If there is one thing I have learned about myself, it is that I am unable to be completely happy without a pet. Now some of you may scoff at this idea, but after having an emotional breakdown in college (due to many factors but the biggest one was the loss of my dog, Herbie), I recovered due to, what many, would consider a simple pet. I recovered thanks to a wonderful, little red betta named Merlin.While a grump, he was able to bring me out of my depression with his little Betta wiggle greetings and his goofiness as he flared at just about anything and everything. I got a crash course in fish care/keeping, which, at the time, was something I had wanted to do since I was a kid. College was the perfect opportunity to do just that.
(Above: My grumpy male Veil Tail Betta, Merlin)
This brings us to the first third of this post. Fish. Contrary to media portrayals, fish are actually an intelligent, feeling species. Bettas in particular are delightful little fish that are more than just decoration. In a proper environment (i.e. proper tank size, cleanings, water parameters/temperatures, etc.). Each Betta is an individual, and each fish is an individual. They are just like any other pet and need proper care. I hope that is one takeaway from this post. Fish are a great pet to have, especially if you have allergies to furry animals. They are fairly low maintenance (water changes/tank cleanings varying from daily-tank is small/too small to weekly or even monthly-proper tank size and planted tanks vs. fake plant tanks, number of fish in the tank, etc.), they're food is fairly inexpensive in comparison to other pets, and they still have just as much personality. And while they can be the "center-piece" of a community tank, they are also called Siamese Fighting Fish for a reason. Two Bettas in a tank without a divider is a no-no. Females can sometimes live together in groups of 4 or more known as a sorority. This can be hit or miss though depending on the females and how they get along. Same with having a Betta, male or female, in a community tank. They may not get along with tank mates. I kept a couple Nerite snails in my tanks and thankfully, none of my Bettas ever bothered them. Long finned Bettas, like Merlin, may have ragged fins in a community tank due to smaller, faster fish nipping at them (Merlin was simply ragged due to how much he flared).
While my fish keeping experience is limited to Bettas and now a Goldfish (more on him in a little bit), I have been on forums that showcase many different species and their individual/species personalities. My individual bettas each had their own unique personalities from my second Betta, Dragoon, who was much more laid back in comparison to his tankmate (divided) Merlin, to Molly, a feisty little female Betta who absolutely loved attention, to Raku, who preferred one or two people in a room to a dorm room full, and then to blind Dude, who was the mellowest and easy-going Betta that I've kept to date. Unfortunately, life-span wise, especially if you buy from large, chain stores (ex. Wal-Mart, Pet Smart, Petco, etc.) their lifespans are fairly short. Three years is considered pretty good for a Betta from these types of stores. Merlin, lived to two years of age, and Molly, my female was my longest lived Betta at three years of age.
(Above: Male plakat-short finned-betta, Dragoon)
(Above: Raku-Male Crowntail Betta)
(Left: Blind male plakat Betta, Dude. Right: Female halfmoon betta, Molly)
Due to the short lives Bettas have, while they bring happiness with their unique and personable selves, I found myself wanting a change of pace. It can break the heart to lose pets within a year or three of having them. So I went to the opposite end of the spectrum. I got my childhood fish that many children either beg to have or win at fairs...a Goldfish.
These fish do not belong in bowls (unless they are those huge, and I mean HUGE bowls and you are cleaning them on a regular basis). A relative of the Carp, they grow to large sizes, and are stunted in bowls/tiny tanks. Just for a comparison: Rory, my Goldfish resides in a 20 gallon tank, my bettas, lived in 3 gallon to 10 gallon tanks (10 gallon was sometimes split between two as was a 5 gallon tan). I am not a saint in my fish keeping, as Goldfish are a social fish and should have a tank mate. I should have bought a 30 gallon (20 gallon for first Goldfish add another 10 gallons for each added Goldfish) so Rory could have had a buddy. He seems happy quite happy though. Unlike Bettas, Goldfish tend to splash in greeting and Rory is no exception. He also likes to be petted when I clean his tank and I have trained him (due to his sheer size) to remain calm as I pick him up to move him from his tank to a bucket (like when his first tank sprang a leak...). Goldfish also require different water parameters, where Bettas require softer water and higher pH, Goldfish are more towards the other end of the spectrum with harder water and a lower pH being ideal. A higher powered filter is also required as opposed to a softer filter intake and flow for Bettas. A heater is also not required for a Goldfish as they can handle colder temperatures unlike the tropical Bettas.
(Left: Rory when he first came home. Right: Rory a year later the same dragon bubbler is in the background of both pictures)
Fish aren't for everybody though. While they are beneficial and can relax us when we watch them, sometimes carrying those buckets of water is just too much, or water damage isn't on your bucket list for when a tank breaks or springs a leak. Most people prefer the furry kind of pets. I like the furry ones too. Specifically, cats, dogs & horses.
Cats are independent, but they do require love and attention. Do not get a cat if you think it will simply fend for itself in your home. They still require proper care and love. And like any animal they are individuals. One cat might love to chase ping pong balls (I knew one at a shelter I volunteered at) and another may love to snuggle in your lap, while yet another may like to ride on your shoulder as you walk through the house. Renji, while he is more my mother's cat then mine, is an interesting guy all around. He arrived one day in our yard with a loud "boom" on our cellar doors (still not sure if he was thrown in by someone or if he simply misjudged the jump.) He was already neutered and had a broken canine tooth. We couldn't turn him away though as he was too sweet...and he still is! While he likes to mainly lounger around the house and hog heat vents in the winter, he is not against a good snuggle or a round of play, even as he hits his senior years. Renji can be demanding though when it comes to food and treats, yet he is not overweight. In truth, he was the perfect first cat for us.
(Above: Renji our lovable feline)
In comparison to a dog, they are slightly lower maintenance as they do not have to be taken outside to go potty (you do need to clean the litter box though) and they are cheaper in regards to food and treats. (Unless you are comparing them to a small dog, then the costs are about even). Their love is of a different kind and it's dominantly on their terms. It's not that they are aloof, it's just that unlike dogs, they are relying on us 100%. They do not look to us for everything. They can entertain themselves and many can hunt for themselves (unlike many dog breeds).
That being said, I'm a dog person through and through. Dogs truly give their whole hearts to people. While each dog and breed is different, dogs have been bred to rely on humans. Very few breeds hold the aloofness of their ancestor, the wolf. We bred it out of them. There is a dog for just about everyone. Love lounging on the couch? There's a dog for you. Love to go running? There's a dog for you. Love to hunt? There's a dog for you. Love to work with livestock? There's a dog for you. We seem to have bred just about every type of dog possible to help us in our day to day lives from tiny companion dogs to the large hunting or working dogs. Of course, we also have mutts who are a mix of breeds (some are called "designer" dogs to make them more appealing) and bring their own traits to the table. Like the above two, dogs have their own care requirements and depending on the size of dog you get, you may be forking over more money than you would for a cat or fish.
I have been blessed to have three dogs in my life so far as family pets, and the most recent has been Lucky, our animal control rescue. Lucky is some sort of bully breed (American Staffordshire or American Pit Bull Terrier...or a mutt with bully breed as dominant). I hope to not see any comments in regards to his breed. RANT INCOMING: SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ! Every day there are fantastic Pit Bulls who are family pets, police dogs (oh yes doubters, look'em up!) and better behaved then many spoiled companion/toy dogs. ANY DOG CAN BITE! END OF STORY! ANY dog can be trained to FIGHT. ANY dog can be dangerous if TRAINED BY THE WRONG PEOPLE. Ban the deed. Not the breed.
Training is a big part of owning a dog. If you skipped the above rant, then the sum of what I was saying is that any dog can be a bad/dangerous dog in the wrong hands. The wrong hands can be dog fighters, or it can even be the uninformed person who thinks that it's okay that their ankle-biter is nipping/biting people's ankles as a means of greeting. Or that it's okay for their dog to be running loose in town on a regular basis. People make dangerous dogs. It's up to you, the owner, to make sure your dog is the best they can be.
(Above: Lucky posing for a picture with the destruction from his younger days in the background...)
Lucky is no exception. I am blessed that Lucky is, literally, a happy-go-lucky dog. He loves everybody and everything. Does that mean he's perfect? Far from it. He can be too exuberant and I have worked hard in training him on how to control his enthusiasm. Lucky's favorite place to go is Pet Smart, training class, my grandparents, hiking, and soon to be the barn as I work on getting him acquainted/used to horses for my new job. I am passionate about doing your research before you buy or adopt any dog be they purebred or mutt. Do your research before you bring a dog home,. Make sure they are a good fit for your lifestyle. If you are a couch potato, don't get that Border Collie. They are working dogs and can find ways to entertain themselves, sometimes not in good ways either. Live in a hot climate? Don't get a Husky or Malamute or any other cold-weather breed. Their fur is not designed for that type of environment, and unless you are willing to fork over the money for the grooming they will need to stay cool, it's better to get a short-haired dog.
The last pet, and the most expensive of the ones in this post is the horse. I was fortunate to own a horse for a brief period of time, but unfortunately, my funds ran out and I had to sell my mare. Horses are expensive. End of story. A "free" horse is not free. You have to pay for feed, of course, board if you do not have the space for the horse, and if the horse gets injured vet, chiropractor, massage, etc. to try and get them to not be lame. Many people have said that horses go out of their ways to hurt themselves, and while this is not true per se they do have a talent for getting themselves into situations that involve injury. That being said, when you bond with a horse, and work with them be it on the ground or from their back, there are no words to describe it. An animal that weighs one thousand pounds or more is letting you not only ride it, but direct it. Trusting you to steer it in the right direction and away from harm. That is the trust and love of a horse.
(Above: Still miss my beautiful girl, Snowflake.)
No matter what animal you want to adopt be it the ones we discussed in this post or others. Do your research, get the proper equipment/care for them, and most of all, love them. I will leave you with the words one of my relatives said to me at the time of my acquisition of Snowflake: "The older I’ve gotten the more convinced I’ve become that a person loves animals and makes financial and other sacrifices just to be with them, the more character and the more capacity to give and receive love that person possesses."
Till the next time!
