This post will be about a more down-to-Earth (no pun intended) subject than the previous one. This time I'm going to talk about pets and our relationship with them.
Today I had Spanish class, which is normal. Since my teacher focuses a lot on the communication section, we talk a lot during these classes and about various subjects. Amongst others, we talked about pets. There was one exercise in the manual, stating "Do you want to have a pet or watch one on TV?" To my surprise, my teacher said we shouldn't have too many pets, if any at all, giving reasons like shedding and drooling (in the case of dogs).
So why don't people get pets? For the reasons stated above, mostly. They fear pets will mess up their house and turn their lives upside-down. This will happen in the first days, when the pet needs to become accustomed to the new environment, but it will diminish as time goes by. This brings an episode of Life with Louie to my mind, where Louie wants to get a cat and his mother tells him "It's going to get on the table and lick the butter!" Yes, it's funny the first time you hear it, but after a while you start thinking about it and it doesn't seem so funny any more.
For starters, pets are a big responsibility, that's why children shouldn't have pets unless they can take care of them. And by "take care" I don't mean putting some water or food in their bowl and leaving it there. No, a pet must be taken care of with love and devotion, like you would treat a child, because pets are like children - they can't take care of themselves.
Let's leave the prejudices aside and examine the matter: a pet is lovable. And by "lovable" I'm not referring to a Rottweiler trained to skin you alive, but to a sweet puppy or a kitten. Honestly, how many can resist the lazy glaze of a cat or the cute little bark of a puppy? I know I can't, that's why I have a dog and a cat. As a matter of fact, my cat (standing on the bed) is looking at me this very moment, thinking she knows what. It might sound strange to you that I am using the pronoun "she" while referring to my cat, but I've learned to think of her as a person. Pets can be more trustworthy than humans, that is a fact I discovered after being nice to her. And they will love you back unconditionally if you do the same with them. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
To avoid the tag of "talking in vain", I'll provide the most solid example I can find: myself. One day, my mother took me to someone's flat and showed me a cat with a kitten and told me it was for sale (the kitten). I was instantly excited as I loved pets and had wanted one for a long time. Of course, after a lot of begging and pleading, we took the kitten home. It was strange, she was so small that I could carry her in my hands, which are quite small compared to my classmates'. I don't remember everything exactly (it happened 8 years ago), but the first days were difficult because the kitten was disoriented and couldn't find her way around. I ended up carrying her with me everywhere I went (around the house) and treating her like a royalty! I can proudly say everything paid off because nothing boosts up my moral more than hearing Pixie (that's her name) meow and rub herself against my legs when I come home from school. Not even my parents greet me so happily!
Obviously, pets can have "bad habits" which need to be corrected. However, that mustn't be done by brute force (I see numerous reports of animal abuse daily, people beating their pets to death because of some misunderstanding), but with patience and you must dedicate yourself to it. The first days are the among most important, as your pet interacts with you and your house. This may result in territory marking or furniture abuse, but be patient and bear with it at least for a few days and you'll see it's worth it.
Another important aspect is pet depression. Pets tend to get depressed if left alone for a long period of time, so an "active" pet, like a dog or a cat, isn't a good option if school/work keeps you away from home most of the day. If you still want a pet, a second pet is a good choice: your pets will keep themselves company until you return. Be careful however, since there are certain rules to follow when bringing a new "person" into the house: it is better to bring a dog after bringing a cat, since dogs tend to be very possessive of their territory. Also find out if the two are compatible and only after this introduce the second one to the first.
Like it is said (and with a good reason): if you want to know how a person is really like, observe their behavior towards people lower in "rank"; the same applies to pet owners. Look at how they treat their pets and you will know who you're dealing with. In hopes that this article was useful and entertaining, I thank you for reading and/or commenting. See you next time! 
