Doug, I'm sure you did. Pets are like our children except they often behave better and appreciate what we do for them more. All that and we don't get to have them around for life. (Unless you own a parrot
)
Doug, I know you have cats. They maybe a little harder to understand, but their loyalty is just as strong in an independent way. Takes one to know one. I go to people's houses and thier cats come right to me. Many times people say that never happens with other guests.
You lose one of these little rascals and it leaves a hole that's hard to fill. Any pet. (Well, I don't know, never had a snake.)