I just want to encourage everyone searching for a mate, or family, not to give up just because it's difficult.
I always wanted a zoo-friendly mate and searched high and low for her for the better part of two decades. Never found her.
I had lots of girlfriends, and even a few "serious" (e.g. loooooong term) relationships, but zoo stuff was always off the table within the
relationship. That's not to say I didn't have my 4-legged lovers and secret life, just not someone I could share this with. And although
I made it work, it was less than ideal. I got caught and "outed" by one GF. I came out to another, and that ended that.
As for the rest, I always had to keep things secret and deal with the complications.
As I got older, I started thinking about having a family. I was never comfortable with kids, even when I was a kid! But somehow, old
father time got to me, and I started thinking it might be the next great adventure for me. Not too long after, I met a woman who lit my
fire in all the right ways and for once in my life, when she brought up her desire to have kids I was open to it. There was one caveat:
Anyone I was going to marry would have to accept that I am attracted to animals and that was not going to change.
So, after dating about 3 months, I told her. She was shocked, a bit disgusted, quite amazed, and NOT into it. However, we were in love
and I guess she accepted me as long as I didn't expect her to participate. I also assured her she would be my first priority, and I have
tried to honor that (even when I didn't feel like it!) We put all the cards on the table, worked out what she expected, what I did...
You know, acted like adults.
And now, 13 years later we are still married, and have a kid. I'm still active, although not nearly as much as I was before. She has what
she wants, I have what I need, and we have a beautiful daughter who is.... a pain in the butt! Kids are a ton of work! lol
But also amazing, creative, kind and sources of endless amusement and love. I'm very glad we made a mini-me!
Is it a perfect union? No. Could it ever be? Probably not. But with love and honesty you can get a lot of what you need. And the kicker
is that after all these years, the wife has a growing curiosity about 4-legged lovers. We even recently got a new dog she adores. So who knows? Maybe dreams do come true...