The other day my kids and I were shopping at the local PetSmart (or is it PetsMart) for crickets for my son's 8 Green Anoles that he caught in North Carolina. My daughter decided that she wanted a few fish for "Herself".

Not trying to be mean, I told her no. She didn't need any fish. Besides, the stray cat that adopted us is in the house and she sleeps with her. So, she really didn't need another pet.

She told me the fish that she wanted cost just .14¢ and she would buy it herself. Ok then, they're cheap enough and it wasn't costing me anything so why not? She purchased 2 fish and promptly named them Cliff and Fred.

I looked at the fish as they sat in the bag and thought to myself. "Why would she want these things?" They looked like the fish they give out at County Fairs for sinking a ping pong ball in a cup.

Here's are a few pictures of Cliff and Fred being acclimated to the climate of the house.





Yes, my daughter bought these "Pets" for her cat. Can you imagine someone purchasing a pet for their pet?

By the time I figured out what was going on, Fred was dead. Cliff lives on but now has a cover over the top of his bowl.



My daughter thinks that because they're "Feeder Fish" that this is what they were bred for. How do I explain to her that the Crickets we purchase for the Anoles is different then purchasing fish for a cat? I think she won that argument...

Parenting 101 - I think I failed. Apologies to those who blew coffee out their nose.

Bill: All I can say is "PRICELESS:.......................

Awesome. I used to buy guppies for my tiger fish.

Lucky cat! My cat will actually put front feet in the water at our beach to swat minnows. I put some in a washtub in about an inch of water. He had a blast with those!

It's not easy being a "pet" fish... (some days you're the dog, some days you're the tree!)

I called my own cat, Norman, to ask about the situation, and his reply was, "Only two???"

Rusty, what does you kat think about those two dawgs?

I have a Betta named Oscar. I have a cover over the tank as my two cats sit on my desk and gaze at that fish.

Tom Taylor
94 Breakaway XL

Considering the price tag of those "Fancy Feast" cat food cans actually 14c a fish might be a bargain. Personally I am guilty of bringing my cat some mice we were breeding at school for snakefood as playpals. Needless to say my mom was less than delighted. But my friend was telling me my cat was deprived of huntimg since he was a indoor cat. He stalked my parakeet and on one occassion he got the birdcage down and grabbed what he thought was the bird. My dad found the food bowl next day in his shoes next day. The bird lived on to the ripe old age of about 15.
Feeder Fish
For the folks crinching at this - it is just like these lobster tanks at restaurants...

For these photos to exist, my daughter & son might have thought that this was "Fun". Not really good in the grand scheme of things if it was for their pleasure.

So I asked them and I was pretty happy with her response.

She was very matter of fact that the "Feeder Fish" aspect was what got her to do this. She knows that our cat, Smores, loves to hunt/play with the field mice and makes it a sport hunting them. You really can't make a cat a vegetarian, so why not let her eat fresh seafood. And, at .14¢ a serving, you've got some pretty cheap sushi & a show.

Am I raising kids without souls? I think not. Am I going to take them for psych evaluations? Nope.

And, lets face it, you really can't get a better picture than a cat licking a paw over a fishbowl. Perhaps I'm raising a future wildlife photographer. Who knows...

But, knowing what's in store for Cliff. Well...

quote:

Originally posted by tom taylor:
Rusty, what does you kat think about those two dawgs?

I have a Betta named Oscar. I have a cover over the tank as my two cats sit on my desk and gaze at that fish.

Norman gets along great with the dogs - and he's great buds with Nelson. We had 7 Goldens when we got him as a very small kitten - he thought arranging dog fur was great sport.

I had a betta "Old Blue" for a umber of years.

I wouldn't worry about your kids at all.. It sounds like they are well grounded in reality.

I worry about the ones who abhor "hunting and killing" but still eat meat! Sorry kids, beef and pork and chicken don't grow on trees. Modern society has been very effective in removing the grisly side of food preparation from our sight, maybe too effective.

I definitely worry a lot about those who find it entertaining, though.

I knew society was changing when I was in high school and a neighbor's dog was hit by a car. He shot it with a pistol to put it down, and got a ticket for discharging a firearm in city limits...

Reality isn't always pretty but it sure beats Hollywood and politics.

What no highschool trips to the slaughterhouses in Greely CO to see 4000 bovines become hamburgers in a days work? Or a fieldtrip to see 1000s of cows crammed kneedeep in muck on a feedlot (and the smell). Or the even more horrifying chickens in cages riding on a truck going to the killhouse. Makes me want to be vegan. Honestly I believe a deer grazing in a meadow killed quickly by a good hunter has it better.
Sooo that food in the can was alive at one time too.

All that darkness aside who can resist a cute kitty fishing?

Buy her a lion and feed it congressmen. I like goldfish!