What is it with people and their pets?

When I was in my teens, a married couple lived across the street from us. They were already in their mid 50's and were never able to have children. They owned a dog named Teddy. They treated him like their own child; he even had his own room and lots of toys. The conversations between us were always, " Teddy this and Teddy that." When they went out for the evening, they would ask me to watch their dog and pay me, just like a babysitter.

I think sometimes people go on and on about their pets because it is all they have, just like people go on and on about their own children.

That's sad, really.

indeed...

but, whom am I to say?

I think it's more annoying than anything, personally. But I guess that's because I am so bad at patronizing people, and that is a "must patronize" situation. I just can't get all that excited about "Fluffy's big sneeze", or how they have to wipe Tasha's little heiney after she poops. And you know what? There are some people like you mentioned, for whom it is all that they have, and I sympathize with them. But I think most of these pet crazies are just annoying kooks.

Here's another example. I wrote a letter to the real estate section of the paper with a question about pets and co-ops. In the letter I asked about the penalties for breaking the co-op's "no pets" rule. I mentioned that I would get rid of the cat if I had to, but that I didn't want to.

About three months later I get a letter from some lady Ive never heard of from Brooklyn, which went something like this:

"Dear piece of ****,

You don't deserve to have an animal companion. If you could just "get rid of him", as you said, I think you are the one that should be "gotten rid of."

I hope you get anthax and die you piece of ****."

And this was right in the middle of that whole anthrax-in-the-mail thing! That was pretty kooky, wouldn't you say? Actually, it was kind of scary.

And just for the record, I didn't mean that I would "get rid of" my cat in the permanent sense. It's just that I look at him as more of an easy going roommate than an essential part of my life.

That was a pretty nasty reply. She probably wrote it from the funny farm.