Born or Made?

[Karen]

Do you think pet lovers are born or made? I am thinking of people I know who grew up without a pet, but always knew they'd get a certain kind - for example, a cat - when they were adults on their own. So do you think that some people are born either dog or cat or lizard or bunny people from the start?

Have you always known you loved the kind of pet you have, or did you learn to love them, or both?

[Karen]

I, of course am a "born loving them all," as anyone who has met me knows! I love kitties even though I am terribly allergic to them, and dream about all sorts of animal friends, including a baby giraffe last night.

[kokopup]

I was brought up with Cats and dogs. I did try to adopt an Alligator once, but when my mother was introduced to it, when she got up to give my baby sister her bottle, I was forced to return it to the adoption agency. My efforts to adopt snakes ended the same way. I did have some short runs with lizards but my older sister usually talked me out of them. She liked to wear them on her blouse. She had a way of hypnotizing them and they would just cling to her all day.

[Freedom]

I think people are born loving animals, or not. I too know folks who never had a pet as and always knew they would have one.

I've met folks who were "dog people," or "cat people." Funny thing, they are always conscious enough o animals to say, "but I would never hurt [insert the other species]" I'm just not excited about them or wouldn't want to own one etc. So they appreciate animals.

I have an aunt (by marriage! not a blood relation) who does not like animals of any kind and can't understand why anyone would have a pet. Needless to say, she is not someone I get along with very well!

Karen, I didn't understand the poll; question is general but the responses seem to be what we are. Maybe I just can't read it right. Sorry.

[Reachoutrescue]

I think people are "born loving all"....maybe it is a genetic thing! I also know several people, young and old, that did not grow up with pets but LOVE animals and now do rescue work. I don't think an animal lover can be made or taught. It is in our blood.

[happylabs]

I think I was a born animal lover in general. I had a dog from the time I was born and almost all of my life until the last year when I had Casey put down. I never had a cat until I was in my early 40's. I didn't really "love" cats until I had my own but always liked them.

[carole]

I was raised on a farm so i guess i was taught how to love animals by my parents, i don't think i was necessarily born to love animals, i think my upbringing had a lot to do with it, i love all animals, but i must admit i am mostly a cat person, always liked cats and had them all my life until i became allergic and then did not have one for many years, until along came our beloved Ash, however i have to say i am now a definite cat person 100 per cent, infact i am totally smitten by them. i can relate really well to what Cataholic has said in her post, i could have written that myself lol.

[Twisterdog]

I believe people are born with the propensity to love animals, or not. I don't think it really matters if you have pets or not growing up.

I loved all animals, especially dogs, from the time I was a toddler. We had one dog when I was a child, but that's all. My mom said when I was a little girl, we would go to her friends houses to visit new moms and babies when they were born. She expected me to be ga-ga over the new baby, like she was. Apparently, I could have cared less and didn't even want to look at the baby. But, I would always ask the mom, "Do you have any pets? Do you have a dog? Can I pet her?"

As soon as I grew up and moved out, I got every species of animals sold in the pet trade, at one time or another. Now, I only have dogs again, but I have eight of them! I also know people who grew up in a house full of all kinds of animals, and as adults said, "Yuck. No way I'm having all those animals in my house like my parents did!"

[dab_20]

I was always an animal lover since I was a toddler. I LOVED horses as a child, although I never had one until I was 14. However, I am definitely a dog lover now and always have been.

I pretty much love most animals, and always will. I think a true animal lover is born that way, or at least has a special love of them from a very young age.

My boyfriend grew up not liking animals, never wanted them. Since he met me he has totally changed his mind about dogs and just adores mine, especially Sammy (and Sam ADORES him!). He may not be a dog-lover, but he is capable of loving dogs he knows.

[Bengalz]

I grew up on a farm with a variety of animals - we always had dogs and cats as pets.

When we moved into a city (without our farm pets) and I began to go to school cats often followed me home. My Mom and Dad finally let me have my first kitten when I was 12. Sammy was beautiful and my best friend and my family had him for 22 years!

I think people in general are born without bias one way or another; circumstances and immediate environment shape their choices and preferences. My pets were my first friends - living on a farm with no other children around can be lonely. Our dogs and cats were my playmates and I grew up feeling more comfortable with them than other children. Going to school in the city changed that however, my love for animals never changed. Life without a furry friend is a lonely place.

[Barbara]

While I loved animals I was also scared of some of them when I was a kid- e.g. cats- after I put my hands in what I now can recognize as cat diarrhea in my sand box
Plus I was scared of many dogs- like the big Rottie our butcher had.
I even was scared stiff of wolves- thanks to Grimm's tales and some dreams I had.
It changed when I grew up. The wife of my dad's cousin was into dog rescue and when I was 18 I stayed in their house with 5 dogs when they went on vacation. I always thought then I would breed dogs.
I do not know exactly when I became a cat person - the first cat was a rescue in a house my first husband and I shared with others when I was 21. I suppose it was Grisette's babies who totally won me over.
If I had a big house that was really in the country side I would still have cats and dogs.
As for other animals like wolves I learned to love them when I knew more about them and today I think they are so beautiful and do not deserve their bad reputation in kids' tales.
I am still a little bit reluctant with insects and spider-likes. I think they are wonderful and very useful- but it would be a bit much to say I love them. I was however never scared of snakes.

[SinbadsMom]

Born loving them all...and I think all or almost all people are born that way (just as almost all baby animals seem to be born loving and open). IMO it's usually something in the environment or how they're raised that changes/limits the natural openness and love (or doesn't offer opportunities, in the case of people who don't have pets when young and aren't around animals very often).

Cindy