Somehow our children have persuaded their parents to buy them goldfish. We now have three on the back porch, courtesy of Petco and the Sloo family, who kindly gave us a surplus tank.
While the fish food wasn't cheap, the fish themselves were -- 81c each. Why? Because, I gather, they were 'feeder' fish, i.e. intended to be some other animal's prey. This I didn't make much of in front of Michael. It did bring home the odd ambiguity of the 'pet' store, though. For every child eyeing the store's assorted fish, mice, crickets and rats as potential objects of affection, others will be picking out dinner for the animals they love instead.