Kittens. They're No Pug.

Last weekend we adopted 2 sister kittens named Tiger and Lilly. They are really cute and sweet and perfect for our family. Fixed, no claws, litter box trained, almost a year old, and they are already named which is a bonus considering the kids would have gone rounds about who got to name them had they not been.
I was the one who really wanted kittens. I wanted the kittens because I really miss my pug, Cleo but I absolutely do not want a dog because the last thing I need right now is another thing that needs my constant attention. I if I was to ever get another dog I can only see myself getting a pug and the thought of another dog literally makes my heart ache.
Cleo was my companion through the toughest time in my life. She was given to me by an acquaintance because one night when we had had too many beers I started talking about how cute I thought pugs were and how badly I wanted one and she said she had one who was pregnant but I could have her once she had her puppies. In my intoxicated state I agreed. I was not thinking about the fact that I worked all the time, lived in an apartment by myself and had no money.
When I got Cleo she had just had puppies, she was full of fleas and worms. She was as broken as I was. I got her into the vet the next day because she was easy to fix. After that she was so grateful to be taken care of she was my buddy. She slept with me, and we usually slept on the couch because she couldn't jump on my bed. I found her snorting hilarious when other people found it annoying, and I loved the way she slept with her tongue sticking out of her mouth.
Sometimes the fact that Cleo had to go outside was the only reason I went outside at all. When I had her I got fired from a job I thought I loved and I thought I was going to stay at for a long time. It was the only time I was ever on unemployment so I didn't really have much to do, so I didn't do much of anything. I stayed home and was depressed. Cleo made me get off the couch.
When I met my daughter's dad and he asked me to move to Oregon with him I told him I would go if my dog could come with us. So she did. I took my dog across the country with me. She lost half her body weight when we were in Oregon. She went to the beach with us and ran in the surf and she went hiking in the mountains. She was well traveled. Things changed when we came back to Indiana because I was pregnant with my daughter. I still loved Cleo but she wasn't the reason I got off the couch anymore.
When Cleo got to the point where she couldn't see or hear anymore and she was in pain, and it was time to put her down it wasn't a surprise but it still hurt more than I expected. I still mourn her every time I see a pug. So when I decided it was time for us to get a pet I knew it could not be a dog. I have been missing Cleo more than usual lately. I think about her a lot and I wish she could see me happy because she was with me through so much sadness. 
 The kittens are the right choice for our family now. They are still getting used to the chaos that is our family and so for now they hide in my room most of the day and come out at night, but they are getting more comfortable. Hopefully these kittens will be the family pets these kids remember growing up with until they move out and get their own first pets.