When I was born, my mother gave the dog away.

It was a Scottie but I  know nothing more about this dog.  I was very young at the time.   I have wondered, once I was old enough to understand, how my older brother and sister might have reacted to trading in a pet for a little sister.  I never asked.

After that, our family had few pets and none with fur.  My sister had a turtle named Tillie Mae Turtle and a parakeet named Budgie.   Neither were very cuddly and both died young.

It wasn’t until both my brother and sister had headed off to college that I got a cat.  It seems there existed a correlation between number of people in the house and having a pet.    With that cat, Hercules, I realized an important concept:  kids need pets.

In spite of fond memories to the contrary, childhood isn’t all running in the sunshine and going on family picnics.  There are some rough moments, some difficult adjustments which a child can’t or doesn’t want to share with parents or siblings or even friends.   But a pet, you can tell everything to a pet.  When a classmate says something hateful, a kid can cry into the fur.  When a kid is constantly chosen last for every team, a dog will lick the tears away.   When a child is sad, a pet listens and loves.

Oh, I know a pet means more work for parents, but I believe strongly that cat I got in middle school helped me get through high school.  I still remember his lying on my chest and purring when I needed a friend.    And I know allergies and living situations may make that impossible, but, if at all possible,  I believe children need pets to love and to love them.

What do you think?