Except you don't have to feed them, or put out water all the time for them, or clean up after them with cute little bags you buy at the pet store....
Dolls are a lot quieter. And they stay where you put them.
But on the similar side...
You feel good when you look at them.
They rely on you to look after them.
Sometimes they need to be fixed.
They look cute in clothes that they don't actually need.
And they have personality...each one is different.
Pets seem to communicate telepathically too, like dolls do. (See my last post.) People are always talking about what their pets are saying to them. Humans have conversations with their pets all the time.
If you are around when a pet owner is having one of these "discussions", there can be some ambiguity, in your mind. You yourself might have thought that pet was saying something else. Conversations and expressions in pets are open to more interpretation than human language and facial expression. I've noticed that on Facebook.
This is my interpretation of what my daughter's cat is saying to her. To Tas, her beloved kitty is saying something like...Oh mommy, don't you want to spend some quality time with me before you get down to your boring work? Look, I'm so cute and cuddly.
For humans there are actually books for our babies about common facial expressions, and what they mean. Lots of common expressions-happy, mad, sad, surprised-in the human world.
But with pets, and dolls...watch out.
Think of making a book with pet or doll expressions.
The debates would start!
I think you gotta know them...
My friend thinks my doll Ana is sad. No way! That's not a sad look. She's peaceful! Sheesh!
How am I ever going to do stories with dolls with wild interpretations like that!
Okay, I have a little trouble myself figuring out how to let you know that Scout is excited with her new badge. That is one sullen looking doll. Pretty and sullen. Wow.
Thank goodness for thought bubbles.
Love pets. We've had lots, thanks to a friend who, years ago, sent two kittens home on a sleepover with my children. Now what? Have you ever tried to send a kitten back? Fast way to losing all your brownie points with your kids. Try telling your little curly headed deprived child that she's too allergic while she's cuddling a soft kitten. I had kept the whole existence of "pets" from her for as long as I could. Then, the choice- daily steroid cream and kitten, or no kitten. Guess which a kid will pick? OMG. In the end I caved.
And the random pets flooded in for years, my kids picking up strays and bringing them home, or feeding a new stray in the backyard while I drink coffee on the front porch until the cat thinks it has a home here. I do remember actually choosing a pet from a litter once. How novel. But that was because one of the strays, already established as a pet, was not "friendly" enough to sit on a child's lap, or get put in a doll buggy with a bonnet. (Did someone say doll?)
But I digress.... At this point in my life I choose dolls over pets, now that the kids are elsewhere, and the last pet is gone too. I get a lot of the same satisfaction from my cute and funny little dollies that pets offer their people. (Not just cute though, also majestic and royal. I have dolls that are like German Shepherds or race horses, seriously -don't call them "cute".)
Dolls are a lot less work. No feeding, except for an imaginary picnic or romantic dinner set up for a photo shoot. But the food is pretend and you can use it over and over.
No yard clean up or pet hair on your couch. Okay, you gotta keep track of all the hair-ties, socks, and ribbons. But you are not up at 6 am to feed them after they've jumped on your bed and licked you. You don't have to get up in the night to let your pet out so you don't regret it in the morning.
Although I was up and out at the other night at midnight, doll in each hand and camera around my neck, to see the blue moon. We sat out under the stars. And howled...
Dolls and pets. Gotta love them.
Well...Scout tells me you don't have to love pets.
Scout, that's not the best way to endear yourself to Humans. They have a thing about pets.
Did you just say you don't care what Humans think? Go to your room!
Okay, you've got a point. I'll take you to your room... (excuse me...)
