Don’t fall for it!

I was suckered.

I did it. My social media was sprinkled with people saying it was a good, compassionate thing to do, and I believed them. It was August of 2020, and we were still grieving the loss of my daughter’s cat, Bennett. In this state of sadness and with an utter lack of mental clarity, my daughter and I drove to a pet shelter nearby.

We were just going to look.

We saw two adorable kittens, gray tabbies with green eyes. We asked if we could play with them. About an hour later, I found myself driving home with a darling new kitten. From a shelter!

Although it seems to be an unpopular opinion, adopting animals from shelters is generally a bad idea. Compassionate? Maybe. A sound decision? Probably not. Rescued animals are…complicated. They come with issues and disorders and hang ups. My cat is no different.

Cosmo (his name) has anxiety. Seriously. While the vet has never specifically said, “your cat has anxiety”, he did put him on a special food with magical ingredients that calm his stress. Wut? He’s just a weird cat and has weird behaviors, and an almost codependency on my dog, Bailey. I grew up with cats, and I know how normal ones act. Cosmo has issues.

I love him anyway, and so we just deal with all the anxiety and special food and general weirdness.

The problem is that my cat didn’t grow up with a mother cat to teach him. I don’t know the whole story, but the shelter had two very young kittens, and no mother with them. They needed a mama cat. Even though it happens quickly, a lot of teaching is necessary for kittens to grow up and be normal cats. In contrast, my dog did not come from a shelter, and I watched her mother reprimand and direct and teach all of her pups. Bailey is the best dog EVER. Yes, she still does naughty things sometimes, but she has been the greatest lab in the world.

Teaching really matters.

Our children need the same teaching and directing and at times, correcting. Your kids may be really smart or precocious, and they still need parents who will teach them. This is not optional—it is the responsibility that falls on your shoulders when you decide to have children. As a parent, you are not simply a bystander to your child’s life. Your child will definitely have struggles and issues, and teaching becomes paramount. Educate yourself first, then do your best to teach your child. The role of parents is significant. Don’t shirk your duty.

And maybe think twice about adopting from an animal shelter. 😜