Bettas Deserve Better

AT FIRST FIN it would seem a Betta is an easy pet to care for. Although definitely less demanding than pets living outside a fish bowl there are challenges that should not be overlooked.

I remember hearing about one Betta owner’s shock when her much-loved fish slipped through her fingers while transferring it for a regular cleaning of its bowl. Imagine her horror when the Betta swirled down the unplugged drain to its one-way final destination.

There was also the frantic hunt for antibiotics for another Betta that eventually died from a mysterious illness. And there was the guilt of ownership of a lonely male Betta when it stopped making bubbles it had happily been working on for weeks ... as if it realized a female would never arrive to leave eggs in the nest it was constructing.

Whether its loneliness was perceived wrongly or not there is much to learn about Bettas. When provided with a suitable environment they do make wonderful first pets for kids and for people unable to care for four-legged animals.

Bettas not only add warmth to a home they show their distinct personalities and quirks over time and are a colourful living creature to come home to.

Interestingly, the search for Bettas also reveals something about the stores that sell them. Often, the bigger the pet store chain the worst the care of Bettas. In some stores, Bettas (also known as fighting fish) are housed in tiny plastic cups containing less than 8 ounces of water for several weeks until they are either sold or die. The awful sight of these solitary fish trying to survive in tiny cups with little water can be disturbing, particularly to kids.

Hopefully, people will speak out when they see such cruel treatment and not accept the rationale that Bettas don’t suffer in cramped quarters because their natural habitat is low-lying rice fields and swamps. The truth is stores keep them in these tiny cups as a cost-cutting measure. Also, the water is likely kept low to prevent the fish from jumping out of their prisons.

The challenge is that Bettas are fresh water fish that do not live peacefully with each other. Therefore, the more responsible and intelligently run pet stores keep them in tanks with other species of compatible fish or in separate vases and bowls they can’t jump out of but that still contain ample water and the reachable surface air they need to survive.

There are many important details to explore before plunging into a Betta purchase. Searching for information about this interesting species and discovering suitable containers for Bettas can be a creative venture for both young and old. An educated start to pet ownership will help you and your Betta get along swimmingly well.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Long & Short Of The Pete & Pickles Tale

I’M A GROWNUP known to enjoy a good children’s book now and then. This Christmas, I was gifted with a picture book that compels me to write the first review I’ve done in a while.

Pete & Pickles by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed of Bloom County fame instantly caught my interest because of its quirky characters, crisp writing style, and bold illustrations filled with creative detail that jump off the page.

Also, the birth of the book’s theme and its hand drawings with a possible blend of digital art are relatable to me because they are kid-inspired.

Just as my daughter’s watercolor drawings moved me to evolve the Penelope Puddle character, Breathed was inspired by his daughter’s crayon sketch coloured at a safari-themed restaurant. Not only did Breathed flesh out his daughter’s art, he expanded her thoughts about the characters to create the story in his book.

Pete & Pickles tells the tale of a fastidious and lonely widowed pig (Pete). Pete has a respectable fear of drowning, a worry that probably many kids and even some grownups (such as myself) can relate to.

Pete is lured out of his comfort zone by a good-natured elephant (Pickles). Pickles is a messy adventurer with a huge imagination that eventually sweeps them both into fantastic and fancifully faraway places.

In Penelope Puddle’s world, it is a sidekick umbrella that sparks the imagination. In Breatheds’ story, it is the elephant that clearly sparks imagination, luring practical Pete outdoors into unruly fun and adventure. Yes … from my perspective, Pickles IS, indeed, Pete’s “sidekick umbrella”.

Nonetheless, the pair develop a mutually beneficial relationship because Pete rescues Pickles, a circus elephant who has no one to care about him until Pete, grudgingly at first, comes along.

Some moms and dads might view the near-drowning and widower aspects of the story as somewhat “dark” for 6-year-olds and under. Other parents might not want their children delving into the book until they are nine years of age. However, if handled age-appropriately, a glimpse into love lasting beyond death, the warmth of a budding relationship, learning to overcome fears and challenging oneself could all likely supercede any concerns.

There are subtle moral lessons and nuances to Pete & Pickles that will appeal to both young and old. My main observation is, however, that long and short noses CAN get along and complement one another in the end.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms