Thematic Photographic 293 - Pets

Hanging out on on Frasier's pillow
London, ON
April 2014

There's something to be said for having a pet. Whatever that something is, it isn't about convenience, or keeping the house clean, or enjoying peace and quiet before dawn, or leaving inordinate amounts of money at the vet. Sometimes I think about the logic of having a dog in the first place and wonder what the heck we were thinking when we brought his bedraggled, rescued-from-an-abusive-home little self home all those years ago.

But then I see moments like this and realize it isn't about the inconvenience, the messiness, the noise or the money. It has nothing to do with logic, or order, or anything remotely approaching the visual perfection of a Good Housekeeping-worthy home.

My late step-grandmother - who I'll say as gently as possible was not the world's nicest woman - had the most pristine living room. Mirror-glass coffee and end tables, plastic-covered velour couches and carpet that was vacuumed to a microscopically even surface, and you left footprints in it when you walked on it. Perhaps to counterbalance her meanness, I revelled in leaving foot-dragging trails in the carpet, smudges on the tables and whatever else I could muster for the sofas. I'm sure she whipped it back to perfection mere minutes after we left. But she could never make it a home. And I'm guessing the mere thought of a dog gave her hives.

Our carpet isn't anywhere near as immaculate as my late step-grandmother's, and our end tables, when they're not buried with everyday messes, don't blind us with their reflection. Frasier has contributed more than his fair share of scars to this place. Yet our house, imperfect and zoo-like as it is, is home, and that's in large part due to his being right in the middle of it. And one look at our daughter's face is all I really need to justify the moment we decided to make him a part of our family. I'll take that any day over Bubby Fanny's eerily vacuumed carpet.

Your turn: If you've got pictures of pets - yours, a friend's, a stranger's, whatever - I hope you'll share it on your blog and leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other Thematic participants throughout the week and feel free to share as many pics as you can muster. If you're new to the Thematic thing, click here for instructions. And be sure to make nice to whatever animal happens to cross your path. They really are cathartic.