Family Pets - question for all Pet Talk people

[Jessika]

I think my past generations have always had pets, and not just the "pet" pet but honestly loved their animals... but I'm the first HUGE animal nut I believe. Most of my family members take care of their pets and take them to see the vet annually but probably don't know anything about animal care or needs past training, feeding and watering lol

[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.

[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!!

[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.