Some good things come in twos
My niece Amanda has two Frenchies - French bulldogs. Ruth and Kevin. She named Ruth after Ruth Ginsberg because of her sweet, determined personality.
Frenchies are very popular these days, and I understand why. They are affectionate, energetic, very cute in a fun way and so amusing. Ruth is the younger. The two doggies are best friends and an endless source of entertainment. They have a following on TikTok showing their antics.
My sister Mary has two sweeties also, a cat Milo and dog Vinny - two males and best friends. Milo probably thinks he's a dog or Vinny things he's a cat. Milo the cat is bigger than Vinny. He grooms Vinny like he is a cat buddy.
As we all know, I have two kitties, Sheba and Coffee Cat. They're sisters and litter mates. They are also best friends and have fun together, although they are more independent of each other than when they were younger. Natural, I suppose. They were the two musketeers when they were young, always into something. In their first couple years, they were featured in the magazine Cat Fancy in eight different issues with stories and photos of their exploits and friendship. Baheej would have loved them.
My friend Karen has two dachshunds, Heidi and Cubby Bear. Females, but not sisters. Sweet and happy doggies.
Well, pets can be great company to you in general, and certainly when bereaved, or simply fun to have around if you live alone.
Of course, I know many out there have just one dog or one cat or other singleton pet. And that works too, but I do think pets in twos are nice if they get along. They keep each other company when you are not at home, and less dependent on you 24/7.
The point is: The holiday season is a good time to think about adopting a pet or two. Lots of wonderful ones are out there waiting for a loving home. People at the best animal shelters know their animals very well and will help you find the right match in terms of temperament and behavior. Recently I've been reading about the benefits of adopting a senior pet who is already house trained and whose personality is known well by the staff.
Some of the best shelters are Anderson Animal Shelter in Elgin, Huntley Animal Care in Huntley, the Buddy Foundation in Arlington Heights, and Paws Chicago. And remember, when living alone, one person and one pet also make a great twosome!
• Susan Anderson-Khleif of Sleepy Hollow has a doctorate in family sociology from Harvard, taught at Wellesley College and is a retired Motorola executive. Contact her at sakhleif@comcast.net or see her blog longtermgrief.tumblr.com. See previous columns at www.dailyherald.com/topics/Anderson-Kleif-Susan.