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Flakus
| | Joined: 4/22/2005
Msg: 151 | |
| | People that love their petsPage 7 of 11 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) | I consider my dogs to be my kids in a way, so if I found someone who shared that kinda view I would be the happiest guy alive. My kids and me come as a package deal, you either accept them or you won't ever hear from me again.
My dogs are my life plain and simple, and will always be number #1 in my life. Because hey, a girl can leave you in a heartbeat. That dog will be there to cheer you up afterwards! | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 7:03:11 AM | I read every response and I am happy to see that I'm not the only person that understands the bond between human and pet.
I got my dog in July of 2001 from a county shelter. She was 23 pounds and every bone in her spine and hips were visible through the skin. I named her Twiggy after the model because she was so skinny. Well, 12 weeks of regular meals and exercise had her up to 45 pounds again, and she was THE easiest train I ever had. She learned house training in 2 weeks and the only time in 5 years she has had an accident was when I got caught on a job and was gone for 10 hours. After that day I made arrangments with the neighbors to let her out in the afternoon. (My job situation has changed and now I work a mile from home so I can walk her at lunch every day.)
The bond between us is so incredibly deep it defies description. My will is written that our ashes be mixed and scattered at the park we walk at every day. My executor is to sell all my belongings and donate the proceeds to the shelter where I found her, and that shelter is also the beneficiary of my life insurance. When I croak, they get $100,000 less funeral costs to save and care for homeless dogs. And hopefully that money will lead to many more people being able to find their forever dog the way I did. In fact I am watching her sleep right now on webcams.
I visit that shelter often to drop off bags of treats and such. One day about 2 years back I went for a visit and there was a beagle in a corner cage that was just absolutely terrified. She was just standing in one spot and shaking. When I walked near her she ran for the corner of the cage and cowered. Now the cages at this place are about 4 feet high, 4 feet wide and 8 feet deep. Nice and roomy. So I opened the door and crawled in and sat at the opposite side of the cage. I sat there quiet for a good 2 hours and the dog kept looking at me, moving a bit closer, sniffing my dog's scent and retreating. Finally she came all the way to me and let me pet her. I went very slowly so she didn't feel I was being aggressive. Now at the three hour mark, she allowed me hold her against me and pet her some more. It ended up 4 hours later with her laying with her head in my lap and me pleading with every person that walked by to get this dog out of this shelter so she could relax. At 30 minutes to 5, right before they closed, a family with 2 children came through, I brought the dog out of the cage and she trusted me enough to know I wouldn't put her in harms way, and that family adopted her. By the time they left right at 5 the dog's tail was high and wagging, and she had 2 kids, about 6 and 8, that she knew were going to be her pals.
And THAT is was a human/pet relationship is about.
I never had such a warm feeling before, or since, than the day I found that frightened little dog a home. At the time I had 2 dogs and wouldn't be home to "referee", so I couldn't take her myself or I would have. I wouldn't bring her into a home with 2 other female dogs and not be there for the first week or so to see how the pack interaction was going.
PS. All day long, the guy from the shelter, Larry, walked by and kept quoting the rule book, telling me "Sir, non-shelter staff personnel are not permitted in the cages." After the dog was adopted, he came to me and told me he would have to escort me from the building for violating policy. Almost 5 hours after the first "warning". He escorted me out and hugged me, saying that had I not intervened they might have been forced to say that the dog was not adoptable because she was so frightened, and you know what happens to non-adoptable dogs. I believe there are no bad dogs. It just takes a little love and a little time to being the good out in them. | |
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Catwm
| | Joined: 3/1/2006
Msg: 153 | |
| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 7:35:55 AM | The animals aren't bad, its the people that make them bad. Abusive idiots that take advantage of them ought to have to spend a week in a little box full of sh-- and eat scraps and have dirty drinking water. Be infested with fleas, have to smell the stinch of filth...................................lol, you get the message. | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 7:43:51 AM | What a great thread...I too, have 3 of the most beautiful cats on the planet...all rescued, all frightened out of their wits before I became their 'mama.' My last rescue was "Sophie"...a beautiful Maine Coon that was put up for adoption because 'her owner's moved and couldn't take her...after 8.5 years....8.5 YEARS???? So this poor animal that thought she had a family for 8.5 years...was put in a 4 X 2 cage. Obviously...hardly anyone wants a grown cat nowadays, but when I looked into those pleading eyes...I just knew!!! Now, she's comfortable..has toys galore to play with...is happy to feel 'a part' of a family again, and I feel that it is I that am the lucky one in this story..anytime I feel as if I should have had 'kids', I realize that I already DO!
Sanschele. | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 7:47:42 AM | Ok.. I have a cat and a dog.. and although I agree they do in a sense become like children to us.. people have to remember that animals are animals not humans.. many times I come across people who have unruley disrespectful animals because they treat them as if they are human.. oh poor dog he/she will get a complex if I yell or reprimand them.. truth be know most animals live in the now.. and letting your pet become an annoyance is doing more harm then good..
so yup love your pets.. treat them well but remember they are pets not people. | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 8:52:29 AM | truth be know most animals live in the now.. and letting your pet become an annoyance is doing more harm then good..
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who said anything about letting our pets become an annoyance???
Truth is most of them are happy not being the alpha cat/dog and are more comfortable following the rules,....which persistance and consistancy teaches them,...
as for them living in the now,...personally I would challange that,...
they not only remember things in their past that they often act out,...verbally and sometimes physically in their sleep,...but they also have the ability of anticipation,... of things to come,...like the lady of the house coming home at a certain time,...
and I don't know about any other dog owners,...but my dog (the beagle mix) not only listens and understands the words I am saying to him,..he also verbalizes back to me,....
not barking or growling or even whining but a vocalization that is very interesting,...
and clearly comunicating to me,....what's funny is when he does it to my son,..and my son comes to me and asks me what he's saying,....the same way mother's of todlers who are pre language and comunicate in sounds other than actual words,...knows exactly what her child wants,...but no one else can understad,...
oh and BTW to many of us,..pets are better than people,....
they never hold a grudge,...they never lie or steal,...and they put you before themselves,...they don't care if you are a beauty queen,...or disfigured,...they aren't that shallow,....and they always know how to make you feel better,.... | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 10:49:02 AM | | eastsideeddie, sanschele, and all you who either work for, foster thru and adopt pets from shelters or rescue them from bad situations, you are all saints. Thank god for people like you. You are the happy ending in a pet's life that could have otherwise ended very badly. All three my cats are now are from shelters, for different reasons. I also adopted two who passed, one of old age and one baby from FIP. I have looked at all my cats and wondered how on earth they could ever be given away as sweet, trusting, and beautiful as they are, though if they didn't I wouldn't have the little four legged family I do. I also get upset sometimes thinking of what would have happened to them had I not found them the day I did. I guess it doesn't cross your mind really until you see it...but thousands end up in shelters and it's nice to know there are people out there who are willing to adopt pets that got lost in the shuffle. | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 10:56:37 AM | | Add yourself to the 'thank god' list, honey. You are part of the solution as well. | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 11:02:03 AM | I live with 2 cats (my roomie's pets), and have a less than 2 year old Pug. She is my daughter, and seeing as though the idea of spawning with me tends to invoke shudders and the like, pets are grand!
Granted, it did take me a while to get used to the boy cat. He has developmental issues, and no depth perception. He is adjusting well though, and I secretly wish his owner has to give him up so I can adopt him.
Um, but you didn't hear me say that.... | |
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US_A
| | Joined: 4/2/2006
Msg: 160 | |
| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 11:14:29 AM | | well i can say my hubby and i adorbe our 2 guys. we have one baby girl and one baby boy. they are both mini daschies . they are spoiled rotten. these dogs are mans best friend by far. life to me is so much better with these cutie pies | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 11:31:19 AM | | you know I have someone that works in the humane society and I remember one year when a booklet came out telling how many animals had been put down. the amount of animals that had been in the society was around 12 to 13 thousand of those over 8 thousand were put to sleep. That was the year I got my puppy from them. He was scheduled to be put down as well but the person told them hell no and she adopted him. she called me and asked me if I would like to have him since she already had two dogs and three cats. I told her yeah and well the little monster has been a pain to me since. have to say he does remember a lot and well he snores louder than my brother in law. but he is one good watch dog and he will protect me in a heartbeat I know from experience already. | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 11:51:09 AM | I love my Papilion Mini, she is always happy to see everyone and in a good mood all the time.
I have dated a guy that didnt like animals and was forever complaining about dogs cats, any animal really...went out with him once and found I just couldnt deal with a non animal lover. | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 1:05:53 PM | I can really relate to this topic. I have been an animal lover all of my life, and I have always had many different exotic and common species living with me at all times. I really cannot stand it when I begin dating someone who claims to love animals.....only to end up freaking out at the sight of a snake or thinking he is going to die when my parrots verbalize. lol This has happened to me several times already, and it is kind of crushing when it does. I love animals, and I would love to build a career around animal behaviour or field studies or similar. I agree, animals should not be viewed as people, because they are not. They are animals, and they view things differently, but that is not to say they are in any way inferior. They are incredibly special in their uniqueness. Animals become confused and problematic when they are treated as a human being, so you have to to learn to relate and interact with them in their own ways. I am a huge advocate for understanding your pets as they are, not trying to turn them into something they are not designed to be. :)
The main issue I have encountered in my relationships is centered around my parrots. I have a medium sized parrot, and a huge parrot. Most guys I have met seem to really like my medium sized parrot, Rima. She speaks English clearly and appropriately, and smooches at guys. hehe They love that, but it all falls apart when it comes to my huge parrot, Angel. I admit, he is big, loud, loves to be the center of attention, and can potentially inflict major damage with his beak if he decides to bite. The thing is, he is all of these things in moderation. 90% of the day, he is quiet, very sweet and cuddly, and loves to be around people. He always tries to make friends with new people in the house, and scootches up next to them and says things quietly like "Pretty bird, pretty sweeeeet bird". lol Yet, most guys still just cringe when they look at him. Some say it's his beak, some just cannot give a valid reason why they "hate" him. This really hurts me inside, because these birds are so important to me, and honestly, they rarely misbehave, because they know what's appropriate....and what's not. I really love these birds, they are one animal that has been proven to function emotionally and cognitively on the same level as a 6 year old human child, and I couldn't imagine giving either one of them up because someone decides they don't like them. People ask me sometimes if "I wish I had never gotten my birds because things would be so much easier without them", and I tell them that I never wish I had never gotten them. They definitely do require considerable amounts of attention, and do complicate my dating life, but I rescued both of them from bad situations, they have wonderful lives now, and they are going to stay. Period. Their happiness is important to me, part of the reason I lost my most recent boyfriend was because I wouldn't give up Angel. I provide for the birds, they cannot do it for themselves, and I will continue looking for the right guy that can appreciate my birds, and love me regardless of how obnoxious the birds are sometimes(because they can be! lol) I know he has to be out there, and until I find him, it is a "Must Love Birds" situation! :) | |
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US_A
| | Joined: 4/2/2006
Msg: 164 | |
| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 1:55:43 PM | My hubby and I love our 2 mini daschies. Mans best friend. We spoil them rotten :D | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 2:47:08 PM | Here's the thing about pets being a substitute for kids or other family( I have pets but no kids)- if things aren't working out,you can divorce a spouse, sell a horse, give away a dog or cat, but you're pretty much stuck with a kid...
(Yeah I know that technically speaking there are ways to sever ties of physical and financial responsibility for a child, but that is usually a situation of either extreme selfISHness, or selfLESSness where most folks cannot or will not go)
Cindy O | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 7:02:38 PM | Okey dokey then........I'm going to risk feeling stupid,...but,..your point is what exactly? lady??? | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 8:52:06 PM | Yeah I guess I was a little obscure...was responding to some earlier posts where people had been told that their pets were "substitutes" for children. I simply pointed out that having a child is a pretty permanent step to take in life,there isn't much of an acceptable "escape clause' with children. And that might very easily be a reason why some people do not want to make the forever committment of creating and raising a child,but might enjoy the companionship of a pet, Then somebody has to come along and make the asinine assumption that the pet was a "substitute" for a child( the word 'substitute' kind of carries a negative"second choice" connotation, doesn't it?) What if all the non parent pet owners went around implying that people with children were substituting them for pets? All we're looking for is a little respect LOL
Cindy O | |
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Ldygmr
| | Joined: 12/19/2005
Msg: 168 | |
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I Spy
| | Joined: 4/7/2006
Msg: 169 | |
| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/24/2006 8:54:49 PM | | I just bought a velvet chair cover for my kitty, he loves to go under it and pretend it's a cave | |
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joyus1
| | Joined: 2/28/2006
Msg: 170 | |
| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/27/2006 10:22:00 AM | | Wow - so many animal lovers out here - How about us ALL showing how much we love animals by making a donation this week to any animal shelter, humane society or any other organization that helps save/shelter/houses or any other good cause being done in your community for animals. We have big hearts and the reason we have big hearts is because our animals depend on us and love us unconditionally. If I ever won the lottery a huge chunk of money would go towards saving the animals and supporting humane societies and cruelty prevention organizations. People that don't like animals are a breed of their own and if I meet them I am very cautious about making them my friend. In fact, I don't consider them my friend. I grew up with German Shepherds and other dogs. When I was a baby my Mom would put me outside in the carriage in the summertime to sleep - all the other kids would be running around playing and our Shepherd at the time circled my carriage the whole time I was out there so that no-one could come near me while I slept. We could also start a new thread called "funny or unusual things my animal did" - what a hoot that would be hearing all those stories - I know I have a few of my own that always make me smile when I think about them. This thought of making a donation came to me as I was reading through all your great comments and I could feel the warmth from all of you - lets make a difference. Thanks for reading! | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/27/2006 11:03:43 AM | This week the shelter where I got my dog 5 years ago July gets a 10 pound bag of treats. Once a month I take one up.
Have to stay out of the cages though.... | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/27/2006 12:33:02 PM | | My future man must love cats! I have eight - one just had four beautiful kittens which need good homes if there are any takers out there. One orange, one calico, and two grey & black stripped babies. C'mon, I'm turning into the old lady who lived in a shoe, only i have cats running out my ears instead of kids...........well I have two of those too!:) | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/27/2006 12:51:53 PM | One 2yr old German Sheppard...One 3yr old pet bull...One sheppard-pet mix...1 3yr old turkey...1 2yr old rooster....numerous hens...a goat...a 75 gallon salt water aquarium. And all the crow fishing you can handle just playing. For those of you that don't know what crow fishing is ask nicely and I might tell. Pets beat tv every day of the week and twice on sunday. One of my pleasures is taking the sheppard to the park and kicking the ball 30yds in the air while he races to catch it while the passerby watch in envious amazement.
What were we talking about again?
Jason  | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/27/2006 4:39:54 PM | | Whispersoflove I know what you meen I have 3 cats and when i get home they are there by the door. | |
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| People that love their pets
Posted: 4/27/2006 4:40:18 PM | | Whispersoflove I know what you mean I have 3 cats and when i get home they are there by the door. | |
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