EY Y02 L12 My Pets

There are many advantages to having a pet in the house. Name one.
There are many disadvantages to having a pet in the house. Name one.
What was the name of the first pet you ever had? What was it? How long did he or she live? Why did you choose that name? Tell us something that pet did that was funny or interesting.
Was he or she a good pet? Why?
Do you have a pet now? If yes, please tell us about it (all the details, both good and bad!). If no, why not? What kind of pet do you wish you had?
Which would be the best breed of dog or cat for you to own, why?

Question 1

In the year before I came to Japan, I had a mate who had a huge fish tank in his living room filled with tropical fish. This gave him something to do with his spare time. He would often go down to the pet store, window shopping for new fish. He had to clean the tank regularly, which he claimed he found very meditative, even therapeutic. And he used to watch his fish more than he watched TV. He loved those fish. Pets can be a hobby for some people.

Question 2

When I was still a teenager, my sister's cat used to take a dump under my desk during the night. This happened a lot but not so often that I would know to look there every day. A lot of the time, it would sit there for days before I'd notice the smell. Even though it was her cat, I was the one who had to clean it up as it was my room! Unfair!

Question 3

The first dog I ever owned was a kelpie cross border collie. Her name was Betsy. I don't know where the name came from or who named her. I just remember that I came home from school one day and we had a dog named Betsy. She wasn't a puppy when we got her but I think she was less than a year old. I can't remember how long she lived but I think it was about ten years. My cousin and I actually got her to climb a ladder one time – it was amazing! We didn't think about how we were going to get her back down though. I think we ended up having to call my dad for help!

Question 4

Betsy was a great pet. She was well-behaved and she was fun to play with. She was the ideal pet for a young boy and first-time dog owner.

Question 5

Unless you count my four-year-old daughter, I do not have a pet at the present time. I guess this is for a number of reasons. As I just mentioned, I have a small child at home. She takes up a lot of my time so I don't think I'd have the extra time for a pet. Also, it might not be safe to have an animal around her at this age. Add to that, we don't really have space for a pet where we live, and I'm pretty sure my apartment building doesnt allow pets anyway.

Question 6

I really don't care for breeds. From what I've heard, most breeds have a variety of different health problems and they aren't that smart. I'll take a good old mutt over a purebred any day of the week.

Tough Vocabulary

- English -	- Japanese -
mate	友達
window shopping	ウィンドウショッピング
meditative	瞑想的
therapeutic	治療薬
teenager	ティーンエイジャー
take a dump	排便する
unfair	不公平
at the present time	現時点で
mutt	ムット
purebred	純血
any day of the week	いつでも