Is it possible to be whined to death?
If so, then I need to call my priest to administer Last Rites because I am dying a slow and agonizing death by persistently whiny six-year-old.
My kid wants a dog for Christmas.
Yes, like Linus and Lucy’s little brother Rerun, my daughter has major puppy envy.
She has been lobbying for a Labrador for the past three years.
To no avail.
Given that she can’t even keep track of her winter gloves, I’m thinking we’ll hold off on having her take responsibility of walking, feeding and nurturing a living, breathing, potty in the middle of the night-going pooch.
Oh and one more thing: We can’t afford a dog.
Actually, after reading Paul Sullivan’s piece in The New York Times, I realize now that we really, really, REALLY can’t afford a dog. Really.
According to Sullivan’s article, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that an owner of a large dog will spend roughly $875 a year for food, medical expenses, toys and a few related expenses, and $560 for first-year setup costs. The estimate for a cat is $670 a year, with first-year expenses of $365, for a grand total of $1,035.
If you think shelling out a thousands bucks to raise a cat is outrageous, consider what it costs to give into your child’s pleas to have a horse as a pet.
Animal experts estimate that boarding and training a racehorse will set you back anywhere between $10,000 and $40,000 per year.
The New York Times piece also details the monetary horror stories of life as the owner of pets who need medical attention to stay alive. Sullivan shares tales of spending $600 on one of his Labrador retrievers, who had a bladder infection and needed some kidney tests and $300 on another pet pup who injured a paw. Of course, that’s peanuts compared to the $6,000 one Big Apple dog owner spent to have a sock surgically removed from the belly of his black Lab.
So, no, my daughter won’t be getting a dog this Christmas or next Christmas or the one after that… unless I win the lottery or Snoopy magically shows up on our doorstep.
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Why Parents Should Say “NO” to the Real Life “Wonder Pets”