Family Pets - question for all Pet Talk people

[shais_mom]

my mom and her side lived on a farm so they didn't have indoor pets - didn't really 'believe' in them. They had outside dogs and cats. And a pony at one time I believe.
My dad on the other hand - had baby pigs and lambs in the house - the token goose at a time.
Several dogs and cats. He still talks about their dog Trude who Grandpa used to let upstairs to wake him up and she didn't stop until she'd pushed him out of bed. He still talks about TC - (Top Cat) a cat they had that was 38 inches from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail who used to box with my grandpa when he tied his shoes, until Grandpa came away with bloody knuckles. And the time dad had spent the nite with friends at a Marathon Horror movies at the drive in and as he was putting the car away TC jumped from the rafters of the barn on top of his shoulders! And he didn't stop until he was upstairs under the covers - he left the barn door open as well as the house door!
Another time he had a bottle baby lamb that my great-great-grandma used to feed in her rocking chair. Well, that baby lamb turned into a 150 pound buck and Dad brought him into the house and he saw my great Great Grandma in her rocker and got all excited and came running at her and jumped into her lap- and knocked her and the chair clean over! my dad took off upstairs with the buck in close pursuit!!
The nite my grandma died we said that there were probably so many animals in her room to follow her to the Bridge that there wasn't room in there for anyone else! And she was buried with a copy of the Rainbow Bridge.

[chocolatepuppy]

I grew up with cats and dogs. The cats were outside cats, they could come in the house, but no litter box, they had to go outside. Most of them would disappear after a while.
The dogs were my dad and brother's hunting dogs. They too lived outside. I do remember when it got extremely cold outside the dogs came in the basement.
When I was seven my parents got a poodle! I thought he was all mine! Of course, he was a house dog.
We had rabbits, mice, and fish also over the years. When I was a teen my now hubby, got me a few ducks!
So no wonder I love animals. Great thread Karen.

[Hellow]

My Dad's dad had a ton of beagles and used to hunt with them. My moms mom hated animals so obviously not a animal person!

[critter crazy]

My grandmother was the only one that I can think of that had pets. She had toy poodles. I had a cat at one point while growing up, but that was all till I was a teen, and my mom married my stepdad, and he had a chihuahua mix. I have always loved animals, just never realy got to have any till I was an adult. then of course I went nuts, and had to have them all!!! To hubbys dismay! LOL!!

[CountryWolf07]

Yes.

My grandparents had a Black Lab, then a Chichuahua - My mom's parents.. My dad's parents always had dogs - from a Basset Hound to Beagles to Bloodhound to Alaskan Malamute..

Always been around dogs.

[Karen]

It's funny, this thread made me think of my paternal Grandma, my beloved Grandma. She obviously loved dogs, as Dad grew up with bulldogs, but when she came to live with us after Grandpa died, we had our German Shepherd, Sheba. Well, Grandma really didn't think dogs belonged on the furniture - not the sofa, and not beds. After the first time she came in the living room to find Sheba asleep on the couch and scolded her (poor thing, she didn't know new person meant new rules) she never found her there again. Did Sheba still sit and sleep on the couch? Of course! But even deep asleep, she'd somehow hear Grandma coming, slide down and curl up on the floor, and at least pretend to be sound asleep. So Grandma might find a warm, dog-shaped spot on the couch, replete with fine black dog hairs, but she was never able to scold Sheba again!

(Oh, and how do I know she really did love dogs? Well, Sheba was never pear-shaped until Grandma came to live with us!)

[Catlady711]

I think I'm about the only true pet lover in my family. Some of my relatives "like" animals and have owened one or two at some point, but I think I'm the only one that feels lonely without a pet.

[Argranade]

My cousin and aunt are huge pet lovers.

They had dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters and who knows what else lol.

My grandparents had a dog, a budgie and a pigeon that would follow them all the time.

Both my parents had a pigeon that would follow them, dogs, cockatiels, bunnies ect...

Growing up my parents were never involved with animals, but that changed when I was born lol.

[Catty1]

Dad grew up with at least one dog...one of the favourite 'family debates' that lasted for YEARS concerned what breed Min (the dog) was. Just one of those questions you hear at all the family events over the years, and there is never an answer, and that's ok! I don't recall they had any more animals...one uncle had a cat, my Dad and Mom had two cats at a time, and two Golden Retrievers later on. My sister and I were cat nuts, and have always had them in pairs - my sister went for Oriental breeds, the cats that would not be kept for breeding, and I always rescued.

My mom's side - she grew up on a farm, so there were cats and a couple of dogs. She loved the horses, and still loves them - she says horses are 'just like cats'.

I remember we went out to my grandma's farm (mom's mom) one time, and almost all the cats had distemper...Dad had to take care of them by shooting them...at least, with his cop training, it was quick. This was in Glenella Manitoba, literally in the middle of NOWHERE...the closest vet would have been at least two hours.

Many of my cousins on my dad's side have pets - but almost none on my mom's side.

Neat thread, Karen.

[cassiesmom]

There were two meezers in my family when my brother and sister were little. I believe my great grandparents had a dog. An aunt and uncle had a dog and another aunt has two cats.

[Cincy'sMom]

I think most of these pictures have been posted before...quite a long time ago, but they are some the pets fromthe past.

Me about 30 years ago, with one of the 2 dogs my parents had before children, Simon


My dad with Mickey and Simon


My grandma and one of their dogs, Toby


My aunt and Pierre


My grandma and Sooty, My aunt's dog (Sooty is one of the first dogs I really remember from childhood)

[Casper]

I don't recall anyone in my ancestry to be pet people aside from a few on my dad's side.

My Dad, of course, was one of the biggest animal lovers I ever met. I could probably name off every animal he has ever had after hearing his stories so many times(and I never got tired of them, either!). While going through some stuff in the garage we came across a paper of his from when he was in grade-school, just learning how to write. It was all about his horse he had growing up and how he loved her so so so much. It was really sweet.

My grandmum(Dad's mum) especially had a love for dogs. She was not too awfully old when she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis. At that time she had a dog that never ever left her side. He walked right beside her wherever she went and would nudge her hand until he knew she had a steady grip on his collar.

My great aunt, who took care of and watched out for my dad in his late teenage years, was the biggest cat lover... ever. I have heard a lot of stories about her, but the one that stuck out the most was the fact that when she died, her will stated that all the money in her possession(which was a very nice sum) was to go to a particular cat rescue.

I like to be reminded of all the stories I have heard about my family... its nice to know my sister and I are not the only animal lovers!

[krazyaboutkatz]

My dad didn't have any dogs or cats but he did have a few pet rats. His father also had a pet rabbit and I think he let it in the house because it was litterbox trained.

I heard stories that my mom was constantly bringing home stray cats and maybe even a few dogs. I don't think that her mom and dad liked this very much though. I do remember my grandmother telling my mom that she couldn't believe that we would allow our cat to eat off of plates that we would use.

I know that my Uncle,which is my mom's brother, has a dog so he's also an animal lover. My dad loves cats now but he and my mom don't have any animals at the moment because they travel quite a bit.

Both of my SIL's are very allergic to cats so they'll never have any. One of my SIL's is also allergic to dogs so it doesn't look good for allowing my neice or nephew to have any furry animals.

My brother and his family,who live in San Diego,finally have a dog. They also have a snake and few frogs. His son is a huge animal lover and he wanted to go visit a dairy for his birthday so he could see the cows. He did get his wish.

I've always loved animals and I was lucky that we always had some kind of animal when I was growing up. As most of you know,cats are my favorite. I know that in my family, I'm known as the crazy cat lady but I don't care.

[BC_MoM]

My dad's side is really into horses, my mom's side have been dog owners, but not real lovers. But our family has turned my grandparents and the rest of her siblings into true dog lovers ever since we got our three.

[joycenalex]

karen, i laughed at reading about the oval warm spot. I'd come home early some days, and I'd find the dogs/cats sleep spot (varied by size) warm in areas where they shouldn't be(like my pillow)