What do you think about pets?

[memoriesbymichelle]

Do you have any? Do you desire any? Why or why not?

I have 2 dogs. One we got for my husband. His name is Turbo and he is a 13 year old Pom-Chi. Half pomeranian and half chihuahua. He is fawn color. Looks like a little fox.
The other one is actually my son's dog although he spends more time with me. He is a 5 month old lab mix. He is black and white and his name is Soldier. He's got white socks and 3 feet have one black toe. The back of his head is black with one white spot.

I think I would be even more lonely if I didn't have the dogs. Some days I feel like besides God they are the only ones that care about me.

 

[dayhiker]

I don't have any pets. We had them when I was a kids and enjoyed them.
But I wanted to travel and didn't have the support system to look after them when I was away.

 

[sparkydave]

My two cats keep me company, and they keep each other company while I'm at work. They play together, groom each other, and Tiger the younger one curls up next to me at night. Midnight, the older one, curls up on my lap when I'm trying to use the computer. I've had Midnight since he was a kitten and he came from a litter that one of my colleagues was trying to find homes for. Tiger was a year old when I got her from the APL, and she's the scaredy cat of the house. The slightest noise will spook her into levitating into the air. Midnight is chief guard kitty; he's got to check out anyone who comes through the door and won't let them get by until he's sniffed them thoroughly. He's also the only cat I've ever known who LOVES to have his tummy rubbed. He will roll on his back like a dog and insist that I rub his tummy, purring loudly. If I try to stop he'll grab my arm in a bear hug and won't let go until he thinks I've rubbed it enough.

 

[BigMat]

I like animals and pets and have had a number of them throughout my life but, they have never been any kind of alleviation for loneliness for me.

Animals just don't it for me. They simply aren't people. Particularly, they aren't a spouse. You can't explore and know their hearts and minds and they can't know yours. You cannot share any kind of intimacy with them -- i.e. spiritual, emotional, intellectual. There's a reason that no suitable companion was found for Adam amongst the animal world.

In all honesty, having animals around when I am lonely just makes me feel even more lonely. They cannot even begin to comprehend me, understand me, know me and, as well, I just am not on the same wavelength when it comes to that sort of thing with them. While I've always liked animals, they always end up being just one more thing that requires life and love be poured into them -- life and love that does not get replenished. Too much has been taken from me and never put back for me to be able to afford having an animal that requires even more be taken and not put back. So, while I like animals, I am content to not have any.

If I had to have an animal then it would definitely be a dog -- a big dog. No scrawny ones. God made dogs far more suitable for interaction and life with humans than any other animal. For humans, they are the gems of the animal kingdom.

 

[blackribbon]

My son has a big old hound dog. He is a good dog...but was a lot of work because he was very affected when we had to leave him behind for six months. I think he now trusts that he is with us for good. I'm afraid that he has skin cancer though. I won't pay the money to get it checked out because I suspect that messing with it is more likely to make it spread. Skin cancer in a dog has just as bad of a prognosis as skin cancer in a person. I hate the idea that my son might lose his dog to the same cancer as his dad. However, so far, he is doing okay except for the strange lump that grows and fades.

My daughter's dog died a year after her dad. I got her a cat when we moved. He has been the salvation of our family. He is the strangest cat ever and is the source of infinite humor and love. I actually think he thinks he is the dog's little brother. He makes a sound that is more like a sharp bark than a normal cat sound. He walks around with a little stuffed animal in his mouth. And he sleeps in the same positions as the dog.

No, they don't replace my spouse...but they help the house to not feel so empty.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

Hope this works. It's a cat that barks like a dog!

<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=1377013962511346" width="320" height="240" frameborder="0"></iframe>

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

Hey Sparkydave, I never pegged you for being a "cat" guy! LOL

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

Hey BigMat,

At least you know if you confide in your pets that they will keep your secrets .
My pets don't replace human relationships, but when there isn't anybody else around, I'm happy to have them there. My dogs definitely love me unconditionally, which doesn't always happen in human relationships.

 

[mjmcmillan]

I've had a dog. Way back in the '80s, I got him from the local dog-pound. At the time, I lived above a veterinarian's office which also served as the dog-pound, and this one I got actually just before he would have been put down. I had him for 10 years.

Some time later (2008/2009) a couple of cats "owned" me. Anybody familiar with cats will know how that works. The cat chooses its favorite person, and for some reason these cats chose me. One was a neighborhood stray, I meowed at it and it meowed back, and from then on it would meet me when I came home from work, dashing across several yards to be petted. My wife at the time called the city, seems the animal had got into a conflict with a raccoon and lost an ear in the ordeal, so-- that ended that. Then, her daughter got a kitten, and wouldn't you just know that cat became "mine". This lasted right up until a couple of weeks before my wife drove me out of the apartment, shortly before then she got rid of the cat.

Since 2009 I haven't had any pets, my lifestyle/work hours really don't permit me to have any pet that requires as much time as dogs and cats require.

 

[miss-a]

I love my little cat. I didn't want to get attached this time and told my self I would not. But one day, back when I was sick, it was a summertime habit to wake up early, open the windows to get the cool morning air in and then go back to bed. On this particualr day I woke four hours later and as I was coming out of my grogginess, suddenly remembered that I'd opened the office window--and it didn't have a screen! Kitty had been out, indoor kitty that is, on her own for four hours. that's when I realized I was attached. I walked all over the neighborhood calling her for hours. Then I finally remembered to pray. Moments later I spied her little striped behind not more than twenty yards from the house, poking out of some tall weeds, her nose likely scoping out june bugs.

So I retrieved kitty and have been happily attached ever since. There's just something about someone who can have their day made by batting around a used tissue. You've got to love 'em. I mean how cute is this cat--really--I mean...

 

[blackribbon]

Hope this works. It's a cat that barks like a dog!

<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=1377013962511346" width="320" height="240" frameborder="0"></iframe>

I LOVED THIS! He is better at barking than my cat though... My dog is silent except when he gets left outside and he does a single bark to let us know he is waiting for the door to open...followed by a single bark then a pause...etc...

So when Fred (our cat) is calling for someone lets out this single chirp-like sound which we think is his version of the dogs single bark...

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

check out this dog's bark! ROFL! Sounds like someone is being attacked Hahahahaha!

Unusual Dog's Unique Bark Will Make You Laugh - Cute Video

 

[YellowRoses01]

I love dogs, cats, horses, pigs, though overall, I'm a turtle freak. I have a bunch of box turtles.

 

[dayhiker]

Hi Yellow .. welcome to CF.

 

[miss-a]

Speaking of pets: KEN DAVIS SERIOUSLY FUNNY DVD 6 OF 6 - YouTube

 

[sedonarose]

I would be lost w/o my cat. She has been such a source of joy and peacefulness. Whenever I have a bad day, she is there to cuddle and make me feel better. I like animals b/c their "love" is unconditional. They don't care what you look like or what mistakes you've made in the past, they just like you for who you are.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

That's how I feel about dogs!

 

[miss-a]

I'm quite attached to my little cat, as well.

 

[bobross]

No pets for me but I do love animals. I used to have a scottie dog but he died of old age

 

[iambren]

Nah,I could do without pets. All that dander and spills the house feels dirty though I do understand the joy people can get from them.