I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say "No"!

I am unable to say, "no" to rescuing animals. Michael on the other hand has no problem saying, "no, nyet, never, go!" I have been a sucker for animals since the day I was born. My mother will attest to the fact that I was forever dragging some raggedy animal home in order for us to save it. As a child I had thought I would be a vet, but I can't deal with sick animals. Humans I have no problem with handling. I have quite literally had my hands in places inside of people that no one should have to go and never winced. I have touched a human spine on a living person while doing a dressing for wound, and then went off and had lunch. Go figure.
We are now the proud owners of 3 dogs, 2 bratty cats and a sugar glider named Jeepers. Jeepers is the newest pet. Tom had a teacher whose kids didn't bond to the little sucker and she was giving him away. Thomas, unfortunately, has the compassion for animals via genes from his mother.
My dogs are for the most part pretty well behaved, sans one. Schnitzel, the dachshund, is ill tempered and feels completely entitled. I have never looked at my dogs as my children. I have to be honest,sometimes when people call their dogs their kids, I get upset because dogs don't give you stretch marks, teacher calls or need to go to college. pets don't require you teaching them how to stay out of jail. if you dog ends up in doggy prison, the pound, then you are the one to blame. I don't want to negate the intensity of attachment to pets, quite the contrary. I adore my pets, and my kids will be the first to tell you, I freely admit they are better behaved than my kids, most days. Although, it is true they are completely dependent on me for food, shelter and love, much like my own kids, they are easier to put to bed and they NEVER talk back. I love my pets and when anything has happened to them, or they have gotten sick or died, I have been devastated. But maybe it is not a good idea to compare that love to the love and devotion of parenting actual human beings.
My cats are lovable in their own right, as a favorite uncle would be, who rarely speaks, only hugs occasionally and shows up to see the family only when he wants to.They have their mind set on being independent and free thinking. just as my dogs fight for the privilege of the lap, my cats fight just as hard for quiet, undisturbed, alone time. Matches, the elder statesman, is 18 years old this year. I sneak up behind him almost daily and tell him to go to the light. He turns his head ever so slightly to give me his "Kiss my hairy butt" look and continues on napping. Hercules, the younger bratty cat is now 12 or 13. I can never remember. he acts as if he were a very young cat, bounding down the hallway, sneaking down the stairs to watch the wieners in their cages, taunting them as saunters to the kitchen to check things out. He knows if the wieners were loose, there would be blood. Most likely the wiener's blood. Hercules never has to fight the dogs, Matches will hunt the little dogs down and trap them behind the toilet, reminding them the claw is mightier than the bark, no matter how ferocious.
Jeepers the newest addition to our loud family is the loudest yet. As the smallest animal in our kingdom, he chatters in a way that makes you initially jump out of your own skin. He is part chipmunk, part flying squirrel, yet I call him a wombat.He looks a little in coloring like a lemur. He is nocturnal and pubescent, so days are not his friend. wake him up while the sun is shining and he will yell at you until you leave the room. He is a cheeky little monkey, who insists on getting dried blueberries and peanuts from me (grandma). He will ring his little bell to get your attention. He will grab onto the cage bars and rattle them, as if a prisoner from Alcatraz, so you will pay attention to him. He is demanding and a bit of a diva. When Tom has him out playing, he runs on his wheel, and takes flight out of the cage and jumps AT you. A calm demeanor is required to handle the Jeepers as he crawls all over you from stem to stern. He jumps from people to curtains to shelves with the grace of a Cirque De Soleil performer.
Ironically, none of the species really gets along with each other, but we haven't had an uprising since Jeepers wandered downstairs and took BoBo for a ride.

All of my animals are getting older, like their owner. Their eyes are beginning to dim, I notice with my bifocals on. We have been together for a long time, me and my crew. The walks we take are getting a little slower. The cats ignore us more now than ever except when food is involved and then Matches sits on the steps and calls out,"helloooooo". I try not to make him wait very long since he is an ancient cat.
I think this might be it for me, these animals. They are irreplaceable, one of a kind pets. They are part of what makes me think we are in for some very big changes. There are members in my animal kingdom who have already lived full lives and may not have too many years left. We are in the "every day is a gift" portion of the program. As they go, I am not sure if I will be so willing to say yes anymore. just as raising my kids has come to an end, maybe my tendency to own a petting zoo will dwindle as well. it's another "we'll see..." moment for me. For now I am enjoying my remaining time with my old dogs, my ancient cats and the baby Jeepers. As I write this, I just saw Matches peak his head around the stairway, as the three dogs lie in their respective beds snoring. BoBo's snoring is so loud that I have to increase the volume of the TV just to hear it. All is peaceful today in the kingdom, as it should be.