Pets and Spouses (I)

Companion animals are cuter. They don’t say stupid things and embarrass you in public. They are cuddly but don’t make unwelcome or aggressive sexual demands. They cost less to feed and virtually nothing to dress. A dog or cat license costs less than a marriage license; birds, rabbits, etc. don’t need to be licensed at all. They do not insist on watching movies with lots of explosions or Adam Sandler. True, they usually don’t bring in any income, which is one advantage having a man around may – repeat, may – have over a companion animal. Otherwise, why would anyone have a husband when you could have a pet?

--ACW, a commenter to the NY Times