New Family Member?

When my mother was growing up she had fish, bunnies, rats, cats, a dog, and more! My dad had Cats and dogs. So why was it so hard to convince them to get me any sort of pet? I don't know. Neither of my brothers ever seemed interested in having any pets. When my brother was 6 my uncle bought him a couple gold fish that lived a long time and traveled all the way from where we lived in Washington State to North Dakota and still lived a couple more years! but since then nobody in my family, other then me, ever had another pet.
Throughout this post keep in mind that from the time I could talk to the age of 14 when I got Charlie I asked for a dog at least once a day (I still occasionally bring up a second dog even though I know I'll never get another as long as I have Charlie).

So here we go!

In 1st or 2nd grade my best friend convinced my parents to let me get a hamster. So for my birthday I got Fluffy. My very first pet. (there was a naming contests) Fluffy was a genius. He got out of his cage almost once a month, and everytime he got out we'd find out how and make sure he couldn't do it again, but he always found another way. We ended up getting him a fish tank with a lid so he couldn't use his super smarts to escape!

Mosquito fish- only about 1/4 inch long

Right before Christmas 3-4 years later Fluffy died. He was pretty old for a hamster and I was expecting it, but I was a small child! I was broken up about it., so about a week later for my Christmas present my parents bought me a fancy new hamster cage with the promise that I can go pick out any hamster I wanted the following week. One week later "Junior" comes to live with me. Junior wasn't an especially smart hamster, so he lived just fine in his cage. He was my favorite. Everytime anybody came over they got to meet MY hamster, junior. My grandmother, who is deathly afraid of any rodents, loved that. He lived even longer then Fluffy!

This is pretty much what we kept the fish in at school.

In 5th grade science class we had an eco system with plants and insects on top and mosquito fish and snails on the bottom and at the end we could take them home. My partner said I could because she had a ton of fish already. Most people brought their fish home in the plastic bottle we had them in and left them their until a month later they were all dead and the snails over reproduced and it wasn't pretty. Well not me! I left the top outside for the insects to go free and I brought my fish home and spent my own saved up money to buy them a 5 gallon tank and a gold snail for 3 tiny mosquito fish. Well, they reproduced to about 30 fish at a time in that tank for about 4 years when they all (very suddenly) died. We still aren't sure what happened.

And of course, I got Charlie about 3 years after I got my fish, but that was all! So getting any little tiny pet is a big deal for me, so any pet is treasured. Maybe that's the lesson...

Anyways (wouldn't be a post by Jessi without this word)

The moment you've all been waiting for.. The new member of my family...



Jaws!



Jawesome, Jaws for short. After a lot of research and a lot of convincing (it shouldn't be that hard to convince your parents to get a fish, should it?) I went out and bought the tank, decoration, food and fish just yesterday!

I went in with the attitude that I was getting the biggest brightest bluest betta fish in the store! Well, I came out with the smallest, and most pale... but the coolest looking! He was the only one in the store this color.

Jaws seems to be adjusting to life in the corner of my room pretty well!



I became slightly worried when Charlie started licking the container Jaws was in, but with his love of water lacking I don't think Charlie will be going fishing anytime soon.
Oh look, a random sock. My mother would love me for putting this picture up.


He lives in a pineapple in a fish bowl, Jaws the Betta!


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Now a hello from a couple of my favorite dogs.

Teddy



Bleu

And it wouldn't be a complete post without an adorable picture of my absolute favorite dog:


Charlie



P.S. After months of sceptically researching and hearing about it I have finally done it. I purchased Charlie a Thundershirt. The vet, the trainer, friends, family... They all wanted me to try it and I caved!

There hasn't been a chance to test it yet but hopefully soon we will get some rain and thunder.

So far the Thundershirt is recieving positive marks from me and Charlie because they had a size that fits Charlie perfectly, which is very difficult with everything I buy him because he is in between all the sizes. His back pack is too big, collar has to be tightened all the way, his winter clothing hangs down from his belly (he has a sweater because he has short fur, NOT because I dress my dog, thank you.), and everything is just a little off his size. Even the treats we buy are for smaller dogs (he usually gets hotdogs or something tastier anyways), but the Thundershirt fits him perfectly!

One long P.S. later,

Have a good night!

Well... Good day!

:)