Planning future pets

Yesterday we sent our beloved Charlie Cat to his final resting place. Letting him physically go was so much harder than I thought it would be. Hubby and I have had our brave faces on for the boys over the last few days. I finally broke down and cried last night. Once those tears started flowing, they were hard to stop.

Scattered all over our house are the sad reminders of the little fur ball. Monkey #1 is ready to go pick out a new kitty. Or a puppy since he knows I've been wanting a dog for over two years. Hubby and I have agreed to wait it out a little. Hubby said in a month's time. I'm thinking more towards the end of the summer.

(Dark picture of Charlie Cat taken last year by Hubby's iphone)

Any new animal will need time, lots of time, to get used to us, our home and our lifestyle. We have many plans for over the summer months. Picnics, hikes, lazy days at the splash pad, beach visits, a trip up to North Bay, a few days in Stoney Creek, a possible Niagara Falls day trip, a day trip to the Toronto Zoo, a few trips to the water park in Kitchener. Tag all those with the fact that Monkey #3 is still technically an infant who requires most of my time, and we have a recipe for disaster if we introduce a new pet. A puppy can't come with us for most of these day trips. And we'll be gone too long to leave one alone at home. A new kitten needs time to learn not to jump on counters or climb curtains and window screens. Being away from it so much won't help it learn. Plus I don't want to be one of those people who brings home a pet to just never be there for it.

(Charlie Cat back when he was a kitten. He was a handful.)

So, if we do get a new pet, which I can almost guarantee will happen because I love having a fur ball in the house, it won't be until closer to September when I know I'll be home to introduce our new family member to our lives properly.