Pets Are Not Just My Thing; And That's Okay

What's it lie have a pet?
Well,I don't have a pet, and honestly, I don't intend to have one anytime soon.
And that's perfectly okay.
Though I admire people who have pets. I see people cuddling their dogs, playing with their cats, and treating them like members of the family, and sometimes I think, “Aww, that's actually sweet.”
But when it comes to getting close to animals myself, that's where the problem starts.

I have phobia for animals.
Not the kind of fear where I want to hurt them or chase them away. Absolutely not. I wouldn't intentionally harm an animal. I just prefer to admire them from a safe distance.
Give me a cute dog and I'll probably say, “Awww, so cute!”
But if that same dog starts running towards me?
My admiration will immediately turn into a prayer session.... The wayI'll run, you'll actually think that a masquerade is pursuing me.
I have been chased by a dog before.
Infact, my fear of animals became much stronger when a dog bite my sister on her way coming back from church. And the stress of getting the vaccine is not something I think I want to experience again.
That experience stayed with me and somehow increased the little fear I already had around animals. After seeing someone close to me get bitten by a dog, I started becoming more cautious around dogs and other animals generally.
These days, whenever I see a dog, especially one I don't know, I automatically become more alert.
The dog might be happily wagging its tail, minding its own business, while I'm already calculating the safest escape route.

And another reason I don't want a pet is because having one is a real responsibility. You have to feed it, keep it clean, take care of its health, watch its behaviour, and generally make sure it's okay.
And that's a lot of commitment. And I don't think that I can cope with that.

Pets aren't toys you can enjoy when you're in the mood and ignore when you're busy. They depend on you, and that's something I respect about responsible pet owners.

So, would I love to have a pet someday?
Honestly, I don't think so.
Maybe I'll change my mind in the future. Who knows? Life has a funny way of surprising us. But I am somehow forced to choose one, I might probably choose a fish because at least I can admire it from inside an aquarium. I don't have to worry about it suddenly running towards me, jumping on me, or chasing me around the compound.
But even having a fish comes with responsibility too.
For now, though, I'll happily admire people's pets from a distance.
You can keep the dog. I'll keep my peace.

Thanks for spending by!