The past two years are the longest time in my life I’ve gone without a pet. As a child I enjoyed a succession of devoted family dogs, including a loyal collie who used to tug at my brother’s pant leg when it was time to go home for dinner. My first childhood cat was an orange tabby named Pumpkin from next door who decided to adopt us.
When I became an adult and didn’t need anyone’s permission to have a pet, I made the most of it. My four-legged family members included a protective German shepherd named Napu who made the long trip back home to Honolulu with me after my first job on Guam, and followed when I relocated to Maui. Then came a pair of shar peis (lovable beasts with a mess of health issues) and a bunch of cats, including Lucky Tiger, a regal Maine coon cat who fit in the palm of my hand when I rescued him from a Dumpster.
Even my husband cried a little bit when Tiger passed on at the age of 13.
And all the others: assorted fish, red-eared turtles, wild-caught Jackson’s chameleons, rabbits and birds, including a chicken and duck hatched from eggs in our daughter’s second-grade glass. There was even a tiny wild piglet found in the jungle that I bottle-fed. Whip-smart and surprisingly tidy, that pig liked to burrow under the covers and would tag along on beach walks.
One of the last was a kitten named Ziggy — another rescue — who was with us only long enough for us to fall head over heels with before wandering into a neighboring pit bull’s yard.
Losing our beloved shih tzu-mix Kiki, who was never happier than when scampering up a hiking trail or digging in the sand, was the last straw. No more heartbreak, we vowed, no more pets.
This made sense on a practical level as we downsized our lives. Dogs and cats can easily live 10 to 15 years, and who wants to have to worry about caring for an aged pet when you may be dealing with your own health concerns? Plus, we’re renters now, and although a growing number of properties are pet-friendly, having one definitely limits your options. And being pet-free makes it so much easier to travel.
But lately I’ve been yearning for a furry companion to sit in my lap while watching TV or curl up in the crook of my legs while in bed, annoying as it sometimes was. Sure, my retiree spouse is always happy to see me when I come home from work, but it’s not the same.
Occasionally we pet-sit for friends and that suffices. It’s like what they say about having grandchildren: You get all of the perks of parenthood — snuggles and fun-filled outings — but get to hand the little buggers back at the end of the day when they start to fuss.
These brief interludes, and the dog hair everywhere, are quite enough to convince us we made the right choice.
“She Speaks” is a weekly column by women writers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@staradvertiser.com.
