There, I said it. “But, Abby,” you’re thinking. “How could you not like pets? They’re adorable. They’re loyal. They provide countless hours of subject matter for ridiculous YouTube videos.”
Yes, I realize that. It’s just that growing up, I never really had pets. Sure, I had a goldfish named Fishy that I swear we owned for four or five years (although my childhood memory may be a bit dusty.) And at one point, I decided Fishy needed friends so we went to the pet shop on the upper level of local grocery store and bought him a castle and a family. And then, all of them died. So that’s the extent of my pet-owning experience.
It’s not that I don’t like pets. I’ve been known to snuggle with a distant cousin-by-marriage’s blue-eyed Canadian Husky named Strawberry, pet a sweet Golden Retriever named Cinca who casually wandered the offices of the Barberton Herald when I worked there in the ‘90s, and let out my in-laws’ two Chocolate Labs when they’re out of town.
But, kind of like the singles we featured in last month’s Single in the City cover story, when it comes to pets, I haven’t found “the one” yet, and it reminds me of a quote by author Anatole France: “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
Several of my friends volunteer with pet rescues, and I look at the pictures they post on Facebook of pets who need a “forever home” and wonder if any of them could possibly be “the one.” I’m sure my husband and kids would love for us to get a dog, but the thing is, I don’t know if I’m ready to be a pet owner yet. (Honestly, after all these years, I’m still getting used to being a mom.)
Maybe once my kids are older, I’ll consider a pet for our home. But until then, I’ll leave the animal expertise to Caitlyn Callahan and Denise Henry, two of our writers who provided the features in this month’s Pet Issue. Caitlyn’s “Animal Attraction” cover story focuses on pets that go to work with their owners, and Denise’s piece is a love letter to her 24-year-old cat, Sophie.
I hope you enjoy their articles and all the other goodies we’re sharing with you in this issue.
All the best,
