Privately sent to Donna, forwarded to the list.
>You can't go on vacation because all the petsitters
>have you on a blacklist even though you've offered
>to pay by the hour for petcare. Not even the live-in
>sitters will allow themselves to be conned by a full
>fridge, a hot tub, and satellite tv.
>
>You grew up on a farm, and now spend almost as
>much time as you did back then, doing chores. They
>don't whinny or moo, but you still have to do water,
>lug feed, treat what you find, and muck old bedding.
>And the ones at the front are even more impatient
>than the ones at the back of the rows.
>
>You're guilty enough to put in emergency lighting and
>fire extinguishers in your small animal room; with clearly
>posted exits...the rest of the house has one smoke
>detector, the animal room has three.
>
>All cages are numbered with tags identifying each
>animal and you log everything on computer to help
>keep them all straight.
>
>The veternarian makes housecalls to your place
>and blocks out the whole afternoon.
>
>You stock up at the wholesale place and all the store
>sales for your family for a month and pet supplies for
>a month, and you spend more on the pets than the people.
>
>The petstore, feed store, and vet are on speed dial,
>and you still have to punch in your parents' number.
>
>The petstore lets you buy in bulk along with their regular
>orders at discount.
>
>You can actually buy yourself direct in enough quantities
>to qualify as a dealer for water bottles!
>
>Every petstore and feed store and veternarian has your
>phone number as a rescue person for unwanted gerbies.
>
>Every petstore manager has your phone number as an
>emergency after regular hours resource when they find
>sick animals. (You're cheaper than the vet)
>
>Your number is give out by petstores to new owners who
>find out they're grandparents (hubby rolls over at 2 am
>panic calls by total strangers over the litter they just found
>in their cage because Gerbie and Gerbill are now Gerbina
>and Gerbill).
>
>By necessity you have become an accomplished lay-Vet.
>Able to do injections, put in stitches, and perform necropsies.
>Your own vet will allow you to assist with your animals.
>
>Your other half doesn't venture near your animal room
>anymore and doesn't ask how many as they really don't
>want to hear that astronomical figure...as you only have
>an approximate count and usually give the count in 'cages'
>not 'heads'.
>
>You purposely buy the extra thick garbage bags so your
>bedding refuse bags won't spring a leak as they are
>lugged through the house and out back to the garbage
>cans. House trash still rate the bargain place cheapo
>bags.
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
