My parrot ate my keyboard

One of the great joys in life is having pets. The unconditional love, the snuggles, the excitement they show when you get home - these things add an emotional fulfillment to daily existence that can't be achieved in another way.

I think everyone's life would be better with a pet (or two) in their lives. It's an incredible experience. Except for those few times when it isn't. Both my wife and I work from home, and in a two-bedroom Los Angeles apartment with a kid, two dogs, and a bird, we're constantly in close quarters.