The Battle for Nirvana

Hello everyone,

My name is Anthony Guifarro I’m 23 years old I was born in Honduras, but raised in South Florida. I want to start off by saying that I love my family, they mean the world to me. I’m grateful for having such great parents.  Growing up with my parents was not easy I love them like crazy but our ideology in life is totally different. Their ideas are very old school and of course my ideas in life our more modern. For example, as a kid growing up I always wanted a pet, and my belief is that pets are a great source to express affection, love, and unity. My parents on the other hand being old school only saw pets as animals. They would always blurt out “all animals think a like they just want to survive and as long as they’re fed and they have a roof over their head then they are happy”.  My argument back to them was “You’re wrong…  Pets need loving too they should be able to sleep and cuddle in a nice comfy bed just like babies.” Well at the end of the day they always won the battle, but not the war!

Finally, after 18 years of battling for pet ownership I was plotting my final battle with my parents a battle I could not lose. That plot was simple, if I can manage to work with animals in a vet hospital or some sort of veterinary clinic I can slowly lure them into defeat and finally own a dog of my own. My plan of dominance was brilliant. I was ready to attack and how did I do it?  “The Guilt Trip”.  Bwahaha, Cough, cough. Surely, my plan would come together. Thanks to a friend I managed to get hired at an animal hospital. This place was a great training camp. I got a lot of Intel from a veteran technician.  Sadiel taught me the fundamentals of pet care and how to be a good vet technician. Within a year I learned how to care for both cats and dogs. After a year of work and dedication I was ready to confront my parents with my final move to win the long battle of being a pet ownership. I was waiting to find a special pet friend that needed a home and that was willing to help me unleash my “Guilt Trip Attack” to my parents.  It wasn’t easy finding special friend, especially in a hospital where so many pets come in an out looking for homes. I had to be smart in choosing my pet. I was looking for a small, but tough puppy, a puppy easy to train and one that could soften the hearts of my parents.

Unfortunately I did not find the puppy of my choice but I did find the perfect pet to sneak in to my house… a baby kitten. She was only 4 days old and she was anonymously left by someone in the front door of the animal hospital. I found her so all my coworkers begged me to keep her. I hesitated because I wanted a puppy not a kitten but I at the end of the day I felt selfish, and the kitten needed someone to take care of her and nurse her back to health. I decided to take the kitten home. I gave my parents one of the biggest guilt trips I have ever given in the history of my family’s history.  It was not an easy battle to win, my final words to my parents after an hour of disputing was “please let me keep the kitten she will DIE if she’s not bottle fed and nursed. Please let me keep her until she’s two months of age and then I’ll find her a home. If she dies it will be both your fault, please, please, it’s only two months!”

 Two months became two years and that’s how long I have had Nirvana. I named her Nirvana because she brought peace to my home and she woke up my parents and made them realize that pet ownership awakens new feelings and emotions. It brought unity to my family and now my family expresses more love and affection towards each other. What shocked me the most was that both of my parents express more love and affection towards Nirvana than they do to their own kids! I don’t get it? Now my parents and siblings don’t ever leave her alone, everyday both of my parents and my brother and sister want to love on Nirvana all the time. Typical of cats, my beautiful Nirvana is annoyed by my families love and affection. Nirvana is now fighting a new battle with my parents… the battle for peace and quiet.