When I was born, we had a Siamese cat. He hated me. He would walk by my room and hiss. When I was about four, we discovered I had a cat allergy ( and animal fur in general). And though it was painful for my dad, the cat had to go.
For years I begged, pleaded, connived with my parents for a puppy. But what argument can be made against allergies? I tried goldfish and several chameleons. But neither pet was ever excited to see me. I remember sitting next to the goldfish bowl trying to cox him to jump through the bracelet I held. And I can still see the piece of the chameleon tail wiggling all alone and changing from green to brown. No one had told me not to pick up the lizard by the tail. I remember diligently changing flies around the house and learning to only maim the little bugs so my pet could have live pry. Still, the chameleon didn't return my affection and in fact escaped. I found him months later. Playing house, I opened up a blanket to wrap my doll in, and out rolled a dead chameleon. I was terrified of that play space for days.
Around fifth or sixth grade, I got my wish. Not a puppy. But a pet that loved me back. My parents bought me a cockatiel that I named Bing. This will sound like a puppy story but I promise you Bing was a little bird. We did everything together. We ate and shared snacks, she sat on my shoulder while I did homework ( and chewed tiny holes in it), we even showered together. We watched TV together. She would come swooping through the house and land on my head if I whistled for her. I gave her head scratches and she let me nestle my nose into her feathers. To be a good owner, I read Bird Talk magazine from cover to cover every month. She was first animal love. She died young, at only four or five from a urinary tract infection. The grief was very potent and very real.
There have been other birds since then ( I know most of you have such stories about dogs) but Bing was my first love (sorry Elliott and Duncan for not giving you your own paragraph). We have been petless since we left Iowa more than three years ago. And now we have a little Beta fish that clearly knows when we approach the bowl(how sweet??). Really, I record all this because animal love bit me again. But I must languish in unrequited love. While at my parents we went to this great little pet shop. It had an interactive area with about ten open cages full of bunnies, hamsters, birds, and ferrets. The employees walked around teaching safe handling. My girls loved it. But I loved it more. I found my dream pet. A white Goffin Cockatoo (think big white parrot with mohawk). She clearly loved me and loved my head scratches. She didn't want back on her cage. I was smitten. Memories of my first love returned. But that little Goffin (little for a Cockatoo) cost $1400 plus another $400 or more for a cage. She has a life span of over 40 years so should not be purchased on a whim. So she is still at the pet store.
How about you? Who was your first animal love?
