May is National Pet Month

I’VE BEEN THINKING

Carol Goodman Heizer is an author who moved to Hood County from Louisville, Kentucky in 2019. She has had short stories and articles published in six editions of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books. Her column for the Hood County News will appear every two weeks. She was a public school teacher for 17 years, earlier in her professional career.

Statistics show that dogs (in more than 49 million homes) and cats (in almost 32 million homes) are the two most popular types of pets in America. However, we also know that other animals fall into the “pet” category. We question how some make the list, considering how we show affection to the top two pets. Below is the remaining list of the most popular animals owned as pets in the U.S. (and the number of households owning the pet): fish – 1,047,500; reptiles (366,900); other mammals (197,800); rabbits (153,400); pet poultry (139,700); pet livestock (49,400); ferrets (32,600); all others (32,200).

As we read this list, we wonder how one can become emotionally attached to a fish. Its owner cannot hold it, cuddle it, or take it for a walk. Although rabbits are cuddly and adorably, can an owner train it to use a litter box? Why are reptiles becoming more common as pets, especially among younger people?

In one list of American’s pets, I found cockroaches, millipedes, tarantulas, and hermit crabs listed. What is the rarest pet in the U.S.? According to the 2019 AKC registration data, the English foxhound holds this position. Some of the most exotic pets include the wallaby, chimpanzee, serval, capybara, and tiger.

What are some of the hardest pets to care for? How about pigs, songbirds, hamsters, turtles and tortoises, and rattlesnakes. I apologize to all snake lovers out there, but with my terrible fear of them, I cannot go into a home where I know they are. I simply cannot keep my eyes open during a movie that has snake segments. My eyelids automatically shut.

What are the scariest dogs in the world? The Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, American Bully, Great Dane, German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, and the Newfoundland.

What is the easiest exotic animal to care for? The hedgehog, perfect for someone who wants a pet but who does not have a significant amount of time or resources to devote to their care.

Michael Jackson was among the first celebrities (followed by George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, and Tori Spelling) to own exotic animals as house pets. Although it may be legal to own them as pets, people are advised against it because of the special care some of them require. But among such animals are the anteater (owned by Salvador Dali); tiger (the majority of which live in captivity, not in the wild); foxes (being as smart as dogs, may be on the way to being domesticated); alligator (a huge commitment that might outlive you); kangaroo (controversial but legal in some states); llama (often used as a therapy animal needing plenty of outdoor space); skunk (a playful creature — after having its scent gland removed — that needs attention, affection, and discipline); porcupine (an easy-going pet that can also be prickly); cougar (said to be tamed but never domesticated); sloth (high-maintenance creature whose slow-moving nature should not be mistaken for comfort); bear (your best friend or worse enemy that is legalized as a pet in more than 12 states); and monkey (like raising a toddler for up to 40 years).

So choose your pet, friend! Will it be a guinea pig that my daughter and I took to nursing homes to elicit smiles and laughs from patients? Will it be a llama to calm a troubled individual? Will it be a skunk to surprise your friends and neighbors at your dinner party? Will it be a bear to see which of you is the “baddest”? Will it be a monkey to entertain you for the next few decades? Or will it be the more traditional dog or cat?

Whichever pet you choose, think it through carefully – not in a rush and then regret your decision. Do what is best for both you and the animal. Pets have feelings, and they become attached to their humans. Do not do yourself and your pet a disservice by discarding it when you believe it’s too much trouble. If necessary, surrender it to a reputable organization that will care for it until it finds its forever home.

Regardless of the nature of the pet, along with the nature of the owner, if the animal is well cared for and the owner is happy – I suppose that all is well with the world!

cgheizer@gmail.com