AN UNUSUAL PET

I heard in my sleep a rooster crowing.  Not the TV; not the radio; not a dream; what was it?  Then I remembered.

My girlfriend and I love animals.  One Easter season, when we were kids, we purchased chicks from a local store.  Being naive, we thought these chicks would grow to become hens and egg producers.  With great anticipation we looked forward to fresh eggs every morning for breakfast. 

Our anticipation faded fast with the advent of the crowing.  None-the-less our parent slet us keep the roosters.

At night, I kept mine in a large cardboard box with a window screen over it so the rooster couldn’t escape.  I kept it in our basement in the darkest place. No matter how dark the place was, it continued to crow before dawn. 

I lived in Chicago, a major urban area.  I am surprised the neighbors didn’t call the health department when they heard the crowing. 

This rooster was feisty.  It prowled the yard better than a watch dog.  It wouldn’t let anybody in who didn’t belong. 

It was a fun pet in the summer when the weather was warm and it could be outside.  As winter approached, I began to have doubts.  It would not be fair to the animal to be cooped up inside all winter long when it was cold and the snow came.  I lacked the proper accommodations to house such a pet.  Eventually, I gave it away to a farmer who probably destroyed it. 

From this experience, I learned to avoid the unusual and exotic pets.  They are cute when you first get them.  However, you have to think of the consequences of keeping them on a long term basis.  Most times, it doesn’t work out.