The thing about pets..

A lot of people like pets. They cannot do without their dogs, cats, mice, rabbits, birds, parrots.
Many people who love animals do their best to care for them. They take in unwanted and stray animals.

I know, humans have domesticated animals for food, tools, companions a long ago. Dogs are involved in rescue, in sniffing out cocaine and weapons and so on.

Something about this pet thing though. It means a kind of power relationship.. and I wonder sometimes if this taming and domestication which animals go through, if at some point they then lose their independence.
And hence you hear of animals having to be put down because nobody wants them.

I hate to see animals on leashes. I do not like to see birds in cages. I do not like to hear of dogs waiting to be fed or locked up in kennels.

I never liked having pets because I do not like the responsibility. It has probably made me less humane and compassionate and so on.

But then .. there is something about the lizards in the house. They come and go as they please, they leave their faeces all over.
They eat my joota. (remnants on the dishes).

They are not intrusive, but they are there.

One or two times some of them have jumped on me to get to other places. They are not cuddly, their feet are cold and sticky.

I know they probably do not care who I am and are not bothered by the benefactors.

There is something about the eyes looking at you , or sometimes the tail wagging at you like 'who the hell are you?"



I have no idea if they depend on me for anything.. but I do know now that if a night passes and I do not see a lizard hopping around the desk or looking at me,
then I feel as though something is wrong and wonder where they are.

But there are no chains or leashes or cages for the lizards.  There is no training.

And so it is that I am more dependent on these little things more than they are on me. Is that the best relationship to have with pets?