You Wrote:
>Through our own show of responsibility, he will hopefully learn how to be
>responsible.  He will have chores and he'll hate them ALL, but he'll be
>the envy of all his friends.  He will never be alone, as he will always
>have a critter to cuddle.  Is any of this possible?
 
YES!  Mine is raised with cats, dogs, chickens, ducks, a pigeon and
various other rescued birds, Rats, snakes, tons of critters!  Yes, he
will learn by the example, but he still has to be told to feed his ferret
every now and then and gets a stern lecture.
 
I'd happily take over for you when your baby comes!  I'm so glad to hear
that you get to be a skinkid Mom after all you've been through.  I have
always wanted to rescue wild animals too not just domestic ones.  I truly
envy you that you have big cats and ringtails!  How wonderful your home
must be.  My Mom refers to my place as Noah's ark, as we have at least
two of everything <G>!
 
Don't worry that your baby's major intake of dietary fiber will be pet
hair.  Don't worry about kisses and crusty slobber coatings on his/her
face from the animals.  Or paw prints on their bib, or the baby toddling
over to share the dog's kibble.  I know people whose kids learned to walk
by grabbing fists full of dog hair and coasting along until they got their
momentum and launched off on their own.  These same kids teethed on
nylabones, rubber Kongs, and other dog toys.  Who cares if your kid
can't speak perfect English, but can chatter in several dialects of dog,
wallaby, and cougar.  Kids in my house fall into the lump category of
"critters".  A critter is anything that walks, crawls, swims, flies, or
slithers in this household.  Even two-edged.  Basically, don't let ANYONE
convince you that you gotta give up your critters to have a kid.  Kids
and critters all belong together.  Of course, you have to supervise
interaction until the child learns their pets are not automated fuzzie
toys, but they will come to understand that their siblings are a little
different from most in the long run.  people will look at you funny when
you say you have a hundred kids, and only one without fur.  WHO cares???
Enjoy the blessings of motherhood and if you need to whine, cheer, or
commiserate, I'm here for ya!
 
Kim Wolf
Mystyx Samoyeds, Ferrets and Rescue
www.geocities.com/mystyx_samoyedsnferrets
www.mystyxrescue.petfinder.org
[Posted in FML issue 3585]