Family Pets - question for all Pet Talk people

[Pembroke_Corgi]

No one in my family is really big into animals like I am. My parents did have two cats before I was born and when I was very small (until they passed away) but other than that, the only pets we had growing up were the ones I BEGGED my parents for (a cat and a guinea pig).

Naturally, when I moved on my own I got the pets that I always wanted!

No one else in my family is really a big animal lover but I think my nephew is turning into one! He loves coming over to our house to play with our dogs and cats. It's really cool.

[mruffruff]

My Dad was always the one who loved the stray animals that came to our house. We lived in a rural area where there were more wild things than tame.

At one time, we had a cat that my Dad swore was part bobcat because he was so big. He was the right color, too. In those days, cats weren't kept strictly indoors. He wandered off one day, never to return.

Dad was a good one for rescuing the local chipmunks and squirrells. He would bring them into the house to doctor whatever ailed them. When they were well, he'd release them back into the woods/yard.

We usually had a dog, mostly in the yard. They never seemed to wander off. None were particularly memorable. All were free, mutts from someone's litter.

Neither of my sets of grandparents had animals, except for chickens (for eggs & food).

After my mother's death, I learned that she was the one who loved animals the most. I always thought she just put up with them for my Dad's sake.

I guess I'm passing on the tradition. I have 12 cats and two dogs. My daughter has always had dogs, and now a cat.

I think I got carried away!

[Husky_mom]

actually I´m the "nutcase" of the family LOL..... the one and only...

my mom and dad did had dogs but they were not theirs, they were the family dog....
my mom parents had 2-3 dogs (a GSD, a maltese mix and a heinz) while my mom was a kid and since they died they never got more for them... my grandma however had a couple mini poodles all her "seniorship"..... and a few canaries, I had been told she always had had birds (budgies, canaries)... so she was sort of a nutcase too. until the day she died... canaries left died next day she passed and dogs were taken by an uncle who later on gave them away (wasn´t i here??!!)...

my dads parents had 2 dogs also a weimaraner and a heinz that came and stood by.... they kept them till they pass and no other pet was ever in the house..

as for me, I had small critters since I can recall: chicken, duck, turtles, fish, hamster (my mom freaked when i got him LOL), tarantula, bunnies, cats, birds, even a few foster dogs ....etc... I even bought my own first "real" dog (real as in meaning mine) a Sibe mix... which died two days later to parvo..

but 10 years of constant begging payed off.... I got my first Sibe!!! and you know the story I have had them since so 19 almost 20 years being owned by them.... wouldn´t have it any other way...

and all this years I´ve had them I´ve also have had...well, my actual birds, bettas, a turtle, a bunny....and hoping to increase the crew and drive hubby even crazier... LOL

[gemini9961]

Yep we are pet people too. Growing up my dad had a GSD Max. My Dad also found this little poodle mix, her name was Muffin. I was young when they were around but I do remember them. We got our cats Smokey and Midnight in 1986. Midnight had to be PTS years ago (jaw tumor) and Smokey (RIP) died early this past Saturday morning in my Mom's arms, she was 22. My parents now have another GSD, Shiloh and a terrier mix Kody (he's actually my brother's dog). My parent's also have 2 cats too. My aunt's and uncles have dogs, cousins have dogs, in-laws have dogs and cats. I have always had pets, but mostly dogs and cats. As soon as I moved out with my now husband we got Sadie 2 months after moving into our apartment. Now we are up to 3 dogs and a house. I'm pretty sure I will always have pets around.

[Pam]

Good thread! There was always a dog in the house when I was growing up. There was also the occasional bunny, baby chicks and even a couple of chameleons. We never had a cat, though. My mom grew up on a farm in Virginia and animals were a big part of her life, though she remembers her dogs as being mostly outside dogs. My dad used to talk about a little Doxy that he had as a child called Fritzi. I even have a picture of Fritzi to this day.

I think my generation takes much better care of our animals (more "well visits" for innoculations, etc. to the vets, and better food) than my parents' generation. My mom's dogs were all fed table scraps but lived good long lives.

[Louie and me]

My grandmother always had a dog. The first I remember was a black cocker spaniel called Pip. When Pip died she got a mutt called Rusty. My niece now has a cat called Maisie and my brother and sister in law just lost their springer spaniel Cody.
My parents, parents in law and sister were never "pet" people and while they tolorated our various dogs, they were not exactly enthusiastic. Too bad - they don't know what they missed.