Saturday, March 15, 2014

Dear Neighbour, Thanks for the Goldfish. Not.

Bubba the Goldfish

Most days, around 1:30pm, my Neighbour knocks on our door. She’s come to collect one of The Kids. But not both. Which is fine because we don’t work like that. Life isn’t always fair.

Last week, she took Max for the first time. Five minutes after she left, there was a knock on the door and there she was, out of breath, with Max. He’d changed his mind.

For the first and last time.

Yesterday, when she came to get Artemis, Max got upset. He wanted to go. But she couldn’t take both and wasn’t interested in running a 400m sprint back to our house, uphill, while dragging a kid. So, I grabbed my gear and the four of us set off to pick up her son, Alexander at school.

On our way home, Alexander scooted into the fish store. The Kids quickly followed and it was a feast of the senses.

The aerators gurgled, the heat of the lights made you feel like you were in a tropical paradise and the thousands of fish darted back and forth. The Kids wanted to know about everything. From the colours, to the tanks and the different varieties of aquatic life. The young girl manning the store didn’t mind a bit.

Fifteen minutes later and $10MXN poorer, Alexander walked out with a Goldfish.

Note that while my Neighbour tried to convince me my fate should be the same, I didn’t cave. Besides, The Kids were more interested in playing frisbee in the street and feeding bones to the street dogs.

And so we all forgot about the Goldfish.

Until yesterday, when Artemis came walking up the street, heading home from her daily trip with our neighbour, carrying a plastic bag with what looked suspiciously like a Goldfish.

Let me say that I don’t have anything against goldfish. The smaller the better in my opinion. Less chance of clogging the drain when they go to fish heaven. Which is where this one is going. Quite honestly, I’m surprized it survived the night. With all the dancing and eating that thing did, it won’t be long.

Being the nice person I am, I thanked my neighbour profusely. I made it very clear, and no translation was required that I was being 110% sarcastic in my appreciation.

Thankfully, when we leave in two weeks, she has agreed to babysit “Bubba” until we come back.

Ever Had an Unwanted Pet?

P.S. We all know who’s going to have to look after the thing… yours truly.

Important but Sad Update. After less than 48 hours living with us, Bubba is sleeping forever. The moral of the story, be careful what you wish for.

49 thoughts on “Dear Neighbour, Thanks for the Goldfish. Not.

  1. Freda Mans

    Ironically I have, but not a fish.
    I got Ewok from the breeder. She was a long time waiting for, as we had to wait for the mother to get pregnant first. A little over a year after we got her, we moved into the place we are in now. Ewok was not adjusting great so we decided a trial run with another dog may be suitable. Maybe she needed a friend…. I wanted the same breed though.
    My breeder called me. She had a rescue dog that needed a home and would I be willing to try it out in a dry run, so-to-speak. I asked her what breed the dog was and she said Pug. I wasn’t thrilled but figured what was the harm in a dry run. I could always give her back if it didn’t work out.
    That was going on 3 years ago now. She sheds like crazy, and I hate it. She follows me everywhere… literally she steps on my slippers and trips me as I walk down the hallway. But to send her back to a caged life? No thanks.
    Bella wasn’t my first choice, but she is now my best friend.

    The fish probably won’t make it to the next visit. They don’t have a long life span generally. Say your goodbyes before you leave. 😉
    Freda Mans recently posted…#Giveaway: Veronica Mars DVD #VeronicaMarsMovieMy Profile

    Reply
    1. admin

      Dear Freda,

      Bella sounds awesome. Well, not the tripping or shedding part.

      It’s like they know how to get into our heart and there’s no turning back. Thanks for sharing her story.

      Besos, Sarah

      Reply
  2. Merry120

    Oh dear. We’ve never had an unwanted pet but we are in never ending discussions about getting another pet at our house. Currently we have a hermit crab which isn’t really…pet-y enough.

    Reply
  3. Susan T.

    No pet is ever unwanted at my house! Look on the bright side, the fish will not live forever. I can’t get them to live more than a few weeks usually! That’s why I gave up on fish! 🙂

    Reply
    1. admin

      Dear Susan,

      You’re absolutely right. Before you know it, I’ll be writing a blog post about how sad I am that he/she passed away. It’s just all the responsibility…

      Besos, Sarah

      Reply
  4. heather

    I have never had an uwanted pet – Oh wait we had a mean rooster that I was scared of but now he’s gone.

    Reply
    1. admin

      Dear Heather,

      I always thought that a mean rooster just needed himself a nice chicken and all would be better with his world.

      Besos, Sarah

      Reply
  5. Mary Withrow

    Lol, giving a child a animal should first require the parents permission, without the childs presence! I have 3 dogs and 10 birds, so I love animals. A young lady staying with me temporary til her place is finished decided to get a cat. Needless to say I like cats but was not thrilled. Her place has also taken 3 months longer to finish so far, lol –

    Reply
  6. Eric SHEWAN

    Sarah,

    The goldfish are edible.
    Don’t worry about scaling or fileting it. Just drop it in the blender and make a very small fishcake.

    Reply
    1. admin

      Dear Eric,

      Is there some regulation that they have to be alive before you eat them?
      We woke up this morning and Bubba had gone to fish heaven. RIP.

      Besos, Sarah

      Reply
  7. Rene

    I was reading through, wondering how the fish would make the trip back North..and where you would fit him in the car!
    Hubby took our 3 yr old on an outing a while back. And came home with a new cat – which makes 2 cats and 2 dogs. And I had NO input to this decision or the choosing of our new family member. All is forgiven now though because ‘Edward’ is fitting in beautifully. The two male cats love each other and play, cuddle and wrestle all the time and he even gives the dogs a run for their money!

    Reply
    1. admin

      Dear Rene,

      When you have 2 dogs and 1 cat, what’s another one?

      Note that Bubba will not be coming back to Canada. Nor will he be going to the neighbours… RIP.

      Besos, Sarah

      Reply
  8. Julie G.

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when my daughter moved to her new apartment, we unwillingly became the owners of her four goldfish. That was five years ago. Now we have twelve fish. Turns out the original four decided to expand the family… Looks like we’re in this for the long haul.

    Reply
  9. admin

    Dear Julie,

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Bubba died last night. Don’t let me babysit your fish. Just saying.

    Besos, Sarah

    Reply
  10. Viv Sluys

    In October 2012 we agreed to pet sit my uncle’s dog for 4-6 months while he was out of the country….She is still here! And she had puppies this summer! Happily though, we sold/gave away all 7 puppies. We love her though and are happy to have a dog!

    Reply
    1. admin

      Dear Viv,

      How kind of you to look after the dog in the first place. Sounds like it all worked out in the end.

      Besos, Sarah

      Reply
  11. Soozle

    Awww 🙂 Poor little fish.. They are a good starter pet, really.. Like you said, their lifespan is SHORT so it’s not a huge commitment 🙂

    Reply
  12. Debbie S.

    We can’t keep a goldfish alive either. We’ve tried several times over the years, there was Fred and Barney. At another time Ringo, Paul, George and John. Never did any of them seem to stand a chance at our house. I think the longest one of these goldfish stay away from the toilet was a maximum of 6 months. But there was one that just totally disappeared. Never did find him, always thought that was weird.
    P.S.
    I always enjoy your stories!

    Reply
    1. admin

      Dear Debbie,

      The posts I could write if Bubba had disappeared. In my dreams.

      I appreciate the fact that you stop by and share your stories too. Thank you.

      Besos, Sarah

      Reply
  13. Peggy

    For folks who say that fish don’t live forever, I present, Butthead. In May 2005, when we were closing on a house we’d just purchased, we arrived to do the final walk through and discovered that the owners children had moved out and left a tank with 4 goldfish in it behind. She was going to flush them. My husband loves fish so suddenly, we were fish people. Over the course of time, more fish were added to the tank, one tank became two and we had too many fish. Eventually, a lord of the flies thing started happening, the fish were fighting, snails were involved, it was mess, and deadly. Fast forward to January 2013 and we’re moving house again, and when we move, we’re figuring out how to move Butthead (one of the original four, who is at this point at least 8 years old) and his tank to the new house. We were sure that the move would kill him. He’s a biggish guy for a goldfish and far sturdier than I gave him credit for. He made the move, and still resides with us, in the living room. A lone fish in a tank. He has killed his friends and destroyed any toys we tried to give him. It’s just him, the filter and some gravel. He’s 9 years old now. He could live another 9 I guess. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that goldfish don’t live forever, I think you dodged a fishy bullet my friend.
    Peggy recently posted…Wednesday Update – movin’ on up!My Profile

    Reply
  14. Peady

    I have wanted many pets, but I have never had an unwanted pet. 😉

    I am not a fan of people making gifts of pets. Pets are a personal thing! Or at the very least a family decision.

    We do not currently have any pets that require care. Stuffies FTW! 😀
    Peady recently posted…Fin.My Profile

    Reply
  15. JoAnne Pfoh

    We have had cats all my life. Now as an adult I have 3, used to be 4 but Doom passed at 8 months feline cancer. Nearly killed me, never again…. Stopped by the Humane Society pickd out 2 Cupcake and Slash, got a call the next day they are all sick and they might not make it. Later we got a call Cupcake died, hop in car race to them demanding Slash, we will pay for her vet we will take the chance… gimme my dang cat nowwww. She lived woot. Back to drop off food at the Humane Society… say hello to S. Disturber…. and yes he is. Dropping off food at Humane Society. say hello to Satan…. My son now delivers the food he says I cannot be trusted lol.. We have had them all fish, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs. lizards they were all fads and all got new homes the cats well they are here forever. Regardless of wanted or not, they are family and loved by a family member which makes them important. Ya I feed them, take to vets, do kitty litter most of the time because they come and sit in front of me and give me the “um excuse me starving here” look. Enjoy the pets this is only the beginning.. it always start with a fish!!!

    Reply
    1. admin

      Dear JoAnne,

      I too am forbidden from going to the Humane Society. Great to know that there are lots of us out there.
      We did things backwards because we had two dogs and a cat before we ever got the goldfish.

      Besos, Sarah

      Reply
  16. Cheryl Grandy

    We’ve never received any unwanted pets, but hen my son wanted fish, I told him he had to keep his room clean for a week first to show he was responsible and could take care of them. It lasted one day and he didn’t ask about getting fish again. (We do have two cats, so my children aren’t without pets; I just wasn’t ready to take care of any others.)

    Reply
    1. admin

      Dear Cheryl,

      Even if you didn’t have any other animals, fish are work. Love the concept of responsibility. If I’d had the chance, I would have done that too.

      Besos, Sarah

      Reply
  17. Jason

    Lol, gotta love neighbors! I wouldn’t have been impressed either Sarah. As you said, it’s you the parent that ends up looking after the animal/pet as well as YOU thathas the responsibility of explaining why the pet is no longer alive. Too bad the fish died in your care, the neighbor would have been the one explaining! Hopefully the kids understand and weren’t too hard on your heart!
    Jason recently posted…Powerocks Magic Cube 6000 ReviewMy Profile

    Reply
  18. AlwaysARedhead

    The night before we left on our vacation to Jamaica, hubby cleaned our fish tank. Now the fish are only feeder fish, but he loves dearly and tries his best to keep them well and happy for as long as he can. You see these fish are our pond fish, each spring, he takes them out of the aquarium and transports them very carefully to our pond and in the fall he does the reverse. Well something went wrong with the filter, and all nine of his fish went belly up in just a few hours. So the first few days of our vacation consisted of him moaning about his fish, and me moaning about my phone (venture over to my last blog post). Ah the circle of life, luckily my phone survived the torture I put it through.
    AlwaysARedhead recently posted…Our vacation in JamaicaMy Profile

    Reply
    1. Sarah Post author

      Dear AlwaysARedhead,

      I know it’s not the same but he could have had mine. Had they lived more than 18 hours…

      Glad to hear that your phone survived and you enjoyed your vacation. Off to read about the nudists.

      Besos, Sarah
      Sarah recently posted…Does Being Late Bother You?My Profile

      Reply
  19. melissa (@ubiation)

    Oh boy, when I was a kid there were buses that ran through the neighbourhoods every Sunday morning looking to pick up kids to take to different churches. What a great beginning to a horror story, don’t you think?

    Anyway, as kids we would decide which bus to get on based on what freebies they were giving out that week. Often it was McDonalds hamburgers but other times had recorders, punchable label makers and one week… goldfish.

    After I brought home that goldfish, I wasn’t allowed to take the random church buses anymore.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Post author

      Dear Melissa,

      Times sure were different back then. I remember buying “grab bags” of candy and none of them were wrapped. If you were my kid, I wouldn’t let you ride the random church buses anymore either…

      Besos, Sarah
      Sarah recently posted…Does Being Late Bother You?My Profile

      Reply
  20. Elva Roberts

    For 22 years we lived on the corner of a busy country road. There was an old barn on the property and many kittens and cats were dropped off there. (Which my children fed.) Then people started dropping off dogs-one at a time. They made a beeline for our home .Since we lived on a busy road, most roamed and came to a sad end. That is why we didn’t have a dog ourselves.
    I even bought a collar and chain for one of these drop-offs and tied him to our porch rail. He took aftera while
    and came back minus both. He was lucky and lived quite a while with us and while he did, he was well fed.

    Reply
  21. Amy Lovell

    oh boy! Ive never had a unwanted pet, but my daughter reeeaaallly wants a kitty and I cannot get her one cuz im allergic! Knowing my daughter is a bit sneaky Ive given her daddy a heads up about this as well!

    Reply
  22. Ali P

    My kids keep bugging me to get a dog, but I’m not going to be the one to take care of it, so we’re waiting until they’re older.

    Reply
  23. Laurie P

    I’ve got a cat I NEVER wanted. A friend put me on the spot and offered it to us in front of my kid, soooo we took it home. After some long discussions about responsibility and chores (between my son, my hubby, and myself), guess who has to clean up after the cat. MOI! I have a stream of vulgarities running thru my head every single time I have to go scooping chunks.
    Almost 10 years of this crap. I made it very clear that there will be NO more pets in this house. EVER.
    I dare them to ask me….

    Reply
  24. Elizabeth Matthiesen

    My daughter had fish when she was about 12 yrs old – never again. Lovely creatures but so much work and they kept dying off too – none were goldfish though. Your problem has been solved naturally which does make it easier for you. I don’t think people should give pets to children without first having talked to the parents, after all it is the parents who get lumbered with the extra work load, it’s hardly ever the kids that keep on doing it.

    Reply

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