One of the things I was absolutely sure of before Henry moved in was that I wouldn’t become one of those pet owners that buys unnecessary items from the pet store designed not for the care of the animal but for the whim of the owner. I have bowls I can use, I have blankets which will serve him well, I don’t need gadgets, I thought.
Of course, Henry now has cute eating bowls with a fish bone design (his interest is limited to the contents of the bowls), an extra fluffy blanket with paw prints (which he shuns in favour of fresh laundry or my discarded sweater), there are various toys specially bought for him which serve just as well but not better than some things I had around anyway …

I just threw out the placemat (with cute paw prints) for his food. It looks nice, I thought, it’s handy because cleaning it is faster than mopping the floor, more hygienic, too … I have just thrown it out. Henry is too interested in what is underneath and regularly turns over his water bowl to find out and then his corner is wet, water is running all over the place, leaking on the parquet next to it. *sigh*
But I’ll learn. Until next time I’ll pass the pet shop.