David Lock

The sad story on the poorly doggie thread got me reminiscing and I wondered how similar your experience was to our family's. We were just a regular middle class family with a boy and girl. Kids are now grown up but their pet owning life started with Hamsters, moved onto a Guinea Pig, then a Rabbit, missed out on cats, and then onto dogs. We did look after the pets well and made sure the kids played their part and I think it all helped in their general upbringing. My daughter was more caring than my lad and, for example, made sure Rabbit was brought inside on cold nights.
I got concerned when daughter showed a healthy interest in ponies which were above our pay scale but I managed to direct her to help out a school friend who did have a sweet pony and daughter got some free rides for cleaning out.
Had a shock one day when a rather delightful Guinea Pig which I had just got dropped dead and so I rushed around every pet shop I knew to get a matching one before daughter returned from school. Don't ever tell her
An indoor fish tank and a Koi pond also played their part as well as two sets of 12 ducklings born in the garden. I avoided any exotics.
Some sad times of course and a few garden burials but overall a lovely experience.
Any similar memories?


David

Turbohot

Yes.

My daughter had a very special relationship with her hamsters. When the first one died, she as so distraught that I didn't know how to handle it. I really found it very difficult. Regarding the second hamster, she was in school when I found it dead. I was the one distraught this time. Helpless times.

When the neighbour, who ended up with my first cat, told me that Mrs. Billi was gone, that was hard to take. Mrs. Billi the cat actually came to my house only a couple of weeks prior to her demise, and talked. I didn't quite understand her language but guessed that she was saying- "I know you've just got a new cat. I'm pleased for you. I won't be around for long, so good bye, Swati. Look after the new one."

Now these two current cats of ours potter around in our house. Older but smaller Ms. Coco the cat misses my daughter terribly because the daughter has been away for nearly a year. Ms. Coco nearly got put down in 2013 due to her being crushed by a car on Father's Day, but I could see fire in her eyes. I put my foot down, brought her back home and cared for her for weeks. She's fit as a fiddle, now. Younger fat one Master Rubix the cat is very attached to me. He's looking at me right now.

That's all I've had in my home as pets.

Oh, we've had tropical fish, as Mister got a bit into the aquarium care. He didn't really pay much attention to them, because I don't think he knew how to. He bought tropical fish care books and stuff, but that didn't help much. So, all the fish died; one by one.

Son has a dog, and they're like each other's shadow.

Pets are very meaningful.

I remember how upset you were, when your Ella the dog died, David.

As I say, pets are our family members. They're so very special to us.

Turbohot

Bump!

Come on, people! What a wonderful thread it is! Most of you claim to be such great animal lovers. You must have some worth remembering memories of your pets! Put them here, and let's celebrate our love for our pets in our homes and in our hearts forever! ❤️

johned

Pets become part of you and if they dont then you shouldnt have them as they are more than animals.

hodgy0_2

Memories!!! I am living through it David

My middle daughter is also very "horsey" she has riding lesson each week, and like you we have found a horse in village that she now looks after (owner has gone to uni)

It works quite well tbh - I am not really into getting a horse, our new puppy is enough of a challenge

but I think in general kids and animals are a good mix - we have a cat who the kids are v v fond of

(the cat HATES me btw - weirdly !! as I am always very nice to it)

David Lock

Thanks for comments. I think the appeal is a strong realisation that pets are totally reliant on you. I wanted to post a picture of my two Cavaliers but Photobucket has now got so clever that I can't seem to copy over the link I want. If the "unexpected error" message disappears I might try again


Hodgy - cats are very perceptive you know


David

hodgy0_2

Lol, that made me chuckle

But it does seem to be a bit of a feline feminazi

Anyway you don't need photo bucket anymore you can simply browse to a location on you pc

(when you invoke the insert picture function)

Turbohot

LOL

I don't think I've ever seen Dilly's pic. Will be nice to see it one day.

Turbohot

Yes, its like having kids. If you can't feel that they're part of you, then you shouldn't have them. Animal pets are like our adopted kids.

Difference is, our kids leave home but our adopted animal pet kids stay on with us. As David says, our pets are totally reliant on us and this is the major appeal.

I must say that cats are much less reliant on their slaves than the dogs are; on their masters. However, cats have a very special appeal. They are hugely comforting and less demanding. People with both cats and dogs see how a cat acts all independent and mature, and the dog like a needy baby. Cats even bully the dogs under the same roof. They sit on them, push them off the sofa, butt in and eat their food etc. Dogs are cool! They just let all that happen.

hodgy0_2

here you go

Turbohot

Oh, man! She's cute as!

Thank you for putting up Dilly's pic for us to see, Hodgy!

David Lock

[QUOTE=hodgy0


[B]Anyway you don't need photo bucket anymore you can simply browse to a location on you pc[/B]

[/QUOTE]

Thanks Hodgy - wonder if this will work?


Cavaliers.JPG

hodgy0_2

yes,

and the very epitome of "doey eyed"

Turbohot

[QUOTE=David Lock;11894185]Very cute dogs!

Talking about pets and people, here's an interesting kitty in Thailand:



This pet cat belongs to a market stall holder lady in Phuket. The lady went mad at me in her Thai language, that also involved some aggressive finger pointing. All because I was mesmerised with the sight of the sleeping cat in a chair, under a plastic-made portable fan. That lady told me that the cat wasn’t for sale, it strictly belonged to hers, so I needed to fcck off, basically. I thought- Whaaat??? Not that I wanted to buy the cat, I was just amused with the VIP seating for the cat. But I think the lady thought that I was trying to rob her cat! Some people, eh!

Anyway, this highly pampered unleashed cat goes everywhere with this lady. It sleeps all day long, with its own free will, on a chair near this woman’s stall; under a little battery operated plastic fan. We saw this cat every day with its female human slave at her stall. I thought it was hilarious for someone to have a compliant cat. Cats are usually far too independent for sh7t like that. Secondly, the use of the fan for the kitty sent me into the fits of laughter. The stall lady was sweating like hell due to the heat, but the cat had a personal fan! Wow! I mean, this cat has a better life than its carer or any sweaty tourist idiot passing by! Very amusing, I thought. My daughter was amused to see my getting scolded by that Thai lady for absolutely sod all. Nice. Double entertainment. Can’t do anything right in this day and age, absolutely anywhere in this world! I give up.

gary77

iTrader: (1)

I had many family pets when i was growing up two i remember most of all pru a female grey cat and reuben a poodle lab type mix . I miss them both and they past 20 and 25 years ago

Those two are my current family pets great dogs but never compare to reuben

Turbohot

Gorgeous dogs, Gary! About Reuben, do you think he remains very special to you because of his distinct personality, or is it to do with the time when he came into your life? Or, was he your first, very own dog?

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Anyone got hamsters?

lol

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

...... ARMAGEDDON ......

Or was that gerbils?

Turbohot

Come on, people! Tell us some interesting stories about your pets.

Here's our son's dog Jake.



Keanu Reeves felt inspired, so he has a similar dog for his John Wick 2:





The story of Jake is that he was in a rescue place where my son volunteered on the weekends- once upon a time. The sub-story within the story is that it all began when my son, after his 21st Birthday bash, asked me to find out from an animal charity founder if they had any places for volunteering. I said to him, "What? You have a full time job! When are you going to get time to do that?", He said he'd do it on the weekends for a couple of hours or so. I had to respect my son's 21st birthday wish, so I asked that charity founder, who happened to be a professional acquaintance to me. They gladly had my son to help out.

As they gladly had the rescued animals on their farm, they happened to have a 2-yr. old Staffordshire Bull Terrier among their horses, donkeys, chickens, snakes, cats etc. This Staffy broke every damn kennel they put him in, no matter how strong, but never ran away. He just anxiously sat on the veranda; as if he was waiting for someone or something. My son used to walk and feed this one, and found out that the previous owner had died, which perhaps left this dog very anxious. My son built a special bond with him, and eventually bought him. The organisation came and inspected my son's house, asked him to put up a higher fence, as this dog is a very strong dog, and will jump over the moon, if he sets his mind to it! Some other changes were made inside the house for the dog's convenience. So yeah, it was an expensive ordeal, but my son went through all that to have him. Now, the dog and him are inseparable. My son loves him so much that misses him on his holidays and work away.

I was petrified of Jake to begin with, but I am better with him, now. He is a darling!

What a heart warming story is that, eh.

Now, please tell us about dearest pet animals' memorable stories, backgrounds, behaviours, their funny inter-exchanges with you etc. It's really interesting to hear such stories.

David Lock

Seems you have a good lad TH


Most amusing story we had was the time when we had a big gaffe in Sussex with my local up the road, a short stroll away and I would visit most evenings and often take one of our 3 doggies.


A gate prevented the dogs from escaping to the road at the front of the house. One day I was working at home when the pub phoned me and asked where our dogs were! Turned out someone had left the front gate open and all three dogs had marched up to the pub, crossing the main road and then up the pub steps into the bar area hoping to find me. I should say that it was dog friendly pub and my smaller Cavalier had her own bar stool and would get much attention from the locals and many a sip of John Smiths.


If there is ever a thread about favourite pubs I will gladly contribute as this one was quite extraordinary and some things I witnessed in the early hours would simply not be believed - but that's for another day


David

Turbohot

He is, David. A very loveable, gentle and an introverted soul.

Here he is, with his Jake the dog:




That is such a funny story, David! We had an Alsatian back in my parents' house who loved Coca Cola. He was never intentionally given that, but he used to lick the empty glass bottles with great greed and ask for more by staring and barking at us.


Sure. A Pub thread will be an interesting idea! :

martek

iTrader: (1)

My Boy.
Well if we are talking animal lovers.
Cheers Dave.

JGlanzaV

iTrader: (3)

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

As we have a fair few animal owners on here.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a...t-defect-alert

Armitage Pet Care Flea and Tick Drops for Dogs and Armitage Flea Drops for Cats and Kittens: Product defect alert

Turbohot

Martek and JGlanz, great dogs there.

That's terrible news about Armitage flea drops! Thankfully I don't use it on my cats. I use Advocate products, and my cats respond very well to them. I used Frontline products on them a few years back, but my fat cat ended up getting his fur lost (temporarily) from the area it was applied on. So, I switched my cats on to Advocate that works a treat on both of them.

If anyone is interested, here's the link to Advocate:

https://www.advocate-spot-on.com/en/advocate/

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

this is why I stopped using FL and started warning others, only today I was telling how it almost burnt the area, the Vets etc obviously all denied it, I even contacted the Manufacture, again "just me",

I use Comfortis now, no issues.

Turbohot

I was getting fobbed off by our Vets as well. They said that it could be just a flea allergy that my cat was suffering from. I said to them that as I had used this highly effective Frontline flea repelling/killing treatment on my cat, then no flea should come anywhere close to my cat. So, if my cat is showing allergic reaction to the fleas despite being treated with Frontline, then Frontline is obviously crap with fleas, isn't it? That shut them up, and they now sell me Advocate. I think they get better commission from Frontline for selling it. You can buy Frontline in large pet stores as well, now. Whereas, you can only get Advocate at the Vets. I think you can get it on line, but I don't buy many things on line because they can be fake.

So yes, my cat had no flea allergy. It's the allergy to the Frontline my cat has got. Frontline was even burning his skin, as you say, and Vets could see it. Apparently Frontline a very popular product, but it doesn't suit every animal. My brown tabby responded fine to it, never had any problem with it. Both use Advocate now, though. I buy small ones for the little brownie, and a large ones for my large B&W cat.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

Is it another of God's little jokes that we outlast our pets' lives many times over? Not His fault I suppose but I have a garden full of little bodies, which along with many similar gardens may be of interest to future archeologists.

Turbohot

I thought you still have at least one living cat in your home, Paben?

Also, like your garden full of little bodies, is there any little, pet related story buried in your mind that you may like to share with us?

No worries, if you don't want to. Some people would rather not, because it'd make them sad with the thought of the passed pet.

About 3 years ago, I felt very, very sad when I found an old, framed picture of my children, standing with my previous cat; while I was rooting for our Christmas decs in our attic. I never told my kids until after a year or even longer that I had come across that precious pic. The memory of our very first ever beloved cat; the stuff that my kids and I were going through- during the time that cat came into our lives in the 90's; how this cat moved from house to house with us and just accepted every new house as her home with us; the thought her permanent move to the neighbour's and my feeling of guilt over it: all that flooded back to me when I came across that picture. It was hard! The sadness lingered on for days, but I didn't talk about finding that pic to anyone until the next year, or even the next to the next year.

Long live Mrs. Billi in our memories!

martek

iTrader: (1)

Thanks mate.