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Newspaper Columns >
Andrew Thinks It's Great!
A Dog Kiss? In The FACE?
by Carol Breidenbach
Farmland News
6 January 2004
I was mortified the first time his family's dog, Zoe, licked my grandson, Andrew, in the face. Growing up on our family farm, we'd always had outside pets. On some level, I'd considered animals unclean and I'd always washed my hands after playing with them.
Then, when my own children had come along, we'd kept their pets outside because some of the children had allergies. Still, my mortification passed in time, as I noticed how much Andrew enjoyed his dog.
Zoe is a constant companion and he stands guard whenever visitors are in the house. An inside pet can become like one of the family and this dog is faithful and patient beyond belief. Andrew has used him as a stepping stool to climb onto the sofa and he's pulled his tail a few times with no consequences.
Andrew also has a cat that is the joy of his life. He reserves his kisses and a special kind of mmmmm sound for this cat. It bothers me that he never kisses Grandma with the same delight as he kisses that cat.
Andrew gets his love for pets honestly from his father ... our son, Chip. Chip always had an outside dog when he was growing up and I remember Shamrock the best. He'd selected Shamrock from the litter in spite of the fact that it was the runt and had a limp. The owner had tried to discourage his selection, but he had a kind heart and he'd insisted on his choice. He prayed for that dog every night when he went to bed and eventually it walked without a limp ... until old age and arthritis set in.
Our daughter, Lisa, had a cat named Abbey that she had to keep in the garage most of the time because her older sister, Angela, was allergic to animals. Lisa always thought that was unfair, but we didn't really have a choice. I wasn't thrilled when
Abbey gave birth to a litter of kittens, but it proved to be a blessing in disguise.
Abbey hissed at us when we tried to play with the kittens and Lisa couldn't understand why. I explained that, as a new mother, she was overly protective of her young, a pretty common trait of new mothers. When Lisa became a teenager and complained about me being overly protective, I reminded her of Abby the cat.
In a weak moment, Lisa convinced us to keep two of those kittens. When she left home at age 18, she left the cats behind with Lenny and me. My advice to all young parents would be to allow your children to have as many pets as they can take care of while they're growing up. However, when they leave home, they have to either take the pets with them or find good homes for them.
Because of my allergies, I couldn't play with the cats and I began to feel sorry for them. We ran an ad in the paper for a good home and found a family with children that would keep them inside. I cried and cried when those cats left and I couldn't figure out why, since I'd never particularly liked them. I'd kept a stiff upper lip, keeping my true feelings bottled up, the day Lisa had packed her things and moved out. But I wasn't crying for the cats. I was crying because Lisa was leaving home for good. The cats. departure had opened those floodgates.
Chip also left his dog when he moved out and we kept her in a kennel and fed her, but I really didn't feel much attachment. When I worked in the garden, I would let Shamrock out for a little exercise.
One spring, our family was going through a particularly sad time and I cried a lot as I planted my spring garden. That old dog licked my tears and was a comfort to me, even though I knew she just liked the salt. I was afraid this experience would get me attached to Shamrock and I'd feel bad when she died. Sure enough, that is just what happened.
Even though I have no desire to have an inside pet myself, I can see the joy and comfort Andrew's pets bring to him. I just wish he liked Grandma as much as he likes his cat.
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