[speaker001:] okay what kind of pet do you have Gail
[speaker002:] well I don't I have children I have little children both of my kids are under two so right now we don't have pets but we've had lots of them in the past
[speaker001:] oh you have children have you uh what have you had
[speaker002:] um-hum well we had a dog before we moved here uh and we couldn't bring her with us we came from Colorado and we've had hamsters and fish and birds and
[speaker001:] oh well you're going to have lots of pets with your children growing up well we had a a Schnauzer that we lost this summer and he was fourteen years old and uh
[speaker002:] cats uh-huh
[speaker001:] we've had two Schnauzers and before that we had all Dachshunds and I think my husband wants another Dachshund and we're trying to debate because our children are grown and and uh I don't know whether we really want to be tied down to a pet you know another dog and we do have a very loving cat that's you know kind of our baby
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and uh and we like pets we like them around we have grandchildren that run through and they think we should have a dog and that's because they have a Great Dane which is huge
[speaker002:] um yes definitely well we you know if it um if it were just more peaceful you know with the little ones we would definitely have a pet I just think it's nice have around we had a cat though that had kittens so any pet that I get from now on will definitely be spayed or neutered
[speaker001:] oh yes yes
[speaker002:] because uh I did that experience was awful
[speaker001:] yes I have never wanted a that's why we've never gotten a female you know in anything and uh uh
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and our male cat you know we had uh neutered right away and course it he doesn't know it and he's still out partying
[speaker002:] um
[speaker001:] but um you know I do think that maybe we'll get a female next time and just had her have her spayed you know and uh
[speaker002:] well a lot of times now when you buy them from like the SPCA or
[speaker001:] yes
[speaker002:] and the humane societies or whatever their adoption includes their spaying
[speaker001:] yes yes which I think is a good thing it just breaks my heart to see these poor little old dogs wandering the streets looking starved and you know
[speaker002:] so hum-um um-hum
[speaker001:] it uh plus uh you know the safety factor and stuff well we enjoy having pets we uh you know I think they're a lot of company and and when my mother lived with us uh the cat was really hers and and he was kind of wild our our daughter found her and brought her to us and uh that cat walked in and walked right up to my mother and jumped up and curled up in her lap and she was the only one at first that you know could really hold him you know because he was really skittish but it was like he knew
[speaker002:] oh um-hum
[speaker001:] you know and he'd sleep with her and so he was a lot of company to her you know and and just love her and he's cats are usually so independent but this one you know he comes up and he crawls up next to my husband now you know uh
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] he's you know right before the dog died we have a queen size bed and the dog would sleep on my side and the cat would sleep on my husband's side you know and when everybody turned we all four of us turned in a row
[speaker002:] uh-hum my husband that's one thing he hated was our cat used to sleep with us our dog wasn't interested in even coming in our room but our cat would sleep with us and he hated that
[speaker001:] uh-huh did he
[speaker002:] um-hum he just thought that they belong and when he'd she'd walk on the couch along the back behind his head he hated that
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] so I guess it's probably probably if we get another animal it probably wouldn't be a cat even though I love cats I think it would probably be a dog and it would definitely be an outdoor animal
[speaker001:] uh-huh um-hum I think that's one of the reasons our because as I said our our Schnauzer was old and so he was becoming incontinent and so then I would generally have messes in the house and I think that's one of the things that both of us are not wanting to start over with you know
[speaker002:] um-hum oh yeah
[speaker001:] and uh and it was new carpeting and you know it just just really you know upset me no end and uh
[speaker002:] um-hum oh that would Greg's um my husband's grandparents have a dog and they just it needs to be put to sleep but it's grandpa's dog and he he is really getting too old to take care of it but the dog messes all over the carpet and my daughter is just nine months old
[speaker001:] oh
[speaker002:] and so then she crawls on the carpet oh the smell I mean it's just really awful and that's that's one real drawback but
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] you know I guess you'll do just about anything for your pet if you love them enough
[speaker001:] yes you will you will you know we were trying to decide uh you know about putting him to sleep he was just you know he was getting so old and had that other problems too and and fortunately the decision was just taken away from us which made it a whole lot easier you know and and again going through that because our our animals are almost like our kids in some ways you know and and you grieve just as much over them when they go
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] you know as you would a child and and you know our son and and his wife and our daughter and her husband the grandkids all say get a dog get a dog you know and I'm saying be quiet be quiet and and I can tell my husband you know deep down he you know he really