Tuesday we had to put our last cat down due to kidney failure. PC was a wonderful cat especially when it came to dealing with the girls and even the dog. It was so upsetting to loose both Harley and PC in twelve months. Ralph, Ellie, and I are very sad, Rémi wants a hamster, and Genie just doesn't understand. Several people have asked me if I want another cat, but I really don't think I do. For one thing we just don't know what caused the kidney failure in both Harley and PC so I can't be assured that it wouldn't happen to another kitty. For another thing, I think I am not a very good cat mommy. I have had four of my very own cats and none of them lived past 7 years old, and two of them disappeared at just over a year old.

Ellie said that her mom bought a lot of goldfish. I can't conceive of anyone thinking of fish as pets. For one thing, you can't "pet" them. They don't know you, they aren't friendly, and I really can't attribute any endearing characteristics to them. I will allow that they are calming, but I mostly find them boring

I would never have a bird for a pet again (of course I know you must never say never), but they are so messy. I found bird feathers still clinging to my furniture 10 years after having my last parakeet.

Though we had rabbits only briefly, I did enjoy them, but I don't think I would do that again because they are also messy.

Hamsters and other rodents die too quickly, lizards and snakes would scare the grandparents away from baby-sitting, and amphibians are too much like fish to be pets.

I guess there is no "perfect pet", or perfect anything. I was trying to console Ellie by saying that the reason it hurt so much to loose PC was because Ellie had loved her so much and that PC knew that.