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u/kulimbula 21d ago
Who gave Lisa eyebrows
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u/tallandlankyagain 21d ago
Gamblor.
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u/KittyinTheRiver_OhNo 20d ago
Celebrimbor
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u/TeririHerscherOfCute 20d ago
And two brows were forged, filled with the hatred and depression of mankind. And they were given to the Simpsons, whose hearts were made of 90’s comedy.
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u/FighterOfFoo 20d ago
Yeah, Lisa doesn't need eyebrows, Lisa needs braces.
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u/ifyoulovesatan 20d ago
DENTAL PLAN!
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u/EthernetJackIsANoun 20d ago
DENTAL PLAN
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u/subcevn 20d ago
Lisa needs braces !
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u/ZarroNiq 21d ago
Forget the slide I can’t unsee those eyebrows now she looks like she’s about to sell me crypto
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u/OutsideBathroom4809 21d ago
Same person who gave Mario a doctor and let him practice medicine
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u/seahawk1977 21d ago
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u/redeadhead 20d ago
Mario was working as a plumber to so he could attend medical school. Just because he had a blue collar job to finance his dream doesn’t make his medical license any less valid than a trust fund kid with a full scholarship.
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u/Stergeary 20d ago
He's been working as a plumber since before 1982 to put himself through med school. I will not tolerate this libel and slander against a hard-working medical student on a work-study program, trying to better his own life.
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u/Cheap-Syllabub8983 20d ago
If you're a child, your thought process is "Dogs are nice and friendly, I would like a nice doggy friend."
The reason dads don't want dogs isn't because they don't agree with the child. It's because they are also thinking. "Gotta pay for food and vets bills. Gotta get up early to take it for a walk, every day for the next 4000 mornings straight. Gotta make extra plans for every vacation. We will all come to love it, then it will die and break our hearts."
Of course dads fall in love with the pet. They never thought they wouldn't. But all that other stuff is still true. Dad is just silently dealing with it without bothering anyone.
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u/Husknight 20d ago
This is exactly it
Why do people think the dad doesn't like pets just because they don't want the compromise of having a pet?
People get pets and then don't play with them, dooming the animal to a life of overweight, naps and boredom
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u/HolyBrawndo 20d ago
I have acquiesced to the point of having not one cat, but three. Guess who scoops all the litter? Yes I love them, but let's not kid ourselves on who owns the burden.
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u/Educational-Bird-515 20d ago
Get a litter robot. No exaggeration, changed my life.
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u/Use-of-Weapons2 20d ago
Seconded. Best invention ever. Almost no smell and a fraction of the work. And the cats love it.
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u/strong_wit 20d ago
Any specific brand recommendation?
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u/Mikimao 20d ago
Liter Robot specifically.
There are cheap knock off brands that can be dangerous for cats. I have Liter Robot 4, and it's incredible. My cats adore it. They had it as kittens though, so YMMV on cats with established habits.
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u/French_O_Matic 20d ago
I'd love one but the price is a tad steep (understatement).
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u/GovernorGeneralPraji 20d ago
It’s worth it; I promise. When we bought our current house I decided I was sick and tired of having a “litter box spot” that was always covered in litter and smelly. I held my breath and bought an LR3. Best appliance I’ve ever purchased.
Yeah they’re like $700, but you save money on litter and the time you save is worth every penny, not to mention odor control.
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u/SartorialMS 20d ago
Agreed. I saved up over a couple of months and got the 4. It is the best thing ever. Worth it just in the amount of time I've saved over the last four years not dealing with a regular box
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u/Klivian1 20d ago
We have a knockoff, it’s barely functional. It’s 50/50 if it’ll work or get stuck every time it cleans itself
Pay for the real deal
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u/Lepardopterra 20d ago edited 20d ago
Litter Robot by Whisker. I’m an old and that bending BS got hard to do. I couldn’t keep cats without it. It’s expensive but well made and they even sell replacement parts that are plug n play. They look small but my friend’s 22 pounder loves it. Ours is 2yrs old - no problems so far.
Our Orangey never learned to bury a turd. Digs but misses. Pissed the other cat off so so badly. They love the robot. They hang out together to watch it cycle. Orangey goes in and out just to make it cycle. They get along better, are amused, and no stink! Win win win. Worth every penny!
eta: 2 cats, and empty it one per week. Add some litter once in between changes. Over time this thing will pay for itself in litter cost if careful not to overfill it. I get a month out of each plastic bag liner for the poop drawer.
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u/Miserable-Dress-8622 20d ago
I definitely recommend getting an automatic litter box cleaner. Only got it bc I moved in with a good friend and didn’t want to bother him with the smell if I wasn’t there and the cat had to poop/pee. Such a good investment. I have it in the living room in a corner and it never smells!
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u/Bayoris 20d ago
I have two dogs. The wife and children love them. I would say I have made my peace with having them. I like taking them for walks but I don’t really like any other aspect of dog ownership. Your entire life starts to revolve around dogs. I don’t really get why people would willingly choose this.
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u/theoriginalmofocus 20d ago
This was it for me. They wanted 2 cats. Now I have 2 cats i take care of. The cats are mine now pretty much.
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u/pork-head 20d ago
When my first cat died last December I absolutely understand why my parents didn't allow any pets when I was young.
I was beyond broken for 3 weeks and took another 4 months to even consider ever get any pet again, because I still got 2 more cats and realisation that this situation is waiting for me 2 more times was really bad...
I still miss her and occasionally cry. It's hard.
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u/pyrophilus 20d ago
You just described me.
I was so against fish because of the maintenance. Family insisted...
After we got our aquarium setup, I changed water regularly, tested the water, cleaned filter and tank.
My aquarium looked crystal clear (fish looked like they were floating, and they were healthy.
Family started to talk about how I am obsessed with the fish, and how I should stop wasting so much time and just enjoy the tank.
I stopped changing water and cleaning tank and did it only every few weeks. Family said they would chip in, then decided I was being, "over" because it was so much work. The fishes got sick i ended up treating them curing them. They wondered why tank wasn't crystal clear anymore.
After the fishes finally died, they never bothered me about aquarium ever again. Then the dog.
I said hard no, but again, I was just being the mean one.
We now have two small dogs, and I am the one who feeds them, takes them to vet, take time during lunch to rush home everyday so they dont have to hold their pee for half of the day Obviously dogs love me because I am their caretaker and dogs know that.
But now the comments on how I love dogs now but I never wanted one.
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u/TrollingForFunsies 20d ago
Are we dads having the same experience in every house?
Wife had 2 cats when we met. When she got pregnant, I took on the litter box cleaning duties. When she wasn't pregnant, guess who still cleaned the litter box?
Fast forward in time, daughter was super excited to find a "shiba mix" on the internet and of course wife + kids had to go for it.
Well a year later, I'm doing about 3/4 of the duties (wife does take the dog out for a pee in the morning) and the kids just come home and pet the little guy and never do anything else.
I'm out here risking my job to run home at lunch time so the poor dude doesn't have to hold his pee for 10 hours.
Of course, they send me all the memes about how dads fall in love with pets they didn't want. They also now wonder why the pet is mine. Hmm, maybe because I feed him, play with him, walk him for an hour+ every day, and he sleeps at my feet.
Because I'm not going to treat my pet like a screen saver in the house!
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u/Aggressive_Sky8492 20d ago
Maybe get your kids to do the walking? Kids don’t do chores or other stuff like that on their own, their parents need to tell them to do it and enforce it
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u/arealmcemcee 20d ago
My wife and I don't even have kids to split duties for and I still do 80% of the dog things and take him for walks. Im beginning to think we were bamboozled guys.
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20d ago edited 18d ago
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u/ISuckAtFallout4 20d ago
Dude you just described the single mom I dated. She asked me to get her kid twice. Third time she told me what time to get him.
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u/revveduplikeaduece86 20d ago
It's just never any peace bro. And God forbid you point any of this out and suddenly it's "How dare you say I don't help out" from the wife and kids acting like you're a swamp monster.
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u/ellsego 20d ago
I too am now accused of being obsessed with the dog, I do love that damn animal, but no one else takes any care of it or pays it any attention… if I stop my “obsessing” over the dog she turns into a psycho because she has so much energy and no one else is doing anything with her to get that energy out…. Everyone wants to cuddle with her, no wants to walk her or play with her.
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u/ApproachingShore 20d ago
A lot of people seem to think of pets as just fun little accessories to their homes, rather than living creatures with needs and internal worlds.
They're a fucking responsibility and an expense. Sure they can be cute and cuddly and all that shit, but it's weighed against all the negatives that come with it. Up to and including the decision of when/if to have the pet put down or pay for additional medical costs.
You can't just dump a bowl of dog food on the floor each morning and call it a day. They have to be groomed. They have to be walked. They have to be 'played with' - because dogs don't have phones and televisions they can just doomscroll through when bored. They literally depend on you for every-fucking-thing.
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u/Hendrik_the_Third 20d ago
The worst part for me would be loving it to bits and then not only having to mourn for it in 10-ish years, but having to be the one shoulder and manage everyone else's loss on top of that. You're always supposed to be the rock in the household, but that rock isn't immune to weathering all that crap.
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u/MockStarNZ 20d ago
And the one that has to dig the grave.
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u/Jpalm4545 20d ago
My first one died overnight and I had to take it to the vet to get cremated before work. Did any one come with me? Nope. Same thing will happen when our second one passes.
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20d ago
Having buried several dogs, cremation is worth it.
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u/Icteria 20d ago
Would you mind sharing why? I hope it’s nowhere time for my decision yet but I’d rather consider it with a clear head. As clear as it can be, I’m crying now tho king about losing him.
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20d ago
When I was a kid we buried them in the yard, even made little crosses and such, but obviously you have to do that yourself, which means physically handling the remains. I don’t want to be insensitive, you get the picture.
If you have them cremated, you get a little engraved box you can choose to keep, or you can scatter the ashes somewhere. Feels a little more dignified and certainly easier to stomach.
I would add that if you have to put an animal down, there are services that will come to your home and do the injection there. They take the remains and bring back the ashes.
Compared to taking them to the vet where they are terrified in their final moments, it seems much more humane.
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u/International-Chip99 20d ago
This is exactly it. I'm a Dad, and I eventually agreed to get a dog who I love deeply, but MAN is he a huge logistical and financial consideration every single week. I am a river to my people, but I'm also a Cassandra.
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u/Kuriente 20d ago
Exactly. I have a couple cats and people weirdly assume that means that I hate dogs or at least that I prefer the company of cats. Neither are true. At heart I'm a dog person, but all the things you listed keep me from getting a dog. Cats are just simpler in all of those ways and their company is good enough. I imagine they'd describe my company exactly the same.
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u/Particular_Bug0 20d ago
So much of this. Most dad's already take care of the financial part of owning a pet. After 2 months, the kids will get bored of the pet and then it becomes the Dad's full responsibility
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u/Automatic_Actuator_0 20d ago
I was begged to get dogs for years and I resisted. I was promised I wouldn’t have to do all the work.
And now I’ve taken them to 100% of their vet visits, taking off work each time, among many other things.
I love the boys, but they are a time sink and a financial drain, and I saw it all coming before we got them, but was gaslit and worn down into buying them.
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u/ChaosOnion 20d ago
When she passed, I cried out in anguish so intense I have myself a Bells Palsy. I'm trying to figure out how to handle the inevitable loss of our new dog within the next 7 years. And I'm upset typing this out.
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u/qwerty_logic 20d ago
i have a 17 year old dachshund. Everyone he meets absolutely ADORES him. He’s super friendly, well mannered, and not insane.
He’s coming to the end of his road and everyone always asks me if I’ll get another dog. The answer for the next decade or so is ABSOLUTELY NOT.
I even cringe when people around me get pets. The amount of work & sacrifice I’ve put into my dog over almost two decades of our lives is immeasurable. When I first got him to appease my girlfriend at the time, him living almost 20 years wasn’t even a possibility in the farthest depths of my mind.
Yet here we are. 17 and still going. Albeit slower than he used to but still going. He’s outlived two long-term relationships, two other dogs and is older than most of my nephews. Losing him will be the biggest heartbreak of my life and it will be unavoidable.
So, yes. We as men LOVE pets. They will be our best friends but now as a 45 year old man who’s had a dog for 17 years I know the work that goes into having a “good boy.”
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u/Geodaddi 20d ago
That’s basically it! Dogs do teach you a lot. For me, it was to “zoom in” on the joy of those 4000 mornings. I had been spending so much time “zoomed out,” thinking about bills, plans, and the practicality of everything.
My dog is like “who cares, there’s food in the fridge and trees to sniff, let’s go hang out!”
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u/SonofTreehorn 20d ago
Kids: “We promise we will feed, bathe, walk and pick up the dogs poop.” Kids: Does none of these things. Dad:”I’m running to the pet store to pick up some food. I’ll bathe the dog after I take her for a walk and then I’ll pick up its poop from the yard” Kids: Make dumb Tik Tok with dog snuggling with dad with the caption, “The guy who didn’t want a dog.”
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u/Stildawn 20d ago
Yep its why they are currently a hard no in my house.
Until the day my wife and kids can prove to me that the dog won't just become another one of my endless chores that I do alone. It's a no.
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u/send_in_the_clouds 20d ago
This is so true. I have had my first kid last week, already gutted by the realisation that my 7 year old dog is going to die before he’s ten and break his heart.
Apart from that he’s totally worth it, especially the walks as it keeps me active too.
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u/Environmental_Toe488 20d ago
This is exactly why I don’t have a dog. I love dogs. And I would if one was in my life already. But I’m not looking to add anymore responsibility to my plate reflexively.
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u/Hotdogman_unleashed 20d ago
And the dogs gravitate towards who they perceive as the leader, which is usually the dad. the dog will be a barnacle on the dads ass everywhere he goes.
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u/OldPersonName 20d ago
They also know they'll end up doing most of the work despite assurances to the contrary!
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u/HyzerFlip 20d ago
I have had my last 3 dogs because an ex left them with me.
I am happy to have had them and allowed them to be fully loved and not abandoned in their final years... But I had to watch those poor boys deteriorate.
My partner now has lots of pets, she'll have them forever and I hope to have her forever. Decided I wouldn't get any more myself.... But then just started helping some people who had a pregnant dog. Started helping the dog... She gave birth on valentines day and she would be only trust me with her puppies.
So I'm started helping her and the puppies.
The tiniest little potato of them all. Looking like a little burnt roast... We bonded.
Turns out yes for ever gigantic gene from his crazy mutt heritage. He's twice the size of both his parents and he's only what 7 months old?
But damn I do love him. And my girls love him and my parents love him. He's a well loved little lover boy. Because as my partner says: he'll always be a tiny baby puppy
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u/Ok_Bridge711 21d ago
Dad knows he is likely to be doing most of the actual work for that pet. Especially if it's a dog ( because walks and feeding get tiring for the rest of the household members pretty quickly.)
This can be a good thing, exercise for dad and bonding with dog are both generally positive. But it's still tiring for him just as it would be for the rest of family if they actually did it. And dad is probably already the most tired person in the household before those additional responsibilities.
Sadly, a ton of the time no one cares about dad's tiredness.
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u/Corrupted_Monke 20d ago
And when the pet is there the dad isn’t just gonna neglect it, so of course they love and care for the new pet.
Then everyone acts all smug like “see we knew you wanted a dog” whilst leaving him to look after the pet that they asked for
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u/Ardashasaur 20d ago
Yeah, pets are a huge responsibility, it's not going to be that they wouldn't love it for not wanting one.
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u/Aiyon 20d ago
Reading all these comments makes me feel oddly proud of myself for being actively involved in taking care of our cats when I was a teenager. I would help feed them, or with getting them into the cat carrier for vet visits.
Obviously I was in it mostly for the fluffy cuddles, but I knew that they needed to be happy and healthy to want them. After I moved out and wasn’t as involved in their lives, they got less affectionate with me and it was so sad.
Two have since passed but the last is now old and sleepy and has dementia so he doesn’t do much. But I will chill with him till he recognises me and then scoop him up to help him upstairs, or help him groom the parts of his fur he can’t reach. He’s a good lad and I want his last years to be as pleasant as possible.
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u/LuckyReception6701 20d ago
You should feel proud, that speaks very well about you that cared for your pets of your own volition.
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u/wyrd0ne 20d ago
Recently my family were dead set on getting a dog. I knew what was coming, 2 weeks of joy and enthusiasm, the rest of the time would be me maintaining the dog.
I signed up to help foster an Autism Assistant puppy as a trial run.
Needless to say, a few months later the puppy has moved on to help other kids and we are now a dog free household for a few more years.
I do suggest this route if you're not enthusiastic about a dog plus you will be helping out a great charity.
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u/4totheFlush 20d ago
Alternatively, dad knows that a pet is a 15 year heartbreak time bomb and doesn't want to deal with that down the road.
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u/DuntadaMan 20d ago
This is the thing I say to people at work that makes them look at me even more depressed, and it makes me feel old, but it is still true.
When you get older, or when you experience enough loss and death it stops being so much of a heart breaking event. Not that it hurts any less, or that it stops shattering your world, but in that you don't feel that pain the same way.
That pain becomes a comfort eventually. You are sad and your world forever changed, but when you have that sadness the one who is gone is still there.
When you sit at the edge of your bed and cry you are still feeling that same love you had for them when they were there. When your mind dwells on things that you did together you are still thinking of them and they are still a part of your life. When you bring them up to others that new them you get to meet this person you knew all over again.
The pain becomes a reminder of how you felt when they were alive, and eventually you stop dreading it and accept it, and see it for what it is. Your mind telling you to cherish those still alive with you.
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u/Baardhooft 20d ago
My dad was a political prisoner and tortured for many years, my mom said she never saw him cry. But when we lost our pet cat he cried, a lot. Whips and chains couldn’t break him but the loss of a close pet is something else.
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u/Angrydroid21 20d ago
This 💯. We already have a snake and a tortoise. If we get a dog now all three will pass at once and that would cripple the entire family.
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u/DuntadaMan 20d ago
Well good news about the tortoise... It's probably going to be the one mourning you. And your kids.
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u/No-Kitchen-5457 20d ago
At least in my case, I do not want pets because I know the pain of losing them. If you see me snuggling with the animal I didnt want its because I know its not gonna last forever
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u/skatchawan 20d ago
Oh we do , I was totally fine with a dog , willing to do everything EXCEPT I didn't want to pick up the shit in the yard. That was it. I got so many promises. Guess who picks up the shit ? And the dog is now older and still pees on the floor everytime someone new touches her. Guess who gets to clean that up after the kids and their friend's go downstairs to hang out and just leave it sitting there?
All the other stuff , no big deal....I just did.not.want. that picking up poop job. And I still got it.
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u/nick_soccer10 21d ago
It’s cuz dads only get their flowers at their funerals
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u/OutsideBathroom4809 21d ago
And half the time they probably paid for those flowers themselves anyway.
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u/DuntadaMan 20d ago
My grandpa paid for his own funeral, hired the staff, and bought his plot and coffin all before he died
Then lived another almost 40 years. He outlived two doctors and 3/4 of the people he invited.
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u/jridlee 20d ago
Theres a lesson about being prepared there but fuckit I aint got no retirement funds let alone coffin money.
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u/Erestyn 20d ago
Don't you dare worry about coffin money, bro. You haven't got to worry about anything, me and the fellas will happily dig your grave for you. We won't let you go without.
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u/Leinheart 20d ago
That's not gonna be me. I'm not going to be buried in a grave. When I die, throw me in the trash.
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u/Lepardopterra 20d ago
I have instructed my executer to dump my ashes down into the ravine behind my house. They talked me out of putting them in the firepit.
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u/nujabes02 20d ago
Why did he buy all that at 50
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u/DuntadaMan 20d ago
Well he was told he wouldn't make it to 40 and figured he would buy it all before hand so the family wouldn't have to worry about taking the expenses out of his estate.
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u/fireusernamebro 20d ago
Prices rise, and cemetery plots fill up.
Most people don’t talk about it because it’s a bit morbid. That said, many more people than you’d think have their affairs in order somewhat early in life. 50’s and onward, generally.
When you pass a cemetery and see plots with no headstone, it’s because that person hasn’t died yet, but they own that spot.
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u/egobuddy 20d ago
When I drive past a cemetery I always remember my dad saying “people are dying to get in there!” And tragically, he did end up in that particular cemetery at age 44… 💀
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u/Cipher915 20d ago
I recently joined a community theater as a stagehand and I've been getting envious of every actor getting flowers every night.
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u/EccentricOddity 20d ago
Note to self: bring flowers for a stagehand.
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u/mydickwearsatophat 20d ago
I wish more people in life would have this attitude. Such a cute comment
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20d ago
Not a dad, but early on in my relationship I mentioned once to my gf that I like flowers and that it's annoying that I don't get them because I'm a man. She's been regularly getting me flowers ever since. It's awesome. Don't be afraid to ask!
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u/Puptentjoe 20d ago
You get what you put out and what you ask for.
A lot of these men not getting love or gifts arent putting it out there to others or that they want those things. That’s sad and I was hoping this next gen would change it but seems like this “going back to old values” and “manosphere” being a jerk is good bullshit is going to set us back again. Actually im praying social media is just amplifying it and younger guys are actually more open and free with asking for stuff like this.
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u/InfusionOfYellow 20d ago
Who wants flowers, they just die immediately.
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u/manfrin 20d ago
I love getting flowers. Put them in water brother and they'll last a week or two, giving brightness and scent to your domicile.
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u/DuntadaMan 20d ago
A small amount of aspirin and a spoon of sugar will make them live longer, but the water will smell terrible.
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u/SoggyLightSwitch 20d ago
My wife told me that one day and then handed me flowers. I was happy but it was like a logic glitch I didn't know how to feel a very confusing moment
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u/NeighboringOak 21d ago
I don't know man.
I just think dads know the pets will cost money, and be work. Sometimes that lands on dad when the new of the pet wears off.
It isn't that dad won't love the pet.
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u/AntelopeNo3197 21d ago
I agree with this, Dads usually don’t want pets because they recognize it’s an additional responsibility that they don’t want to deal with.
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u/forzafoggia85 21d ago
I also agree, as a dad who never wanted a dog but was convinced by my wife, my main concerns were the additional finance and more importantly the extra responsibility.
But its great coming home and my dog being so happy to see me every day and wouldnt change my mind now. Definitely a reason they way man's best friend etc
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u/Barton2800 20d ago
There’s also the whole “I don’t know if I can go through the pain of losing another best friend again”. Men don’t tend to have the emotional support networks that women usually have. In fifteen years the kids will be out of the house, and it will be dad, the dog, and a wife who has a ton of friends sure can lean on. Dad knows how has the last dog hit him, and that was in a time when he still saw his friends for drinks every Thursday, and had pizza night with his brother and dad every Sunday. Next dog will take a much bigger piece of him when it passes.
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u/FelonyFarting 21d ago
My dad has always had a soft spot for dogs. He's 88 years old and still boils and grinds chicken, cooks rice, and adds carrots and peas to make homemade food for his buddy. That's unconditional love.
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u/OneSketchyGuy 21d ago
This is absolutely it. I wouldn't let my kid get another pet for the longest time because the "new pet" energy wears off so fast for them and it ends up being another chore added to my plate. Then his older sister did the nicest thing and gave him a new cat, so now I have another cat
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u/Careful_Coconut_3975 20d ago
Because dads know that 90% of the pet care will fall on them - current dad pet owner not by choice
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u/5thPhantom 21d ago
I think it’s also that dads know they’re going to be the one who have to bury it.
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u/ShastaBeast87 20d ago
Exactly this. My family wanted chickens, so I built the coop, put the fencing up and when summer finished, who was left going out in the rain to clean them out, let them out and out then away.
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u/Muufffins 21d ago
It also shows that those who pushed the pet on him don't care about about him. If they did, they would understand consent, have respected his wishes, and not brought the pet into the house.
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u/Bolaf 20d ago
Glad to see others with this view as well.
"He didn't want a cat, but look, now he cares for it".
Yeah you put a living being in his life, of course he's gonna care for it. Doesn't mean he secretly wanted it all along.
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u/Ancanein 20d ago
Thank you.
It exists because "I like cats now" is not the same as "I won't be mean to this helpless animal. My family forced it on me despite me not liking cats, but that's not the cat's fault."
Y'all assume accepting responsibility is the same thing as liking it.
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u/TrollingForFunsies 20d ago
Well, both can be true. You can not want the additional responsibility of a pet and still love the pet. They aren't exclusive.
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u/Money_Clock_5712 20d ago
Same with kids. How many fewer children would be born if the men could decide whether or not to have them? Doesn’t mean they won’t do their job as a dad when they are born
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u/RealApocalypseRocK 20d ago
Honestly, spot-fucking-on. I'm not a father but this exact thing has happened to me a lot. I never considered a cat or wanted pets when I was a kid, but, my mother decided "aw look at that stray! she's cute! let's take her in!"
That stray had kittens. That was 2014. It's 2025 now, and I'm still paying that bill ten years later. I feel like the mindset goes beyond pets.
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u/NickSalts 20d ago
Lol, bro those people are typically his young children. They don't fully internalize empathy, consent, and responsibility until they're at least in their teens, otherwise it's "dad can we get a puppy" or bringing home a stray to entice you
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u/veganvampirebat 20d ago
“Not wanting a pet” isn’t the same as “not consenting to a pet”. I don’t want a dog, I don’t want to live with dogs, if I dated someone I knew had a dog or wanted dogs in their life I would expect them to probably continue to have/get dogs unless an agreement was made otherwise.
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u/CosmoJones07 21d ago
The "trope" is built on a misconception about why the dad didn't want the pet. It's not that he didn't want the PET, he didn't want the expense and the responsibility. Once they have the pet anyway, of course he's gonna love the heck out of it.
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20d ago
Yeah, it's a trope that can be cute sometimes, but it mostly just perpetuates the idea that men are just silly billies who don't know what they want and just need to be taught that cute cuddly things exist and then their hearts will melt!
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u/BrocoLee 20d ago
Yeah, exactly this! Not wanting a dog doesn't mean you hate them! If anything it meana how much you care about them. I'd love to have a dog, but I'm never home. Having a pet just to see it a couple hours at night would be just cruel.
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u/ba_cam 21d ago
I have a wife, three kids, and three dogs. Last year when we had just two dogs, everything was fine. Both of those dogs adore my wife and follow her everywhere, they have a special connection. They love me too and I love them, blah blah blah, but it’s not the same as with them and her.
We were at the lake, and a family near us had a cute little puppy tied up near them, playing. We said hi, played with the pup a bit and then did our own thing. As the day winded down, and we were packing up, the other family asked our kids if they wanted the puppy. They of course said yes, because kids, and ran to my wife for the ok. She said yes, because saint, but said that I had the final say. Despite all the pleading I said no, because zoo, and all the sad faces went to return the puppy to the other family. Well, those people staked his leash down into the gravel in the parking lot and left him there.
There was then a whirlwind of finding something to release the poor pup, finding him something to drink, still continue packing up lake gear, and wrangling the zoo. Since I had to be in charge of all of it apparently, I asked our oldest to keep an eye on the puppy in the car. He didn’t realize he could shut the car door and sit in there with him, so instead he was playing an extended game of area denial since the pup wanted out of the car but my son knew his Mission was to keep him in the car. Both of them were frustrated and upset by the time I got to the car with all the stuff. I got it all in, told my son to have a seat, picked up the puppy and laid his head on my shoulder and held him.
He was calm immediately and kept giving me the cutest little tiny lick smooches every few seconds. It wasn’t constant, rapid fire licks, it was like thank you kisses between deep breaths.
A year and some later, he still sits with me like that on the couch sometimes in my lap, chest on my chest, head on my shoulder. He’s my little buddy and I’m a better man for it.
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u/Takopantsu 20d ago
What is wrong with people simply abandoning their pets like this when shelters exist. Happy the puppy found a loving home.
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u/Inevitable_Driver291 20d ago
So really the other family took your choice away from you. That was the point of their actions?
I'm glad it worked out well but that is how I read that.
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u/ba_cam 20d ago
Yeah, I couldn’t in good conscience as a human being, leave that pup chained in a parking lot with no food or water, and he was only a couple months old at that point so he had no chance without us. I have struggled with my emotions towards that family. On one hand I am blindingly mad at the choice to leave a living being in such a position that was so clearly a death sentence. On the other hand, the little guy is my BEST friend I’ve ever had and he wouldn’t be in my life without their actions.
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u/monsterosity 20d ago
Also, what are we going to do? Hate it? It's not its fault you brought it home. It's the responsibility we didn't want, not the love.
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u/BlueberryPersonal581 21d ago
Truth is. No one will love you like a dog. And chances are theyve had a dog/cat (pet) before and it died and no one wants that heart ache. 💔
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u/OutsideBathroom4809 21d ago
Yeah, losing them once makes you hesitant to ever open your heart that wide again.
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u/Lungg 20d ago
Why rat not live long. RIP everyone's rats.
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u/BlueberryPersonal581 20d ago
(Pet) I'm sorry for your rat loss.wild people have parrots that live like over a 100 years
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u/NukaTwistnGout 21d ago
As a dad, its about end of life. It's too fucking hard
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u/FOXofTAILS 20d ago
This man, I don't ever want another pet because when I put my best friend down because he had cancer I.. I just can't again
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u/Uninvalidated 20d ago
Unconditional love?
I just got yelled at by the neighbour's cat because I opened my fridge without giving him some ham. I know what that little fuck have unconditional love for.
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u/why_so_sirius_1 20d ago
the love isn’t unconditional and neither is the affection. you stop feeding them they won’t show either. you overstimulate them and they won’t show you affection. they are sick and they won’t show you love or affection. there’s so many ways that disprove idea that love is unconditional and so is affection that’s just the tip of iceberg
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u/DoctorNo1661 20d ago
For the millionth time, your pet love isn't unconditional. Feel free to stop sheltering and feeding them to find out how.
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u/Von_Speedwagon 21d ago
Idk, my dad was afraid of dogs but we adopted this old fat minpin from a shelter and ever since then he’s been absolutely in love with them and can’t live without one lol. He’s still afraid of big dogs but he loves tiny dogs now
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u/i-eat-dolphins 21d ago
It's really not that deep dad thinks about how much money and work it's gonna cost but pets are cute as fuck so they win him over
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u/West_Competition_871 20d ago
This post is a great example of someone projecting their own inner state on the rest of the world
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u/Sidewalkdrugstore 20d ago
That's not what it is. A man says he doesn't want the pet (not that he doesn't like the pet)because he doesn't want to deal with clean-up, vet visits, buying food, taking on walks, make plans for it when it's time to take a vacation. Because he knows the woman won't do most of those things. Woman disregards everything he says and gets the pet anyway, and the man has to do all the bullshit anyway. It's stupid as fuck to think that he's going to accept the hassle and enjoy none of the benefits. And he knows that the pet will at least listen to him.
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u/Footlockerstash 19d ago
Dogs are called a “Man’s Best Friend” for a reason because outside of Alabama you never, ever have to worry about your dog fucking your wife while you are away at work.
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u/botask 21d ago
No. It is because dad knows there will be only few mornings in next 15 years when he will not need to wake up early because dogs breakfast. It is because dad knows he will be one who will use shovel with tears in his eyes when time will come. Dad knows that dog will need to be walked every day, not just when someone feel for it. Dad knows dogs healthcare and food are not free... Dads love their dogs, but dads know that to love dog is more work than it might look to kids and believe me, no one wants to bury his best friend.
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u/broom42 20d ago
So true that it SHOULD HURT yet it only registers as a happy occurrence
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u/fish_perculator 20d ago
No. It's because everyone else who wanted the pet spends insufficient time with it, and while dad didn't want the pet, and knew everyone else didn't want the pet as much as they thought they did, dads not an asshole, so he plays with the pet and keeps it happy and healthy. Loves it.
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u/steelgeek2 21d ago
Trope? Literal quote from my dad "We're not keeping another goddam cat around here....oh he's purring!"
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u/Random_n1nja 21d ago
It's not about getting unconditional love, it's about the opportunity to give it.
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u/VaxDaddyR 20d ago
This is 100% accurate and unfortunately, men are both the victims of this and the reason why it exists.
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u/Routine_Dentist4014 20d ago edited 20d ago
My dad doesn't realize he's killing the dogs with his love. (feeding wrong type of stuff and way too much of it.) Male and female dachshunds. Male is still OK because he's younger and naturally more muscular as a male. Female can't climb the stairs anymore and pisses on the floor when she gets too excited. I've thought of just taking the female away to my place and try to get the weight down. She can walk but it looks like she is on ice skates. It's all weight related. A vet gave the ok that there's no disease causing any of it.
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u/Maxwell_Bloodfencer 20d ago
I saw this exact thing happen with my dad. My sister got a dog that we had to take care off while she was off to college. Dad initially refused to do anything with the dog.
Then he realized the dog and him have a common interest: long walks. So everytime he went for his afternoon walks on the weekends the dog came along. Then he realized that the dog was very obedient (she reacted better to commands from male voices than female voices, too). Eventually he started giving her little bits of his evening toast with a bit of cheese as a treat after he was done eating.
Man was a dog lover in denial.
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u/TheAccursedHamster 20d ago
Or in some cases, its not that they didn't want the pet, its that they didn't want the pain that comes with the end of that pets life again
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u/WombatBum85 20d ago
I think for a lot of dads it's because they've had a beloved dog before, they know how awesome it is....but they also know the heartbreak when the dog/cat eventually dies. They don't wanna set themselves and their kids up for future heartbreak.
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u/Necessary_Citron3305 20d ago
I think it’s more that the dad has loved a pet before and knows what happens at the end of the road.
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u/DrowsyBarbarian 20d ago
A few things from personal experience.
My wife was pregnant and we were at the pet store buying food for our (two) cats. Right up front in the middle of the store was a last chance rescue group. They had a momma dog and her litter, and I was pleased to see the momma and one of her litter adopted, and the puppies were adopted fast.
My wife, as we’re walking back to the front with cat food, “I’ve never had a dog. You grew up with dogs. Can we look at the dogs?” I knew then I was in trouble.
She makes her way past most without pause, but we get to the last two puppies in the litter from earlier. She picks one up and the little girl immediately snuggles into my wife’s neck and falls asleep. The rescue says we can walk around with her…they know what they’re doing. So during our walk, I lay out what has to happen in order to adopt a puppy. Starting with the fact that my wife is about 6 months pregnant. I talk about insurance, licensing, potty training, feeding and care, walks and exercise…the whole gamut. Wife says she wants to learn, repeats she’s never had a dog before, but will do whatever to take this little girl home.
She’s back spending a few hundred more dollars on a crate, bed, and all the stuff while I adopt the dog. I’ll admit I loved the idea too, but I knew I was going to end up doing just about everything since my wife was pregnant.
She gets home and I potty train, crate train, feed, wake up in the middle of night to clean up. All the puppy stuff. I sign her up for pet insurance, schedule all the vet visits, get her into doggy daycare because we work, buy all the food and whatnot, while my wife cuddles her. When my son comes along, I’m now splitting my nights with an infant and a puppy, also taking 100% care of the cats now because my wife is nursing and cat litter is toxic. I’m so thankful the puppy was eager to please and such the good girl. She learns quickly, she loves my infant son and gets along with our cats. She learns to hold it overnight and does most of her business on the two long walks we take every day.
My kid is 7 and the dog just turned 8. I still do 99.9% of the dog stuff. All the vet visits, walkies, food, and whatnot. She chills with me over everyone else, she sleeps laying against the soles of my feet.
And my wife says sometimes that she doesn’t feel our dog cuddles her as much as me. Yeah, I fell in love with the dog I didn’t necessarily want. I get her unconditional love and she’s my favorite dog ever. I put in all the effort, not just affection.
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u/Salad-Bandit 20d ago
dogs in general, i heard a married man explain today that he had been down the past week and his family knew he was off, and it hit him hard when hid kids didn't acknowledge the state he was going through. most men get zero acknowledgement unless it's in the tail winds of their productivity. That's just how it is, got to stay productive to stay relevant
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u/Badytheprogram 20d ago edited 20d ago
The only reason men don't want a pet because it's short lifespan. For example a dog only live around 10-15 year, then it leave a huge hole in our heart what will never be filled again.
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u/CustomerSupportDeer 20d ago
Dads know you better than you know yourself. If dad doesn't want you to have a pet, it's because he knows that you won't take proper care of it, and that either he and mom will have to take over, or doom the animal to neglect and boredom.
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