Pet Ownership

My favorite The Cosby Show episode is the one where Rudy's fish dies and Cliff insists on holding a funeral for Lamonte...I believe his name was...in the bathroom. He makes all of the kids wear funeral attire and eulogizes the fish beside the toilet bowl. I still laugh when I think of Vanessa muttering, as she rolls her eyes, "he's talking to the f-i-sh."

I haven't had a lot of luck in the past with pets, which is perhaps why I thought that episode was so funny. My dog, Macy, will turn four on Christmas, and for that I am grateful. I am also extremely happy that she is fully past the puppy stage, and her annoying habits have become much less annoying. Aside from her, I've been nervous to own pets or allow my kids to have them. When I was a kid, I owned two parakeets. They both died. It was extremely sad for me; yet sadly also a bit of a relief because I no longer had to beg my mom to clean their cage for me, or hear them chirping beneath a draped blanket in the middle of the night. My brother owned gerbils, who also died. Every fish we've ever owned didn't last long- even the goldfish I placed in my classroom, while working for the YMCA, slowly began floating at the top of the bowl. Once, when subbing, I walking into the classroom one morning to find the pet guinea pig no longer breathing. Since I'd just arrived, I can safely assume its passing was not my fault.

Therefore, you can imagine my trepidation when Maddie asked for a fish, for her ninth birthday. Initially I told her no, but her Dad felt she was ready for this responsibility and talked me into buying her a betta fish. The day she came home from the pet store with her cute little blue betta fish and all the accessories that go along with it, she was so excited. She's also proved to be a good little pet owner, making sure to feed her fish, Aslan, every morning and evening. I have to say, Aslan is a pretty cool little guy...or girl, I can't tell. He swims around beneath his plant and fluffs out his fins when he gets spooked. Betta fish are really territorial, so two can't be placed in the same tank or they will essentially fight to the death.

Amazingly, we've owned Aslan for two months now, and as I was cleaning his little tank this morning, I began thinking of what a great fish he is. I'm hoping he sticks around with us for awhile longer. Yet, when the time comes- we will not be giving him a toilet side funeral...rather, a quiet memorial, because that's what Aslan likes...peace and quiet.