defective pet gene

I don't remember ever wanting a pet. I do remember having a cat when I was really little (probably 4 years old). I remember sitting in the hallway sobbing when my mom told me my cat had died when my dad accidently ran over it. However, I don't remember ever wanting a pet. Dogs, cats, turtles, and hamsters all just leave me cold. I detest being sniffed and muzzled by dogs. I don't like cat hair and don't see the point of hamsters running around on wheels.

Is this a cold heart on my part or just the absence of a pet-loving gene? My friend, Andrea, loves every furry, fuzzy, creepy, crawly species you can imagine and she is very soft-hearted, so I'm sure a case could be made that I am just hard-hearted.

I don't dislike all animals. I love wild animals. I have been known to stand still for 30 minutes (a minor miracle for me) just staring at the majesty, grace, and beauty of a deer. I recently was at the National Zoo in D.C. and found great joy in watching the pandas interact together so playfully, but geckos and gerbils just don't do anything for me. Maybe my pet gene is defective.