Chasing after a Gerbil!!!!

Today, my children's gerbil escaped from his excercise box. He sure got a lot of excercise; with all of us chasing him around the house, with anything we could find to trap him. We were using a broom, dustpan, cutting board, wooden spoon, ladel, a bowl of food, and an excercise wheel to try and catch him. This "exciting" chase lead the animal straight to the most difficult places to try to find him. Behind the stackable washer and dryer, under the sofa, under the stroller, behind a sign, behind a table, and scurrying back & forth from place to place. "Oh, What Fun!"

Having grown up with many different types of pets, I have come to realize that they are a big responsibility, they consume alot of time, effort, & resources. I am now a big advocate of having the "fur real" pets, rather than one that actually eats and poops. To my delight, I just found out that there are "life-like" hamsters that actually run around in a hamster maze & ball. "without the mess". Unfortunately, this discovery came a few weeks too late, after having actually caved in and bought 2 gerbils, a cage, 2 gerbil balls, food, fluff, and bedding. This was after we had said that the children could have a larger pet, after taking care of 2 Japanese Fighter Fish for about 6 months. Then the next step on their "road to responsibility" is to take care of 2 gerbils for 6 months. This mission is attempted to be accomplished in their hopes of acquiring the much anticipated, even larger, pet to take care of...namely the dreaded....dog.

Is it wrong to deprive your children of having a dog? Doesn't the "Fur Real" dog make a good substitute? What am I teaching the children about love, when they are perhaps seeking after it through a pet? Come on, this isn't really fair to them?! They should learn to find the love they need from their parents and family rather than some "mangy mutt" animal. Am I not right?

Anyway, I am sooo over having pets, that I will argue any case against having one at all. Cleaning disgusting fish tanks? Chasing after gerbils for hours? Cleaning up after animal poop? Cleaning out cages? Touching the yucky things? ..... uh.....No thanks. Animals should stay in the wild where they belong!! Not in a house. Have you ever read the book "Animal Farm"? Well, in it, they actually take over the entire house. I rest my case.

If I have a farm, with a barn & servants to take care of everything....I'd think about having a dog....uh....Maybe.