I HAVE A NEW PET!

I have a new pet. Not an earthshaking statement unless you know that I'm not a pet person. Don't jump to conclusions -- I'm not a pet person because I'm allergic to cats and dogs. Put me in a room with a cat and within a half hour my eyes are streaming, my nose is running and I'm gasping for breath. Dogs don't do quite as much damage but they still go into the allergy category. I love dogs and believe it or not usually watch the entire Westminster Dog Show, marveling at the little balls of silky hair that sweep across the floor and the tall and majestic mastiffs that lift their heads in disdain at all the fuss. My friends have pets and I'm pleased to see them on a limited basis. No one, however, has a pet gecko.

When I was a child we had a couple of dogs and I loved them but the allergies came later and pet ownership just wasn't to be. Ah, but now I have a pet. A small gecko has taken up residence in my bathroom. This little guy must be almost two inches long and most of that is tail. How he got in is a mystery. Living in Florida these little creatures are a normal thing. Flitting across the driveway, diving under the house, we must have a hundred but one has ventured inside, how he got there I don't know. But, I'm not getting rid of him, he'll just have to find his own way out. I can't imagine how you would go about evicting a gecko anyhow. You can't catch them, they're lightning quick and if you tried to contain him you might hurt him, or worse.

Of course, we've had more interesting pets along the way. When my children were young and whined about not having a dog or cat, I bought them fish or parakeets. The fish were definitely not exciting but you could teach a parakeet a few words and he tipped his head as if he was really listening to you.

I discovered my pet gecko a few days ago when I opened the blinds in the dining room. He clung to one of the slats, raised his head and tried to stare me down. "Go back where you came from," I said turning away. When I looked for him and couldn't find him I assumed he'd left the way he came in however that was accomplished. But, two nights ago I found him glaring at me from my bathroom floor and last night he was still in the bathroom resting next to a small table with a pot of fake flowers on it. "So, you're still with us," I whispered wondering what does one name a pet gecko. I still haven't named him and if he stays I don't know what he'll live on. What do geckos eat? If he's going to stay, I hope he has that cute Australian accent the green gecko on television has.