This is something I submitted to the local paper's "Bulletin Board". Another contributor had written about her daughter getting a pet rat that escaped from the cage and multiplied itself tens of times. Most of the contributors and probably readers are retired people. We have the same memories so I enjoy reading it. My "handle" is The MOM in Stiilwater. Our gerbils weren't as talented as this little guy or we would have worked up an act instead of murder!http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/living/people/
The MOM in Stillwater: "I can empathize with the story about the pet rat, because I was almost that gullible.
"Years ago, our oldest asked if he could have a gerbil. His elementary teacher was trying to place the classroom 'pets' at the end of the term. Not wanting to deal with reproducing rodents, I said he could take one gerbil.
"He came home carrying two gerbils. His teacher assured him they were both female.
"I think she then unplugged her phone, got in the car and left town fast.
"Well, in 28 days, we were pretty sure they were not both female.
"What I did not know then is they mate immediately after giving birth. You not only have a large litter of newbies, but they mature fast and then mate, too.
"I now had the task of 'placing' all these unwanted baby rodents in good homes. That is harder than you think. We may have gotten one of two takers, but still had a lot of rodents. I then thought of the pet store. They accepted the rest. Later someone told me they took them not to sell, but because they had a hungry snake to feed.
"Pet-store adoption no longer seemed a humane option for disposing of our excess 'adult' gerbils. As you can guess: In a short period of time, all the new gerbils were breeding. All this reproducing is logarithmic, and we were overwhelmed.
"We resorted to gassing the lot, although we didn't tell our children the truth.
"Maybe we should have given that teacher back her two female gerbils with 'interest' in the fall."
1 comment:
"Gassing the lot"??!! I was too young to recall the gerbils, but I do remember a cat we had for a couple of hours, and Peche, the standard poodle. And Barney as well- I locked myself in the bathroom when I came home from school and the dog was gone. Not much for pets, were we? No matter, now our house now boasts more cats than people. And I don't have to tell you the joys of cat ownership. Or maybe I should...
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