Sooo I was studying and all of a sudden, I thought; "Why haven't I blogged about Bubba yet?!" You wonder who Bubba is. He's my sweetheart, my honey-boo, my "best bud", my cutie-pie.. Oh, the list goes on! Before you think I'm one of those lovey-dovey weirdos, Bubba is my pet turtle :D Yes, and he is my honey-boo.I got him because I used to love playing with my friend's two turts, and I simply love him! He's a red-eared slider, a common breed of turtles people have as pets. I've had him for nearly four months now (He was lesser than two inches long when I first got him!), and every day with him has been simply amazing! The endless hours debating what name I would give him, the anticipation of bringing him to a new home, the nervousness of whether he would like his new family, the anxiousness when he wouldn't eat the first few days, the sheer joy when I first saw him jump up in his tank and gobble his food down! .. they'll always stay with me.Bubba is about 9-10 months old now, and my!, has he grown since I got him! He lives in a nice big tank in which swims around all day. He comes up to breathe every now and then, sticking his cute little head out of the water so only his nose and eyes are visible. I've also grown a labyrinth of common plants in a big tub (mustard greens, carrot, methi and such) so he can have a playground to run about in. I feed him in a separate basic bowl because it can get really messy (And he wouldn't admit this, but it gets STINKY!) if you feed them in their living area. He basks under the sun every morning and late into the afternoons sometimes and seems to really love getting the heat. I look at him for hours at end, observing his every move carefully (No, it doesn't creep him out). Sometimes I feel that people who don't have pets underestimate just how elated and ecstatic a pet can make you feel. When you start caring for your pet like he's one of your own, that's when you realize how much you would miss him if something happened to him. Like this one incident where he accidentally escaped from his tank (He's a real runner!!). Although it only took me about a half hour of frantic search of the house to hunt him down, it was the scariest time of my life, scarier even than watching The Conjuring! When I finally hugged him close to my chest, I couldn't help but shed frightened tears, and let me tell you, I almost NEVER cry. A close inspection revealed that he was unhurt; the relief I felt at that moment is much more than when I cleared that drawing exam I was sure I would flunk.When I tell my friends cute stories about him, some of them (especially the guys) roll their eyes and look at me like I'm a crazy peron- the kind we laugh at in typical American sitcoms. So what makes us so attached to our pets? Consider turtles- pretty boring life. All they do is swim and/or sit around and poop. They don't even make any noises or show signs of emotion, like dogs or birds. Yet, I find myself, flustered, explaining the difference between a tortoise and a turle to the "lesser-initiated". I find myself attempting to interpret every little twitch of his head or scratch of his nose. I talk to him in a tone that my 'significant other' would be jealous of. I let him sleep in my bed (despite my mum's ridicule) and hell, sometimes, I even tell him bedtime stories! That's when it hits me- love doesn't only have to be between humans. It could be anything you're emotionally connected to. For instance, I feel the same way when I hug my mum as when I finish a good book- the content, the happiness and the feeling that something is truly yours and only yours. It could be as simple as that. Looks I'm getting a little carried away *embarrased giggle*. Anyway.... I've posted a few pictures of him that I thought you might like. Time to go- Bubba's lunch-time and he doesn't like to be kept waiting (He's a real keeper!)!
