resentment. And that's not fair to the animal.

So yeah, good for you for holding your ground.

[amy]

I'm about as big a sucker for pets as I use to be for having babies. or maybe I've substituted one for the other. Even had one kiddo go through allergy shots to enable us to have them. Currently at 2 cats and 1 dog. Have I mentioned my new neighbors have 6 dogs, 1 great dane puppy, 1 dobie puppy, 1 yello and 1 black lab, 2 bernese mtn dogs (one of which is expecting a litter) oh and they also have 4 horses (which haven't arrived yet) and 12 cats which I've not seen any sign of.
But for all the cuddles, unconditional love you get from a bet, you also get vomit on the floor at the least opportune times, hair on EVERYTHING, and the loss of opportunities to ever go anywhere/do anything spontaneous ever again without first finding pet sitters, setting up a kennel reservation etc.
If you don't love them and covet one keep saying no mama

[KG]

Awwwwww, well I can certainly see where you're coming from but pets really were a huge part of my childhood. Soooooo many pet memories! And it wasn't like we had pets coming out of our ears. Just a great way to bond & learn to care for animals. And sadly one of the biggest yet most important lessons with pets is experience with death & dying. So yes, they can be a lot of work (especially for moms!!) but the lessons learned are sometimes very much worth it.
I will admit I'd prefer sticking with cats (LITTER BOXES over yard dropping anyday!!)
or hamsteryish ;) small types of pets.

[Dianna]

Oh gosh, we have lots of pets! 3 horses, a cow (pet), 2 dogs and a cat. We're actually a little low. A year ago at this time we had 5 horses, 3 cows, 2 dogs and 2 cats. Love animals, clearly!

[kyooty]

I never had a pet growing up. The minute I went and got married, that fall? my youngest brother and sister got a dog. My mom only agreed because she had said for the 2yrs prior that my brother (mradhd) could have a dog if he kept his focus, took his meds and passed a few courses that he was struggling with but were necessary for a good and promising future. I when I moved out? the dog moved in, first he trashed my mother's laundry room, and then he moved to the back yard. he ended up getting a whole babybarn (shed to you users) for himself with heating lights and blankets to sleep in instead of a regular dog house. He lasted 7yrs.
my own house animal story, I wanted a CAT my whole life, i really really wanted a cat! my best friend had 2 cats, why couldn't I have one? nope! I even had one cat follow me home from school and my mom wouldn't let me give it any milk... nope!
When I got married, I married into a cat family, my husband's family had cats all their lives, we were married 10months and I went and got my hubbie a kitten. She was 1 of 3 sisters, her sisters had pink eye, and I picked her out of a box at college. she's a brat! but we love her nad even with her poopie days (she's vengeful) I do love her. she's my first child, my first responsibility but the kind of responsility that we can leave at home with someone coming over to give her food and clean her box, and walk out the door withotu seeing her. LOL

[kyooty]

Oh the cat btw was a compromise, he wanted a RAT! EWWWWW!