Pets throughout my life:
I've had a cat every day of my life. I've never gone a day without being a cat owner, although I guess when I was away at school my cat stayed home with my parents. I can think of fourteen different cats off the top of my head but I'd need a pen to double check. In my childhood I also had two birds and a bunny. I wasn't allowed to get a dog until I moved out, but I've had six dogs since then, plus scores of hamsters, large aquaria of fish (maybe 40-50 over time -- all with names), and even hermit crabs.
Right now I have two cats, a kitten, and a dog. It's crazy expensive and time-consuming for vet bills, individual diets and all of their needs, but I can't imagine life without animals.
They make so much more sense than human beings ever will.
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And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.