Born or Made?

[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.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I think I was born loving cats. When I was probably about 5-6 years old I kept bugging my mom to get a cat. I was able to bring home a kitten for the day to see if we'd all like it. Unfortunately my mom made me return it. Later on my mom decided to take in a stray male young adult cat because a neighborhood boy said that he would be put down if he couldn't find him a home. I was 8 or 9 when I finally got a kitten of my own. She was a fluffy orange kitten. I think this is where my love of orangies also started.

We had one dog and I loved her very much but I was still more of cat person. We had hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, rats, gerbils, fish, turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, ducks, and even a squirrel for a little while. I'm very lucky that I was exposed to so many different kinds of animals while I was growing up. My love for cats has always won out though and it still does.

[Catherinedana]

My allergies have kept me away from cats all my life so I've never bonded with one, but I do love animals. Dogs are great and BIRDS are WONDERFUL!! I seem to have a special affinity with them.

So here's the kooky part . . . I can "feel" certain animals. It's like they give something off that lets me know what's going on with them. Believe it or not, elephants especially. It's actually very painful because they go so deep, much deeper than humans. I can hardly stand it. . .being around elephants always brings me to tears. And if it they are in shows or unhappy or bored I have to leave because it nearly makes me sick.

[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.