"Our next dog needs to be an Irish Wolf Hound or a kangaroo."
My husband was watching television and apparently thought it wise to brainstorm with the Ghost of Pets in the Future.
I laughed initially. After all, the Irish Wolf Hound is the largest of the domesticated canines, and is practically a small horse. And kangaroos are, well, marsupials. … And they live in Australia.
He was perfectly serious.
My husband has a lot of ideas: “Let’s start a fish tank.” “Let’s get an Irish Wolf Hound.” “Let’s get a snake.”
After a traumatic summer of losing two pets in a month, I’m not exactly itching to subscribe to the “We Bought a Zoo” mentality. We now are down to one dog and two cats — and even that’s difficult to manage with a precocious 1-year-old.
"What about a Red Kangaroo?” my husband continued. “Oh wait, they can kill you. ... Maybe we can get a wallaby. They're easier to handle.”
As he Googled the care and feeding of mammals Down Under, I tried to come up with a tact that could defuse this line of thinking.
“I’m pretty sure you can’t just drive to Petsmart and get a kangaroo or wallaby,” I said. “I think there are laws against that sort of thing here in the States.”
“I’m sure we could find someone who breeds them here,” he replied.
I was starting to feel the hives creeping up my neck as I realized he thought we were in actual negotiations. I suddenly had visions of a roo boxing my poor toddler.
“That would be pretty dangerous,” I said. “I don’t think kangaroos are considered family-friendly for children and I wouldn’t even begin to know what they eat and how the winter would affect them.”
He seemed satisfied with this answer. I was quite proud of myself for dodging another crazy idea would have ended disastrously. I relished in the feeling that our communication skills are improving and our relationship strengthening as we work together to raise our young son.
And then, a voice from the living room: “I wonder if you can get a kangaroo declawed.”
— Sarah Leach is assistant managing editor at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at (616) 546-4278 or sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com.
My husband was watching television and apparently thought it wise to brainstorm with the Ghost of Pets in the Future.
I laughed initially. After all, the Irish Wolf Hound is the largest of the domesticated canines, and is practically a small horse. And kangaroos are, well, marsupials. … And they live in Australia.
He was perfectly serious.
My husband has a lot of ideas: “Let’s start a fish tank.” “Let’s get an Irish Wolf Hound.” “Let’s get a snake.”
After a traumatic summer of losing two pets in a month, I’m not exactly itching to subscribe to the “We Bought a Zoo” mentality. We now are down to one dog and two cats — and even that’s difficult to manage with a precocious 1-year-old.
"What about a Red Kangaroo?” my husband continued. “Oh wait, they can kill you. ... Maybe we can get a wallaby. They're easier to handle.”
As he Googled the care and feeding of mammals Down Under, I tried to come up with a tact that could defuse this line of thinking.
“I’m pretty sure you can’t just drive to Petsmart and get a kangaroo or wallaby,” I said. “I think there are laws against that sort of thing here in the States.”
“I’m sure we could find someone who breeds them here,” he replied.
I was starting to feel the hives creeping up my neck as I realized he thought we were in actual negotiations. I suddenly had visions of a roo boxing my poor toddler.
“That would be pretty dangerous,” I said. “I don’t think kangaroos are considered family-friendly for children and I wouldn’t even begin to know what they eat and how the winter would affect them.”
He seemed satisfied with this answer. I was quite proud of myself for dodging another crazy idea would have ended disastrously. I relished in the feeling that our communication skills are improving and our relationship strengthening as we work together to raise our young son.
And then, a voice from the living room: “I wonder if you can get a kangaroo declawed.”
— Sarah Leach is assistant managing editor at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at (616) 546-4278 or sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com.
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