Beautiful Cynicism III

Animals, both wild and domesticated, have been a huge part of my life since I was a wee lass. Growing up in the boonies on Vancouver Island sort of sealed that fate: aside from my family’s own herd of critters, there were the minx, deer, bears, and cougars who roamed out back. (Not content to remain in the background, these creatures were often found rummaging in the foliage or scouting out our more tame feathered and furry friends right in the backyard, not just on the outskirts of our property.)

In addition to the beautiful yet at times deadly wild beasts I encountered on a fairly regular basis, we had our own team of non-human animals to contend with: chickens, pheasants, homing pigeons, mourning doves, rabbits, canaries, budgies, fish, and, of course, a dog. Each day consisted of a myriad of chores; early in the morning, long before school started, I could be found running about the backyard in my red rubber boots feeding everybody, refreshing the many water pails, opening the coop so the chickens could spend the day in their yard… After school was the time to collect eggs and pick fresh veggies from the garden for dinner – but most of all it was playtime. I used to play hide and seek with our Airedale Terrier, I picked up and talked to each of my chickens, I sang to the canaries, I took the dwarf bunnies inside to run around the house.

In later years, a move to a more urban centre dictated an end to the “farming” way of life. My animal experience was reduced to a single dog – a lap dog, at that – which was quite an adjustment. But she was a sweetheart and we had a lovely life together, right up until her death 2 years ago.

Now, still in the city and facing the reality of an unbelievable (to my eyes) shortage of pet-friendly apartments, yet not being able to bear being without animals for any longer, I had to venture out of my comfort zone. My mind turned to small, caged critters, suitable for small spaces and less likely to raise the ire of anti-animal apartment landlords. Ferret? Cute and sociable, but perhaps too sociable: I wouldn’t have enough time to spend with him. Rabbit? Been there, done that, but whilst the rabbits of my youth lived in cages, they were outdoors, and I took the animals out to play in the grass or in the house every day; a life spent mostly in a cage in an apartment just seemed sad to me. Gerbil, hamster, rat, mouse? All adorable (yes, even the rat). The only experience with rodents that I had had was with Rudolph and Dopey, lovable honorary Polish gerbils. I wasn’t against the idea of a rodent. Guinea pig? A definite contender: I always wanted one as a child. Sugar glider? Very cute, exotic, expensive, tiny: I was worried I’d somehow break it.