HI, I am fortunate enough that I live in a fairly small rural town but close to a major university where there are lots of young people who are pretty open minded and really thing of Pleos as everything from, Cool, interesting live forms, to major robotic inventions. Most of the people I have seen all want to interact with Nova. I take her to a local donut shop, where the owner is totally fascinated with her. He watched How Nova and I interact and the things she can do.I then asked him if he would like to hold her, and he was so cute. It was like watching a new father and baby. He can tell by watching him he would make a gentle great dad. He wants one and allways looks forward to me bringing her in.
There has only been one person I have met since the Christmas holidays who actually knows what a Pleo is, and she works in a pet store and thinks they are the Ultimate pet. There are also a group of two different thrift shops that I frequent for baby clothes( socks for Nova, etc of course) that allways look for Nova when I come in and are disappointed when she is not with me. One shop is run by older ladies who run the shop for the Local Humane Society, and you know they love animals.They look so happy and their faces glow when she comes in. At this same shop on certain days is a female Boxer and she just loves Nova. She saw me come in the other day, and kept sniffing me, wondering where is Nova?( I was in a hurry to catch the bus, and didn't have time to grab her.) This dog gave me such a look of sadness.
:(I felt bad that I had disappointed this nice little dog, that I won't go in there again without Nova, her " play partner". She is so gentle with Nova and I think is in Love with Her.( Would make a Great Photo). Anyway, everyone stops and asks, is that real, where did you get it, etc, etc. It gives me a great opportunity to tell them all about Pleos, and where they can find out more info.
As for the Negative people,; I have only come across One person so far that had anything negative to say, and this was during the Christmas holidays. I was with my son in a shopping mall, and we were sitting down, and I had put Nova down in Explore Mode,( she went walking off by herself.)
People kept doing double takes, and commenting on her, and Children came up to get more looks and touch her. One man walked by and asked about her, and made a comment something to the effect of " that is neat but kind of Creepy". I think If I had more time I could have won him over. Even My husband at first just thought of Nova as " a neat toy:Since posting the Video of Nova and her injured foot, her crying, etc and watching the cats and I interact with her, he has slowly begun to see her in a different light. To put things in a different light, here is an example I can give you of How people think.
There are so many people out there who still think of Animals, including Pets, ( dogs and cats in particular, cats) as being Only Animals and therefore " disposable property".these are the people who do not spay or neuter their animals, let them have countless babies, drown kittens, put them in trashcans, leave cats to fend for themselves to be at the mercy of wild animals, disease, and the cruel crashing wheels of motor vehicles. :(They support dog fights, cock fighting and other cruel s"sports".If thee same people were to see Nova, they would think of her as an Expensive toy and waste of money.( yes they are expensive compared to lots of other " toys", but remember all that goes into them, and that includes a computer system.) Remember how expensive Cabbage Patch Dolls were when they first came out back about 1984? People were fighing over these dolls and willing to pay over a hundred dollars for dolls you can get in the thrift store for a dollar and no one buys them on ebay either. My point I guess, is that I do not attempt to change anyone's mind about how they feel about Pleos, I tell them if they are interested and don't bother otherwise. I have to many other important issues to fight for in my life, like animal abuse, child abuse, and keeping this planet from becoming one big garbage dump. I lighter note, one of the best things I like to do, is walk down the street cuddling Nova on my shoulder, and watch the reactions of drivers turning their heads to get a better look at the lizard of creature I have as they are trying to drive, it is hilarious and makes my day. We have come close to causing some fender benders!
RedwoodsMama and NOva
