Tough times...

Though this is a serious post, I feel the need to start it off with a silly picture...

First off, I am so lucky to be able to rent my apartment, pay for my car and its insurance, buy food for myself, and take care of my pets the way they deserve to be taken care of. I read an article today that absolutely broke my heart - it took a look at the current recession of the US economy in a way I had never considered before. http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/06/04/economy.pets.ap/index.html

I had never considered the problems some people must have buying food for their pets. People on fixed incomes must be suffering so terribly right now, as fuel and food costs continue to rise unabated. I always thought the toughest spot we could be in was me having to buy the off-brand wet cat food so Norn could take her nightly glucosamine treatment. I've always had enough to buy them medicine, food, and even toys.

But reading this article really opened my eyes to some of the serious issues that pet owners face. It's easy to say, "Well, they should have made sure they could afford pets before they got one", but many people find themselves in tough situations they had never imagined, long after they've brought an animal into their family.

With four hungry little mouths to feed, (when we count Pan the bunny), I am truly grateful that I'm able to provide my fuzzy family with all the things they need to be healthy and happy. I buy them good food, get them good vet care, and get them toys they don't play with in favor of the boxes they came in. I have a great life. I'm going to try to remember this the next time I'm whining over not being able to buy a Wii or some other useless electronic gadget that doesn't bring me near the level of happiness that Frigga, Freyja, Norn and Pan give me.

And here's a picture so that everyone can enjoy their cuteness...

In order, it's (from left to right) Freyja, Frigga, and Norn.