I blame my mother! About 40 years ago she introduced me to the concept of unconditional love – attached to a tail. I don’t remember ever not having a pet. First there was our childhood dog Rebel. He was supposed to have been a cow dog, but wasn’t smart enough to know what end of the cow you were supposed to bark at when trying to bring them up to the barn for milking. He was, however, smart enough to know that he wasn’t allowed out on the road. So instead he would squeeze through or climb over fences to following us inside the fields as my brother and I walked or rode our bikes on the road. He followed us everywhere! He would even sit in the snow for what seemed like hours watching us sled or ice skate. He was also smart enough to save us from some situations that we were convinced were life threatening. I was in 8th grade when Reb developed cancer and I’ll never forget how empty the foot of my bed felt when he no longer joined me during thunderstorms.

Then there was Shane our Siamese who counseled me through my teenage years. She always seemed to know when something was bothering me and never minded when I cried onto her fur! She woke me up every morning for school by crying at the bottom of the stairs. My mother later told me that we would cry at the stairs so much that she would sound almost horse after I left for college.

That’s why it’s my Mother’s fault that I’m now taking on the care of a second diabetic animal. My husband and I have now spent more than what I used to pay a month on my first car on a 10 year old cat! And that’s just the beginning of the expenses and time commitment. I started giving him insulin shots this morning which means that I will be up, even on my days off to give shots at 4 in the morning! Yes I do think I’m a bit crazy, but how can I look into that face and say “sorry you’re not important enough to me to make the effort to keep you alive.” After all he has kept us in supply of mouse, chipmunk and mole carcasses for a decade!

Whenever we lose a pet I have always told my kids….it’s the risk you take….you can never go through the pain of losing an animal you love, but you give up the wagging tails when you get home, and the meows and the purring of unconditional love. So which would you rather be without? I guess that’s what I’ll remind myself of this weekend when I roll out of bed to find the syringe and bottle of insulin. Hopefully I’ll buy myself a few more years of Kit-Cat love!