Don’t you love it when your critter friends surprise you with a gift? When they don’t check to see if you’re home and decide that it would be EVEN MORE of a surprise to break into your tree and set it up inside? Wouldn’t you agree that it’s just DANDY of them to make you the proud new Squirrel-Mama to a tank of fish?
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m touched by my friends’ thoughtfulness. Really. I just wasn’t ready to have my couch replaced by a giant aquarium. Nor was I ready to have the responsibility of little swimmers. They came with their own water, so that was set. What do they eat? Was it okay for the black and red one to eat the bugs I put in the water, or the stripey ones to nibble some cucumber chunks?
Wait, these WERE supposed to be pets, right? I mean, the fish I eat in the alley behind Fry Me a River tastes delicious. Did my friends drop off a buffet? No, probably not. Anytime there’s food they make sure to stick around to eat it (and disappear when it’s time to do the dishes).
I climbed atop the giant tank and stuck my paw into the water. It was warmer than I thought it would be (I guessed the fish didn’t like being cold. It was nice to know that we had that in common). As much as I loathed being wet, I decided to introduce myself to my new tree-mates. Taking a breath, I lowered myself down and swam to the bottom of the aquarium.
Turns out my new pets weren’t in the mood to be sociable. They scattered and hid within the stone cave. I received a tail to the face when trying to peek my head inside. Also, I’m fairly certain that one of them, probably the large spotted pleco, pushed the log decoration onto me while I was headed up to the water’s surface for air. Rising out of the water and back to the safety of the tank lid, I discovered that my tail would be a good tool for fishing, as I had two of the silvery ones chomping at it’s end.
I wish my friends had thought to drop off a care and keeping guide.
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art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
