What the heck?

I look at Craigslist every day. I look at jobs (I like my job now), I look at the Pets for adoption section (don’t need one, I have a resident Princess hedgehog, Miss Saffie), but I have that bizarre affliction (see post below) and I just have to read massive amounts of poorly written posts by the public.

80% of people are “rehoming” their pet because they “just don’t have time” for it anymore and they “just hate to do this,” it “breaks our hearts,” “my 4 year-old loves him, but he deserves more attention than our family can give him.”

What is wrong with us these days? Do we not get ANY days off in the work week? Do we know what a weekend is anymore? Monday through Friday, do we only wake up, go to work, work all day, and only have time to eat and go to bed when we get home? Is that how busy we’ve become? So busy that we don’t have time to pet and play with the dog or cat for an hour or so? So busy we can’t let a small animal explore us for a little while? And if you’re too busy for a pet, how is the child doing? Can you not have a dog AND a kid?

Then, it makes me wonder, is that the REAL reason you’re letting your pet go? Is the real reason because he’s a holy terror, chewed half of your couch (don’t laugh, someone actually said that), likes to roughhouse with your kids, etc?

What I find most tragic in these ads is:

People who use the term “get rid of” when referring to rehoming the pet.

Saying “if [said animal] isn’t gone by [said short-term date] I’ll have to take him to the pound!!!!” This is even more tragic when followed by asking a “rehoming fee” for the animal.

People who have had the animal for YEARS, I’m talking way over 5 years, and need to find the pet of home for whatever reason, usually because of….

Moving to another place without, DUH!, thinking about if the place will be adequate for your pet regarding yard size, house size, it’s an apartment, “can’t afford” pet deposits, etc.

“This” pet is not getting along with “that” pet so “this” one has to go. Well, gee, how did you decide the fate of that one?

I can’t tell you how many times I thought for a hot second about adopting one, but never seriously. I still would like a basset hound, a guinea pig or two, a hamster. But I got my hedgie and I’m okay now.

My point is (yes, there is one), don’t get too busy for a pet. When life is so complicated and loaded with all these things we think we MUST do that we don’t have just 1 HOUR to bring joy into another life that might even bring us joy, we need to rethink some things….