Note: If this is your first time to TotalFluff, please visit this brief explanation. Thanks!
I’ve mentioned I have small dogs, right?
Yes. Repeatedly.
Good. Well, given that they’re the fluffiest thing I have (and that includes my various skeins of furry yarn!) so they should be mentioned fairly regularly on this blog.
Anyways. I was thinking about how interesting small fuzzy animals are.
What’s so interesting about them? It’s not as though they talk to you or anything.
Well, that in part depends upon how you define “talk”. With my younger dog, for example, she will definitely try to communicate with you. Especially if you try woofing or howling at her. It’s actually really cute! Most of the time.
But that isn’t even what I was thinking about. I was rather thinking about how the whole system works. A favorite webcomic of mine, Doghouse Diaries, sums it up perfectly. We take care of our pets, hypothetically, in return for… what?
My answer? One of the sweetest little things that can’t actually talk. (Unless you have a parrot. Or another type of mimicking bird.)
I mean, just think about it. I’m using my dog as an example, but you can use almost any other type of mammalian pet. And maybe birds, but that varies. (Fish and amphibians, alas, don’t quite fit the bill.)
We take care of the dogs. We give them food, water, toys, and shelter. (Not necessarily in that order.) And in return we get companionship. And hopefully loyalty, but that can vary by pet. I understand that most cats are trying to kill you, after all. And my older dog is quite persnickety- he isn’t overly loyal to most people. Just my Dad.
But my younger dog, on the other hand? She’s one of the sweetest things. She likes to cuddle, and she stares at me, and others, in an adoring, trusting way.
She wasn’t always like that. We got her as a rescue. It took her at least a few months to really develop comfort. She would freak out at some of the most trivial things. (For example, we live in a neighborhood that does an annual Christmas light-up event. One of the streets had carousel horse cutouts as a street decoration. The little dog wouldn’t go near those things.) She also never flopped onto her back when she was a lot younger.
These days? She is incredibly comfortable. She actually comes when called (mostly) and flops onto her back, legs sticking up in the air. And she likes to be held.
That’s another odd thing. Why is it that holding a fluffy creature is so enjoyable? Dogs. They love to be petted. And we like petting them. It’s a perfect win-win situation. But why is that? I personally don’t know, but I love it. I can pet my 8-year-old puppy, and she and I both love it. It’s marvelous, isn’t it?
Well, I’ve been rambling a fair bit. I’m actually a bit surprised Fluffy hasn’t interrupted me…
That’s because you’re actually talking about reasonable fluff. I had a fluffy pet too, remember. So what you were saying I actually agree with.
Oh. Um, thanks!
Don’t get used to it.
Don’t worry, I won’t.
But anyways, happy Saturday! I hope you have a great weekend!
