A few months ago, I went through a near-religious experience. My pet--whose name is Pistachio--was seemingly on the verge of death. She refused to eat anything and her water dish was constantly full, her fur was turning a mousy brown color and for days at a time she wouldn’t budge from the same spot. Her state of health was so severely far gone from what it used to be and even worse it progressively declined over the course of nearly a month. It seemed like there was no hope left for my poor pet who continued to live a lethargic and miserable life for multiple weeks on end. One night when I was particularly stressed over my pet, I walked into my room only to find Pistachio’s lifeless body lying in front of me. I felt so... ecstatic! This reaction may seem off kilter to most readers, but now is probably a good time to mention that Pistachio is a Chilean rose tarantula. What I saw that day was Pistachio's freshly afforded exoskeleton. All of the symptoms that Pistachio was exuding were signs of premolt. Premolt is a stage where tarantulas of all varieties prepare for the taxing experience of shedding their skeletal system to make way for new growth by becoming very inactive and fasting for extended periods of time.
Thinking about how worked up I became over an arachnid gave me a small epiphany: pets, no matter what kind, play a major role in enhancing everyday life. I felt like a proud mother once I saw Pistachio’s new shiny red coat and how she was chipperly walking around on her bedding as compared to the cadaverous state she had been in just the previous day. I spent days stressing over the well being of a paramount creature in my life by calling pet stores and doing research to make sure that her behaviour was normal for a tarantula (though I received many mixed diagnoses). And, the result after the whole premolt experience was a happy, healthy tarantula that I was proud to call my very own.
I realized that pets play an essential role in preparing us for key aspects of our lives in many different ways. First, they remind us to be responsible for someone besides ourselves. Owning a pet means that all responsibilities lie on our shoulders. Having a being’s life rest in our hands is guaranteed to make us more responsible for providing a framework for us to use in our everyday lives. If I’m actively aware that I need to change my cat’s litter box, or that I need to pick up crickets for my tarantula, or that I need to walk my dog, I’m not going to leave these feelings of obligation behind as I move on in my life. Pets teach us the foundations of responsibility that are applicable to infinite amounts of situations.
Secondly, pets teach us the importance of getting out of the house. While there’s nothing wrong with being an introvert, being closed up in one space for too long is unhealthy. This bit obviously applies more to pets that require regular physical activity but no matter what kind of critter you own, we’re bound to leave the house at some point. Whether it be going on walks, picking up fresh bedding or taking a pet to the veterinarian, we learn that staying secluded at home is no way to live. It’s important to be social even if it means a small friendly exchange between you and the cashier at Petco.
Lastly, pets give us the ability to form emotional links. Caring about a pet enough to go beyond the basics of pet care by grooming, petting, and snuggling them, or even talking to them, allows us to bond with our pets. I adopted my pet Arlo nearly ten years ago and after having him for so long, I can easily say that he’s one of the most important things in my life regardless of the fact that he’s a cat. And, an emotional link is a two-way street. If we show pets love, they’re almost guaranteed to reciprocate. Yes, this even applies to tarantulas. I showed love to Pistachio by simply providing food for her, and I firmly believe that because of this she stopped seeing me as a threat and instead as some “food bearer.” Eventually, she stopped instinctively jumping into a defensive stance every time I opened her cage, and she now lets me hold her with ease. Owning pets let us experience an emotional link by allowing us to work to bring love into a relationship.
When Pistachio molted for the first time, I texted everyone I knew. Pride swelled in my heart so much so that I even considered texting my ex to tell them about the news. Pets give us so many valuable experiences in our lives, and they are most definitely not limited to the three mentioned above. Having pets may seem overrated to many people but all I can say to them is that I’m sure they’ve never had the experience of falling asleep in a bed with two cats and a dog bundled up next to (and on) you all the while being hyper-aware of how much they love you.
