Napo

Napo (Napoleon), was papi’s first pet when he was little, a basset hound. Perhaps it is because that I have never had a pet my whole life, I have always thought of a pet as “just another animal”, and never really thought of it as a member of the family or even a “human being”.

Papi, on the contrary, is a pet person. Don’t remember how many times he’s mentioned about having a dog in the apartment. With the constraint of living space and the new born, I so far could get away with not having one.

The other day, papi saw this adorable basset hound stuff toy while shopping and he bought it home. He named him Napo, and Napo is now the “guardian angel” of el ninja. And el ninja likes it and loves staring at it. So this raises the million dollar question again: shall we have a pet? This is my take: it sounds like work, work for mom, who is actually going to take care of the pet. It’s like having another baby – as if having one baby is not enough.

Yet, all the studies seem to be pro-pet for kids, the major reason, they ask for very little attention but give unconditional love to their owners, which also helps the kids’ self-esteem. Companionship, development for caring, sense of security, and social bonds – just to name a few benefits of having a pet.

Think as much as I am NOT a pet person, this is going to be losing battle.