A Big Happy Family

by tahara69

We don't live in a fancy mansion or a big house in the suburbs. We stay in a big converted factory loft. It was the only place big enough to have all twenty eight of us. Yes, that's right, twenty eight.

My name is Poofpoof90, and my owner, tahara69, is still asleep. I wanted to take the time to tell you what it feels like to live with so many other NeoPets, but feeling so safe. You see, I'm very different from all of the other NeoPets I was never adopted from the pound.

Tahara69 created me and took care of me since I was a kitten. When she felt that I was old enough, she went to the pound and adopted my first sibling, Sasukian. She was a little mean. She didn't like the same toys I did, but our mommy decided that it would be good if each of us had our own things. Soon, we started getting along and then mommy adopted two more pets, nijah63 and minwax. The factory was big enough for us, but ever since the time she went to the pound, mommy seemed a little sad.

I went up to her one day and asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"

"There are so many other pets that I couldn't bring home, sweetie. I know that they'll be adopted, but I feel so bad that I couldn't take them in."

"Aren't we enough for you?" I asked, a bit worried.

"You mean everything to me. I just want to give all those other pets a good home too. It doesn't mean that I love you any less."

"Do you love me a little more than the others?" I teased.

"You're my special little Kougra. I was the one that raised you since you were a kitten."

"Does that mean I'm your favorite?"

"It means that you are different. You never had to know what it was like to be in the pound."

"I'm lucky then. No one's ever abandoned me."

"Unlike your brothers and sisters, they were lonely and had no one to take care of them. It doesn't mean that I love any of you less."

Then, one day, mommy brought home four other pets. All of us ran to greet the new pets: a Peophin, a flotsam, a Zafara and another Kougra!

"Wow! We have some new siblings!" minwax joyfully squealed. "But I thought you could only have four pets."

Mom brought out an id with a different name on it. "I had to get another id to get them from the pound. So now, I have to take care of all of you."

We were so happy to have more playmates. Mommy would always get something a little special for all of us when she did her shopping. It was particularly fun when it was dinner time. Some of the others didn't like certain foods, so we would have a variety of food everyday. It was never boring at meal times.

Soon, mom started working a little harder to support all of us. Every now and then, she would leave us at the Neolodge for a week while she made sure her shop was doing all right. Every time we came home, she had a whole new batch of toys waiting for us.

"Kids, I'm going to adopt more of you."

"You are?"

"I went to see how some of the pets were doing at the pound, and there were suddenly so many Kougras and Shoyrus there. I'll be back in a little while. Now all of you behave while I get some new id's."

We all played with the new toys and anxiously waited mom's arrival. Minwax went to get something to eat and he yelled out in ecstasy. "Mom got enough food to feed an army!"

Rushing to the kitchen, minwax wasn't kidding. There was so much food in the kitchen, the cupboards could barely stay closed.

The door opened and we heard the rushing sound of pets. Mom brought in twenty other NeoPets into the kitchen. There were now eleven Kougras, six Shoyrus, three Lupes, a Peophin, a flotsam, a Zafara, a Kacheek, a Moehog, an Usul, a Scorchio and a Gelert running around the house.

Mom settled all of us at the long dinner table and prepared each of us our favorite meals. "Now, I know it seems like there are a lot of you, but I want you all to remember that I am going to take care of each and every one of you. You all just have to behave when I'm at work. I'll make sure I'm home to read all of you bedtime stories when I tuck you in at night."

I've never been lonely since. The other ten Kougras and I have formed our own little group, the flight of Shoyrus fly all over the warehouse, the pack of Lupes patrol the grounds and the smaller pets tend to the everyday chores. There's never a dull moment at home. But mom did the sensible thing. Before she tried taking on the responsibility of having more pets, she made sure she had the means to take care of them.

I hope you liked the peek into what it's like living with so many brothers and sisters. But please, don't create or adopt pets you can't take care of. It's unfair to the poor NeoPet that will have to suffer being torn away from what he or she knows.

The End