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It's not really pet "ownership," but rather pet partnership.

My grandma keeps the remains of her departed beloved pet, Cassie, on her mantel. I admit I find it a little… unusual. But I’ve never been in her shoes, and I’m certain she’s not the only one. Pets are members of our families—sometimes preferred to their human counterparts—and mourned as such.

Animals offer such unique gifts, tireless companionship and unconditional love among them. And yet we sometimes try to limit them to human attributes. We name them, talk to them and have even been known to dress them.

Our pets are fish, so I haven’t had the pleasure of choosing their outfits. But we named them, and I know I, for one, talk to them. My family and I invent thoughts within their little fishy brains, and conversations about their fishy days. We take into consideration what we would want, were the tables turned.

There’s a balance between their dependence on us for food, shelter (and clothing?) and our respect that they were capable of doing just fine in their natural habitat. We don’t just love them, we appreciate them in a way only a pet owner can.

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We have had our aquarium for about two months, and our fish are doing (dare I say it?) swimmingly. Of course we fondly remember the three fish we initially lost during the cycling of our tank. Indy the platy, our lone survivor, is going to be a papa soon. His lady, Rose, is bursting at the gills—which means we’re going to have to learn about platy fry soon. We also plan to add to our four neon tetras, since they like company. You can’t tell me fish are boring!

“The Last Kid on the Block” is a continuing series following the Knudsen family’s progress selecting and caring for their first pets. Andrea Knudsen lives in suburban Chicago with her husband and two children.

A friend and I once discussed when you’re ready to have kids, and came to the conclusion that you’re never really ready.

The love of a new pet can be worth the changes and unexpected challenges.

I’ve decided becoming a pet owner is much the same: if you’re waiting to be ready, adopting a pet may never happen. You certainly can prepare yourself, but reading about a dog or a pig or a fish is not the same as bringing one into your home.

In our family’s experience, I thought we were prepared. I researched. I talked to pet store staff. I bought the gear. When our fish came home, we followed the directions. We took special care. But still, three of our four fish died.

Happily, most friends’ experiences have been less… extreme. Still, much like bringing home a (human) baby, bringing home a puppy (for whatever reason, among my friends it’s usually a puppy) inevitably leads to something unexpected. You know puppies like to chew, but you don’t anticipate your puppy chewing on your son’s new snow boots. You know they jump, but you don’t realize your puppy will jump high enough to reach the loaf of bread on the counter.

It’s a process, much of which is dependent on change, be it putting your boots in the closet or working weekly aquarium water changes into your schedule. It’s a trade-off—and one most people I know would say it’s worth the effort.

We’ve since turned a corner with a fully-cycled tank, and our six fish seem to be thriving. But just as being a parent brings new, unexpected challenges, I anticipate the same with our pets.

“The Last Kid on the Block” is a continuing series following the Knudsen family’s progress selecting and caring for their first pets. Andrea Knudsen lives in suburban Chicago with her husband and two children.