What pets (and others) see ...

I had a strange experience the other day ... I would like to hear your views on the matter.

I was taking the dog out for a walk. I met my friend Phil who was taking his goldfish for a walk. Yes, his goldfish. He places the goldfish bowl in a baby pram and walks round the park to give the fish a change of scenery.

I suppose it’s not as strange as me taking the dog for a walk. My dog is so lazy that he now stands on a skateboard and I have to pull him behind me with a rope. Every so often he gets off the skateboard, sniffs the aroma around a tree or lamp post, and leaves his calling card before mounting the skateboard again.

Anyway, Phil and I got talking and he asked me the oddest question ever.

“Do you ever undress in front of your pets?”

What?

I must admit, I had never considered the question before; but Phil said that he noticed recently his goldfish acting most strangely and it became very agitated whenever he undressed.

I explained that looking through the goldfish bowl everything his fish sees must be out of proportion and look bigger than it really is.

Phil did not understand what I meant.

(At this point my mind was doing somersaults, as I suspect yours is doing right now!)

Phil thought about it for a while and then said, “You know … pets may be a different species to us humans but they still think, I guess. Fish, dogs, cats, hamsters and the like … when they see you naked, with nothing on, they probably wonder what is going on! They think you've shed your skin or something like that! They normally see you clothed and they assume that's normal, and then you're naked with all your bits hanging out and it could traumatise them, you know!”

I thought about this for a moment and I was about to say something when Phil continued:

“Now whenever we take the goldfish bowl upstairs in the bedroom we cover it with a towel before we undress so as not to traumatise him!”

“You take the goldfish to the bedroom with you?” I asked incredulously.

“Yes of course, he is part of the family you know. We don’t just leave him downstairs in the TV room. But you haven’t answered my question. Do you undress in front of your dog?” he asked.

I looked at my dog enjoying another tree and said nothing.

Phil did not let the subject drop. He continued, "I read somewhere that the souls of our dearly departed, when they're in Heaven, they can see us and what we do. What do you think of that when you're in the shower?"

I really don't know what to think.

What do you think? Do you undress in front of your pets?