Family Pets - question for all Pet Talk people

[Karen]

Just a question of curiosity ... were previous generations of your family "pet people" as well? Mine, of course, were, and we grew up hearing stories of Dad's bulldogs, and bunnies, and pets from his neighborhood, as well as Ma's Mastiff mix who chomped her strawberry basket because she pretended to nibble it ... and other dogs and horses of hers.

I think the oldest generation pet photo is one I found going through Great Aunt Bertha's things - I have a blurry - because she wouldn't hold still - photo that MUST be Lorna Doone, the Scottie, as my great-grandmother tries to hold her in her lap for the picture. I had heard stories of the mischief of Lorna Doone, so the fact that the photo isn't clear because she wasn't cooperating just fits the stories!

[kitten645]

My parents are from Argentina and I've heard stories. My mom had a cat named Mono (Bow/Ribbon) cause she put a bow on it's tail. I guess her brothers (all older out of eight kids) would tie fire crackers to it's tail and my mom was so traumatized by it. By the same token, she used to yell at me when we were arriving at some international hotel on holiday and I'd be squeeling about the cat on the tarmac! LOL!
My dad was pretty typical for his day I guess. Professed no like of animals but I'd see him talking and petting our various cats growing up. He did tell of stories of turkeys, chickens and Llamas growing up. He always told the funny story of the Llama sticking his head thru an open window and swallowing a bunch of parts off my grandma's sewing machine
Family on my mom's side are also horse people and I loved visiting and being "given" my own horse. I only rode him one summer I was there but I loved that horse. *sigh*

[kittycats_delight]

From as far back as I remember there have always been pets in the family. My grandmother loved her cats (both my father's mom & my mother's mom). My grandfather breed and raised horses and my uncle did the same. My great grandmother (father's side) also loved her kitties. She always had a persian or 2. My father was the only one of the lot who was not an animal person. He liked his hounds for hunting but that was it. He was a mean little monster when he was young with the cats until my grandmother caught him. When she did she was mortified and broke a broom across his back as he started to run off and she couldn't get her hands on him. I think he is lucky it was the broom and not her hands.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

My Grandad was a great one for taking in stray dogs - Mum has clear memories of all sorts coming home on the end of a bit of string

[joycenalex]

my mom grew up during the depression in detroit ,she didn't have any pets, times were too hard for her family. while my mother did adjust to the idea of her "granddogs"-alex first them lady (brothers' beagle) she didn't know how to pet or cuddle them. 5 years ago, my sister, who lives with her got a very small mixed breed- stuart- and mom finally fell under the spell of dogs. she now carries dog cookies in her pockets to share with the dogs in her senior apartment complex.

[Ginger's Mom]

Interesting thread. Joyce's post about her mother reminds me very much of my grandmother. Although my Mother did have a dog when she was a teenager (an Eskie as a matter of fact), it was she and her father that took care of the dog. Grandmom never really knew what to do with the dog, but when she got older and moved in with my parents she started carrying dog biscuits around in her pocket. My father never had a pet growing up, and even when we were children his rule was no four legged pets. Actually, when I was young we had a rabbit, then we had a dog for about a year and a half (all when I was under 10 years of age). But after we got rid of that dog (my father was worried our nasty neighbor, a police officer, would hurt the dog), my father said no more four legged pets, so we had birds and fish. It's funny, because they were in their 60's my parents adopted a beagle from the shelter, and spoiled her like a baby.

[Medusa]

I wish I could say 'yes' but my parents didn't have pets. My father spoke of a dog that he knew of when he was a boy who used to chew gum and spit it out in a corner of the room and go back for it later but it wasn't my father's dog, I don't think. I'm not sure how I grew to be such an animal lover. I was always dragging some cat or dog and said that it followed me home. I think it might have something to do w/lack of money when they were growing up, although I'm not sure about that.

[Killearn Kitties]

All my Dad's family were animal lovers. They always had dogs and cats at home while he was growing up. There are photos of several of the animals in amongst the old family photos.

My Mum's family had a few cats over the years, although my Mum herself was not a big animal person when younger. She is more fond of them now. Mum never really wanted me to have animals when I was young, because I'd be upset when they died - big believer in prevention rather than cure my mother.

[Freedom]

My Mum was the huge animal lover. She grew up with cats. My grandmother (her mum) would walk around with one draped over her shoulders. For YEARS this was how grandma walked around when home and in the house.

My Dad grew up with animals as well. Times were different. Mostly, dogs did not come in the house, the exception being my Dad's dog, Tago. Dad was the youngest, so he finally got the 'rules' changed, te hee. They had cats, semi ferals who lived in the cellar and went in and out a cellar window. Mostly, the cats could not be handled. Kittens were disposed of in the river. Pets were not spayed / neutered, that just wasn't very common at that time in the area.

For many years they had a chicken farm; at its peak, over 28,000 chickens, For both eggs and eating. The chickens were better cared for than the kids, was the joke in the family. It was free range, with coops, for nests. Dad and his siblings went daily to gather eggs. The chicken farm got the family through the Depression; tough times.

[Cincy'sMom]

Obviously, my parents are pet people

My mom had dogs growing up. All of my mom's siblings have or had pets, as do most of my cousins.

My dad didn't have pets growing up. His sisters don't have pets. I only have two cousins on his side, and only 1 of those has pets, but they are recent additions.

I don't know if Ralph's parents had pets growing up or not, but he did have a dog. His parents don't have a dog now, although they love the grandpets and are always willing to watch them.

[pitc9]

I hear stories about when my dad was young and they had dogs, but they were left tied outside and the kids were not permitted to play with the dogs so that the dogs would be "mean" and protect them. Then when/if any kid got snapped at or bitten, my grandfather would. "Take the dog for a walk in the woods with a gun" It's hard to hear those stories and not feel anger towards him (my grandfather) but it's also hard to be angry with a man who I've never met! He died before I was born.

My mom grew up on a farm, they raised chickens but I don't ever remember hearing stories about any other animals.

As far back as I can remember growing up, we always had cats & dogs.
After raising 4 kids, they have the house to themselves now and have one of each now! I'm SURE they wouldn't want it any other way! Between me and my 3 sisters we have 7 dogs and 3 cats!

When I sent Toby to the bridge 11 months ago, my dad said something that I'll never forget. He told me that he misses Toby more than he missed his dad when he died.

[Taz_Zoee]

I'm not sure if my parents had animals growing up. But I do know my mom's mom always had a cat or two around. And my dad's mom had dogs. The two I remember were Bandit the pug and Benny the poodle.
But I ALWAYS had animals growing up. We had cows, pigs, horses, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, bunnies, goats (for a short time) and my sister had a bird for some years. Of course we always had a goldfish for a few months after the local fair came through town.
Most of the cows, pigs and chickens we had butchered and filled our freezers. (sorry) We never named the ones we knew would be food eventually. Of course we had the ones we did name and those remained pets.

[cmayer31]

Both my parents had dogs most of the lives, and my grandparents on my mom's side also had dogs. As far back as I can remember most of my relatives have had dogs. I guess I've done a good job keeping up the tradition.

[Laura's Babies]

I don't ever remember there not being a cat in the house. We had Tippy when we were very young, Pretty when we were older. My Grandmother always had a cat that she named from the Bible. You all know I have my Mom's kitty Boo right now, so I guess you could say we are generations of pet lovers. All my kids also have pets and so do my brother and sister.

[shepgirl]

Grandparents had horses and dogs, uncles had a dog and we had cats and dogs come and go as kids. We would drag home strays "just to give them a meal"- they ended up staying...