Things That Bang

Today I found myself thinking of people who collect animals like material possessions. They buy them, love them for a while, and once weary of the little beings, they are relegated to the furthest corner of the owner's withered self-absorbed hearts.

Taking care of pets comes with enormous responsibilities. In return for their unconditional love, we have to take care of them.

Last October, Ellen DeGeneres cried crocodile tears on her show when her pooch was taken away from her since she had 'gifted' the dog to her hairdresser. Turns out it was merely a bad choice on the lady's part since she could not handle the bundle of energy in her brand new house and she gladly palmed the doggie off to her hairdresser. The traumatized tears were all fake.

Now, we have yet another celebrity accused of neglecting her pets. Gawker gave the entire fiasco a clever headline- Paris Hilton Loses Her Pussy.

Apparently the heiress to the Hilton millions picked up a hapless kitten last May, and basically forgot her cat at the vet's where she had taken him to be neutered. The poor thing was taken back by the Kris Kelly Foundation a week later.

To make matters worse, the kitten according to the Foundation was rarely held or socialized. According to Gawker, there have been allegations that Paris does not take a personal interest in her pets' lives:

"There were unconfirmed reports that all of Paris’ animals, including Prada, were in her Los Angeles home with no one living on the premises for months at a time, save a housekeeper going in to feed the animal."

Animals, like humans, require love and discipline for peaceful cohabitation. While watching the Osbournes on MTV a few years back, I was shocked to see their dogs pooping around on their expensive carpets and furniture, and Sharon griped, but did nothing to stop the pooping activity.

Through the show one could see the genuine love the Osbournes had for their pets but not teaching basic hygienic behavior itself was a form of neglect.

Pets in many ways tend to reflect their owners. Those not toilet trained or those who constantly bark at night, those who cower to a corner or are aggressive (i.e. if its not a characteristic of their breed), those of poor appearance clearly reflect gross negligence on the part of owners.

It is one thing to get all soft hearted in a pet shop but one must think ten times before adopting pets, unlike children who grow up, pets forever remain dependent and need constant care and affection.