The whimsical animals
This whimsical story is a metaphor for children's rich and vivid imagination. Within the pet store, their imaginations are free to run wild, creating a number of interesting and exotic creatures. Firstly, the children focus on real animals such as dogs, cats, monkeys, and birds, but then their choices get more and more imaginative, creating animals such as the yent.
More and More pets
The children's heads are quickly turned as they discover more and more interesting animals. This is a metaphor for the fact that children are drawn to new and exciting things over what they are familiar with. It is also a metaphor for superficiality, and the fact that people are not content with what they have, but instead look for the next thing.
The dog and the cat
The dog and the cat that the children meet in the pet store represent the normal animals children would usually find there. For example, Kay sees a cat, "gave it a pat, and she said, "I want THAT." However, after this, the children are distracted by the more imaginative creatures.
