A while back I saw someone comment on a dog video “What’s the point of pets? I get work animals, but house pets? They’re nothing but a drain on your finances. They demand demand demand but give very little in return”
People of course tried to explain that their pets gave them companionship, someone to shower with love, the joy of taking care of a living creature and see it flourish, to be unconditionally accepted by someone, but the person still didn’t get it. “But you can get all that from close human friendships or children”
I think having pets is like having children; if you don’t get it, no one can explain it to you. If you don’t feel a deep joy from wanting/having children or pets, no one can explain the joy into you. You feel it or you don’t.
I love having dogs. They bark at people walking by my windows, they demand food, they throw up on my floor sometimes, their vet bills are ridiculous, they smell, I have to bathe them and trim their fur, and yet somehow it’s all worth it to me when they greet me at the door or snuggle up to me when I sit on the couch.
And yet I don’t understand the joy of having children. I don’t hate children. I look after them and play with them and help them when they need an adult, but I have no desire to get children of my own. It’s just a step up over the level of trouble I’m willing to put up with, not just physically/monetarily but also emotionally.
People have tried to explain it to me, I’ve spent plenty of time with children under my care to get a feel for it, I would protect those kids with everything I have, and while I believe people when they tell me how they feel, I still don’t get wanting to take care of a child all the time. It’s just not for me, so while I don’t get it either, I can understand why some people just don’t understand having pets.
There’s no real point to this. The person’s comments just made me look at the world a bit differently.
