kids and pets

I'm sure I've mentioned my girl's love for all things furry at least 350 times before, but, it deserves mentioning again because, seriously, she is such an animal lover. I'm sure if Mia had arrived covered in fur with a wet nose that Laci would be much more in love with her little sister.

She just loves grammy's kitty, Dolly.

 

Of course, having pets in the country inevitably leads to heartache. I know this from experience. Pets, especially kitties, have a way of just disappearing without a trace. You might remember there were two kitties last Summer, Dolly and her sister, Dora. Dora disappeared a month or so ago. No sign of her anywhere. It isn't likely she voluntary left her home, even if she was often tortured by an exuberant two year old. Laci hasn't made the connection that we are down to only one kitty. The sister kitties looked so much alike, so sometimes she calls it Dolly, other times it is Dora. She can't really grasp the concept of death yet, and I don't want to scare her, so for now, it works for us.

No doubt there will be plenty of opportunities to explain the death of a pet in the future. I know that sounds morbid, but it's true. Our dogs will likely only be around another few years, our kitties will move on while the girls are still fairly young, and certainly there are goldfish in our future that, well, don't last very long. As an animal lover myself, I have had many pets.  Some lived a long time, others just a short time. I remember being heartbroken at the loss of each one when I was younger, but as I got older and experienced more loss, I grew a little callous. It's sad that this has happened, but it has helped protect my sensitive heart. Laci's little heart does not have these callouses, and she is a sensitive little thing. I'm not looking forward to the day when she really understands that a beloved pet is gone and I know I will not be able to protect her from the pain.

Since we have been staying with my parents so much that past few months, Laci and Maverick (my mom's dog) have grown very attached to each other. They are true buddies. They wrestle like wild little boys, Laci feeds him treats, and Maverick follows her everywhere. His loyalty is to Laci first, my mom second. It is a sweet relationship to watch. They will both feel a loss when we move back home. They will still see each other, but not as frequently, and I'm sure they will both be sad. I'm not looking forward to the morning when she wakes up in our new house and calls, "Magic! Oh, Magic!" and there won't be a furry black dog running to her side. (Yes, her "V's" sound like "G's.")

She doesn't always wake from her naps in a great mood. But Maverick can change that in a second. I will miss his ability to make her smile.

And Mia loves him, too.

We are so lucky to have a dog around with this temperament. He tolerates hair pulling, ear grabbing, body slams, being sat on, being laid on, having his eyes, nose, and mouth poked by little fingers, being yelled at, and being dragged around on the end of a leash. And he isn't even a year old yet. He is a special little guy.

I love that my girls love animals as much as their daddy and I do. Though I know their love will surely mean we end up with far too many animals in our home, and that, I'm not so sure about.