Are you a pet hoarder?

I used to have way too many pets in my apartment.

I wasn’t a full-blown cat lady, but I was close.

Each time I visited the local shelter, I’d lock eyes with a new pet and my heart would melt. I would think, “How can I say no to those eyes?”

So I’d bring my new pet home to shower it with love. Every new pet became my best friend.

But then I’d find myself back at the shelter a few months later, and the process would repeat itself.

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My 650 square foot apartment was standing-room only, like a Beyoncé concert. But it didn’t feel that way at first. Each new pet would receive my undivided attention for some time. My home was filled with so much love. Wasn’t that wonderful?

Ah, but that’s how it felt from my perspective. What about the pets? They only got a fraction of my attention each day. The rest of the time they were stuck in their cages, wondering, “When’s he gonna let me out?”

It took me years to realize this was not fair to them. They hadn’t chosen this life. They didn’t sign up to compete for my attention with the new arrivals. My love was spread razor-thin.

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So, I reluctantly cracked open my back door and started releasing them into the woods. One by one, I set them free, or if I didn’t think they could survive on their own, I’d find them a new home with an owner who would give them the attention they deserved.

This pained me, because I couldn’t help but cling to the possibility of loving them all equally. But I had to say goodbye to:

• My pet project to play in the NBA.

• My plan to travel the world.

• My goal to become fluent in Spanish.

• My desire to start a business empire.

• My wish to become a writer.

Although each goodbye was tough, it freed up some much needed space in my cramped apartment. I felt lighter and less guilty.

Before, I’d make uncomfortable eye contact with each pet as they scratched at their cages. Feeling so much love while also feeling guilty for not letting them out more often. Now, instead of wondering what could have been, I simply enjoy the time we had.

I released my last pet back into the wild, shut the door, and cleaned the poop and pee stains that littered the floor. Woah, now there’s so much room for activities!

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But something surprising happened — that last pet kept returning, begging to be let in. No matter how many times I told him, “No, you’re better off somewhere else”, he refused to leave.

So now it’s just me and him, and I’m giving my sweet boy the undivided love and attention he deserves.

No more trips to the shelter. My apartment is full of unconflicted love. Like it was always meant to be.

Are you a pet hoarder?

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