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.

[ramanth]

Yep.

My dad had a Basenji as a boy. I think they had some cats too.

My mom grew up with cats and Springer Spanials.

After my parents married they had 2 Irish Setters (Rusty died when I was 8).

Grandparents had daushaunds (before my mom was born), cats, Springers, and a Doberman that I remember fondly.

I grew up with cats. Losing the Setters was hard on my parents (Shane was stolen and killed; Rusty died young of bloat ) so despite how much my sisters and I begged, they never got dogs again.

Which is why my sisters and I adopted dogs soon after moving out on our own.

[Edwina's Secretary]

We called my mother Dr. Doolittle because she fed so many animals. We had two dogs in the house, cats that were indoor/outdoor/barn cats, and horses. At one time there were three dogs. My mother also fed a flock of wild turkeys, the horses next door, and other assorted wild animals. She has always been an animal person. She had dogs growing up and my father had a dog as a child.

Even though my parents are in their 80's they still must have a dog to make their life complete.

[jazzcat]

My Dad (who is almost 86) grew up in a very small, poor farming community. His Dad, although never formally trained, was considered the animal doctor in the area. He helped care for everyone's farm animals and pets. Unfortunately he died when I was 5 years old so I didn't get to know him but my Dad says I inherited his love of animals.

[Twisterdog]

My mother grew up on a ranch, so animals were not pets. They had barn cats that kept the mice under control, and a herding dog that moved the cattle. But no pets for the sake of having pets. After my grandparents retired and moved to town, my grandmother had Persian cats, a pomeranian and canaries, though.

My dad, OTOH, always had a pet or two growing up. They weren't "family" pets, as his was a rather disfunctional family. They were pets he found, because he liked animals. Once, someone gave him a wire haired fox terrier. Once he had a coyote as a pet!

We always had a dog growing up. But only one at a time, and it was a pet "for the kids." After all of us kids grew up and left home, neither one of my parents ever got another pet. My mom isn't an animal person, she prefers plants and grandkids. But my dad loves animals, I never understood why he didn't get a pet. I bought him birds once for Father's Day, he made me take them back. And my sister and I have tried to give him dozens of dogs over the years.

My sister and I both have eight dogs, and are involved with rescues and shelters. But my brother has never owned a pet.

[Glacier]

We always had two cats growing up--one for me, one for my sister. And we always had a dog, but the dogs were outside almost all the time. Cats were allowed to roam at will and many never came home. Vet care was minimal, although my Dad is the first spay/neuter advocate I ever knew. We lived in the country and often found strays. We were allowed to keep them, but my sis and I had to save up our allowances and get them altered. I'm sure Dad had a deal with the vet to pay the real bill later. Even in the late 70's, 20 bucks form a 7&5 year old didn't cover a spay!

My Dad does not like cats and barely tolerates dogs. My Mom is a cat lady and frequently tells my Dad that within 24 hours of his death, she'll have a house cat! My parents were just here. It took them longer to drive up here than they stayed to visit! They stayed for five days cuz that's all my Dad can stand of my zoo. Even that is seriously pushing it for him....that's why he usually offers to pay my airfare to come to his house!

My sister has one cat, but we have serious differences in how they should be cared for....her cat is allowed to roam, eats crappy food and if it got seriously ill, I have no doubt she'd just put it down. She shares custody of a small terrier mix with my brother. About a week at a time is all she can stand of a dog, even less if it's a big dog! She hasn't been to my house in over five years.

My one brother has small dogs, including the one he shares with my sister. He went to remarkable lengths to prolong his last dog's life, but I suspect that was more his wife using his Visa card than my bro's choice.

The other brother has never owned a pet. His wife wouldn't let a goldfish in their house. Animals are dirty, messy, germ balls as far she's concerned. I've never seen her kids with dirt on their faces, a toy on the floor!

[Cinder & Smoke]

We always had two cats growing up -- one for me, one for my sister.
And we always had a dog ...

My Dad does not like cats and barely tolerates dogs.
My Mom is a cat lady ...

My sister has one cat ...

My one brother has small dogs,
including the one he shares with my sister ...

The other brother has never owned a pet.
His wife wouldn't let a goldfish in their house ...

And then, God created Tamara ...
And the Animals said "This is good; Thanks, God."

[K9karen]

And then, God created Tamara ...
And the Animals said "This is good; Thanks, God."

AMEN to that!

[jennielynn1970]

I think it gets passed down from my dad's side of the family, lol.

My grandpa was a total nut about cats. He and my grandma had a bunch of indoor cats, and then also neighborhood strays that they fed. ALL the strays had names too! When my grandpa died and we cleaned out the house, there was so much cat food stock piled, it was just crazy. At that point he only had 2 indoor cats (Tiny and Lucey), but still a bunch of strays he fed. There were over 200 cans of cat food, 40 boxes of dry food, and about the same with Tender Vittles.

Also, in his will, he left most of his money to the church, but the rest went to Tiny and Lucey. He wanted to make sure they were well taken care of. He was a good guy with a big heart.

My dad will feed any stray animal. It can be a raccoon, a skunk, a opossum, basically anything with fur or feathers, lol. All you have to say is "hey, there was a ____________ sitting outside earlier" and within about 20 minutes there will be bowls of food sitting out here and there for them.

At the moment he's feeding some ducks that have decided that they like the cracked corn at the bird feeder. There are 5 of them total, and they're just so darn cute, lol. They wade up the creek, walk up the neighbor's yard, and cross the little road to my parents' house to get to the bird feeder. My dad also set up a stand with cobs of dried field corn on it as well. He's too funny. My mom just rolls her eyes, but she loves it as well, although Dad is more of a softy than she is, lol.