# What pet(s) do you have?



## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I've read on a couple of posts that another member is a pug person. So am I. So clearly, pugs are the pet of choice for this forum! 

I currently have a black pug named Emmitt (named after my husband's favorite football player, Emmitt Smith). He is the most fabulous dog EVER - all 12 pounds of him (he's little, even for a pug)! I've been a pug person since 5th grade, when my parents surprised me and my sisters with a little pug puppy for Christmas. We named her Tori. Then we had BJ. As an adult, I've had Casey and Cricket, and now Emmitt. Cricket was the "cover pug" on the St. Louis Pug Fanciers calendar in 2007 or 2008. Emmitt is not that famous yet.

I have successfully converted my husband into a pug lover as well. When we met, I was able to overlook the fact that he used to have Chihuahuas, but that was difficult.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Octavia said:


> I've read on a couple of posts that another member is a pug person. So am I. So clearly, pugs are the pet of choice for this forum!
> 
> I currently have a black pug named Emmitt (named after my husband's favorite football player, Emmitt Smith). He is the most fabulous dog EVER - all 12 pounds of him (he's little, even for a pug)! I've been a pug person since 5th grade, when my parents surprised me and my sisters with a little pug puppy for Christmas. We named her Tori. Then we had BJ. As an adult, I've had Casey and Cricket, and now Emmitt. Cricket was the "cover pug" on the St. Louis Pug Fanciers calendar in 2007 or 2008. Emmitt is not that famous yet.
> 
> I have successfully converted my husband into a pug lover as well. When we met, I was able to overlook the fact that he used to have Chihuahuas, but that was difficult.


I love Pugs! They truly are special dogs in every way. Hubby and I have an Eng. Springer Spaniel and we have a tendency to favor that breed. He is our second. But we have had an American Eskimo and an Alaskan Husky. Also cats and in days of yore, we had about 20 aquariums.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Andros said:


> I love Pugs! They truly are special dogs in every way. Hubby and I have an Eng. Springer Spaniel and we have a tendency to favor that breed. He is our second. But we have had an American Eskimo and an Alaskan Husky. Also cats and in days of yore, we had about 20 aquariums.


I have an aunt and uncle who have always had English Springer Spaniels...beautiful, well-behaved dogs, for sure!

20 AQUARIUMS!!!!????? I am so jealous! I bet that was gorgeous! (And a bit high-maintenance...)


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Octavia said:


> I have an aunt and uncle who have always had English Springer Spaniels...beautiful, well-behaved dogs, for sure!
> 
> 20 AQUARIUMS!!!!????? I am so jealous! I bet that was gorgeous! (And a bit high-maintenance...)


The hobby of tropical fish kept me very very busy. Yes. We lived in Florida at the time and it was the thing to do. It was hard work but we certainly enjoyed the beauty of it.

I would not dream of doing all that today at the age of 68. LOL!!

A dog is only as good as it's master! Cannot imagine life w/o one or two or three...............................Hee, hee!


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Pets are a wonderful addition to any family! We have a Black and Tan Coonhound that came from rescue with such a horror story, which seems to be the norm. We got her at 8 months, and she'd already had a litter of pups.

We also have a 13 yo DSH. If she was human, eeeyikes...Her name is Winger. My hubby works for the highway department. One spring he was plowing and thought he saw a skunk that had been hit by a car. He got out of the truck to move the body of the animal, and discovered it was not a skunk but a half grown kitten. He thought she was close to death and was going to bury her later. He had been plowing for about 2 hours when something jumped on him in the truck. The rest is history... She is named Winger after the wing plow that nearly did her in.

We have had a Collie, beagle, golden Retriever, ponies, horses, sheep, geese, ducks, rabbits, and chickens. I have always wanted goats but we no longer keep outdoor animals. I love animals.

My closest friend is involved in pug rescue. They are great dogs.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

webster2 said:


> We have a Black and Tan Coonhound that came from rescue with such a horror story, which seems to be the norm. We got her at 8 months, and she'd already had a litter of pups. .


It's amazing how poorly some people treat animals. What a shame, but kudos to you for giving her (and your cat) a great home!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Octavia said:


> It's amazing how poorly some people treat animals. What a shame, but kudos to you for giving her (and your cat) a great home!


All our animals (excepting the fish) were rescues with the exception of our current ESP.

Husband and I spent many years rescuing, nursing and finding homes for these animals. It is very very sad to see that their lives don't count.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Some stories are so incredibly sad, it breaks my heart. Juliet's, our hound (that came named), was one of those. She is a happy healthy girl now. The cat is, well, the cat.....


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

webster2 said:


> The cat is, well, the cat.....


Isn't that the truth with most cats?


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I have two cats, Milo and Kali.

Milo was a stray. I found him outside my job one winter evening. He was crying in the bushes, and I got him to come out, buried him in my coat, and brought him home. I told my ex it was just until I could find him a home. That was 10 years ago! He turned out to be the most cuddly kitten ever. He has the silkiest long hair ever, which is perfect for cuddling. He likes to sit on laps and have a good snuggle and he even likes to be held and carried around like a baby. Because he was a stray and very malnourished, he has always been a bit obnoxious guarding the food bowl and constantly meowing at me to fill it. I finally had to get a second bowl so the other cat could eat!

Kali is named after a Hindu goddess of war and destruction who breathes fire. It's the perfect name for her. She is a very mischievous cat and is constantly messing with things, particularly whatever I am working on. She loves to dance on the keyboard when I am typing, and she chews on the corners of books when I try to read. She also likes to get in the middle of my paperwork when I am trying to write out bills! As for the fire-breathing part, I used to light candles when I had company over, but Kali, loving the attention, would come out and get very playful and start dancing around for my guests. Well, she would get so excited and dance around the candles and actually managed to set her tail on fire more than once! No injuries, just singed fur, but needless to say, I don't burn candles anymore!

Right now, I have also been caring for an outdoor momma cat and 2 kittens. They hang out under my car in the parking lot of my apartment, and the momma greets me with meows and rubbing against my legs whenever I leave or come home. Her kittens are very shy, but I have gotten both of them to play with sticks and eventually come up and explore my fingers. No actual petting you, but they are making progress.

Then there's all the animals I pet-sit for. I am so thankful for them all since I have been sick and unable to hold a job this past year, they have been my only source of work and extra cash!


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

I've owned four pugs over the past 20 years and I dearly love the breed. I used to be co-administrator of an international pug website and poured so much time and effort into promoting rescue and animal welfare in general. Today I only have 11-year old Jimbo, who is so devoted to me that I dread leaving him even for a day when I have my surgery. Digit died when she was 11-months old to a horrible seizuring disorder, Rosebud lived 16 years, Gumdrop lived 14 years - Digit and Gummy were Missouri puppymill rescues, Jimbo's first 6 months were spent in such a brutal environment that a couple of weeks after we got him, his original owner actually killed his toddler son.








I have always loved animals. A couple of days after my husband and I married I went to a pound and adopted a tiny chihuahua puppy. We've always had small dogs and we were owned by one cat for over 20 years!!

I pray my surgery will restore at least some of the energy and stamina I used to have to care for pets and do volunteer work with our local animal welfare group. I used to sew every single day and donated custom pug costumes and later 100% cotton shoulder bags to rescue organizations literally around the world. I desperately want to get back to that.









*(Shoulder bag - pug design is cut from a*
*100% cotton dishtowel.)*​
While I love pugs, I'm not breed specific when it comes to loving all animals. I've handraised several wildbirds and enjoyed all that tremendously. One mockingbird (Slick) continued to come to our house for 2-3 years. I used to order 500 Superworms at a time (online) to feed an American robin (Rocky) I raised from a nestling. I raised a mourning dove (Lovie) that used to bathe in a crystal candy dish and ate out of a hospital IV tube. I handraised what I thought was a black bird until I realized it was an aggressive little grackle. Google duGrackle got transferred to a local wild bird sanctuary after attacking the hand that was trying to feed him too many times.


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## Sharon (Mar 30, 2011)

All our animals are either rescued (including the majority of our birds) or were dumped in our yard and we took them in.

We have two dogs that are cockapoo fox terrier cross. We had to had feed them because their mother died before they opened their eyes. They're two little characters. One border collie who was dumped off in our yard in the freezing cold at 4 weeks old. She knew what to do at that age to get us to keep her. Six years later she's as loyal as can be.

We also have an african grey who can talk your ear off. He is the only one who wasn't rescued. One female indian ringneck and three cockatiels. Everyone of them talks. There isn't enough room to talk about our other pets who are now in heaven. We have loved them all.

Sharon


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

This is a great thread. Our pets are great therapy. We seem to forget we are not well when we think of them! Yay for pets!

IDCLAIRE, Kris & I used to make a lot of hand bags and totes for our local humane society. She does a lot of sewing, quilts, bags, etc for GMPR now.  It is fun to sew with a purpose!


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Sharon said:


> We also have an african grey who can talk your ear off. He is the only one who wasn't rescued. One female indian ringneck and three cockatiels. Everyone of them talks.
> Sharon


My pug is very quiet when he's awake (rarely barks), but he talks in his sleep! It's quite cute, except at 2:00 in the morning, when we're all trying to sleep in the same room...


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## Sharon (Mar 30, 2011)

Octavia said:


> My pug is very quiet when he's awake (rarely barks), but he talks in his sleep! It's quite cute, except at 2:00 in the morning, when we're all trying to sleep in the same room...


That is too funny. 
At times late at night we'll hear the parrot "woo-hoo, woo-hoo, hello, momma"! We have to tell him shhhhhh it's bedtime. His voice sounds like my husband.

These animals have helped to pull us through some very difficult times.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Sharon said:


> That is too funny.
> At times late at night we'll hear the parrot "woo-hoo, woo-hoo, hello, momma"! We have to tell him shhhhhh it's bedtime. His voice sounds like my husband.
> 
> These animals have helped to pull us through some very difficult times.


I love this thread! It's a real "PUPPY UPPER!"


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Andros said:


> I love this thread! It's a real "PUPPY UPPER!"


 I laughed about the parrot and "Hello Momma" and the sleep talking pug, definitely "puppy uppers"!


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## Sharon (Mar 30, 2011)

My parrot talks like he's a human being at times. Some days we are rolling on the floor because of his antics. If he gets to my cell phone when it rings before I do he grabs it with his claws and starts screaming hello, hello, hellooooo. If he doesn't like what you say to him he'll give you a raspberry. This is no joke. They have the disposition of a 2-3 yr. old and the intelligence of a 5 yr. old. 
His vets office was glad to see us leave with him the last time he was there. He started to whistle for the dogs (like us humans would) and got the dogs barking. The secretary came out of the back room twice and gave my husband dirty looks. That's when she saw that it was our bird whistling. The vet thought it was hysterical but nobody else did.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Sharon said:


> My parrot talks like he's a human being at times. Some days we are rolling on the floor because of his antics. If he gets to my cell phone when it rings before I do he grabs it with his claws and starts screaming hello, hello, hellooooo. If he doesn't like what you say to him he'll give you a raspberry. This is no joke. They have the disposition of a 2-3 yr. old and the intelligence of a 5 yr. old.
> His vets office was glad to see us leave with him the last time he was there. He started to whistle for the dogs (like us humans would) and got the dogs barking. The secretary came out of the back room twice and gave my husband dirty looks. That's when she saw that it was our bird whistling. The vet thought it was hysterical but nobody else did.


Sounds like a great pet to me! I think it is pretty clever to whistle for the dogs, know what the phone ring means, and the raspberry....smart birdie!


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Sharon said:


> My parrot talks like he's a human being at times. Some days we are rolling on the floor because of his antics. If he gets to my cell phone when it rings before I do he grabs it with his claws and starts screaming hello, hello, hellooooo. If he doesn't like what you say to him he'll give you a raspberry. This is no joke. They have the disposition of a 2-3 yr. old and the intelligence of a 5 yr. old.
> His vets office was glad to see us leave with him the last time he was there. He started to whistle for the dogs (like us humans would) and got the dogs barking. The secretary came out of the back room twice and gave my husband dirty looks. That's when she saw that it was our bird whistling. The vet thought it was hysterical but nobody else did.


What a crack up!!!!


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Sharon said:


> My parrot talks like he's a human being at times. Some days we are rolling on the floor because of his antics. If he gets to my cell phone when it rings before I do he grabs it with his claws and starts screaming hello, hello, hellooooo. If he doesn't like what you say to him he'll give you a raspberry. This is no joke. They have the disposition of a 2-3 yr. old and the intelligence of a 5 yr. old.
> His vets office was glad to see us leave with him the last time he was there. He started to whistle for the dogs (like us humans would) and got the dogs barking. The secretary came out of the back room twice and gave my husband dirty looks. That's when she saw that it was our bird whistling. The vet thought it was hysterical but nobody else did.


My old parrot did similar things -- it always made us laugh like crazy.

We currently have:
one dog -- a mutt who is otherwise known as hell on paws
three cats (my fourth cat died one month to the day before my cancer dx  ) -- two are 13 years old and one is 8 years old
two horses -- both registered quarter horses, both retired from the show circuit (and I have a few other horses that come and go (loooooooooong story))

What I really would like to get is a donkey.


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## Sharon (Mar 30, 2011)

joplin1975 said:


> My old parrot did similar things -- it always made us laugh like crazy.
> 
> We currently have:
> one dog -- a mutt who is otherwise known as hell on paws
> ...


You're a busy person. We always say no more but as soon as one is dropped off it's ours.
The pets are great. We had a male peacock land in our yard this past spring. Imagine going out the door and a peacock is perching on the porch railings.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Sharon said:


> We had a male peacock land in our yard this past spring. Imagine going out the door and a peacock is perching on the porch railings.


Oh, my...that WOULD be a surprise! :confused0068:


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

joplin1975 said:


> What I really would like to get is a donkey.


They're great! I have a friend with a couple of them. They have unique personalities! Hope you're feeling well!


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## Skye (Jun 26, 2010)

I have 28 Boxer dogs :winking0001: .... No seriously, I Run a Boxer rescue.

Boxers are my breed, I love Lurchers also but lost my Lurcher this year :sad0049:


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## Sharon (Mar 30, 2011)

Skye said:


> I have 28 Boxer dogs :winking0001: .... No seriously, I Run a Boxer rescue.
> 
> Boxers are my breed, I love Lurchers also but lost my Lurcher this year :sad0049:


You certainly have your hands full. Sorry for your loss, it's never easy.
Sharon


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## desrtbloom (May 23, 2010)

I have two English Mastiffs who weigh about 160 pds each. I have a little Shitz Tzu and a little Lapso Apso. Love them all! Dogs are the best.


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

Skye said:


> I have 28 Boxer dogs :winking0001: .... No seriously, I Run a Boxer rescue.
> 
> Boxers are my breed, I love Lurchers also but lost my Lurcher this year :sad0049:


Holy moly! 28 Boxers! My brother went to Georgia several years ago to adopt a rescued Boxer. Lily had been restricted to such a small fenced area for so long that when she got excited all she could do was jump straight up and down.

She has been living on probably 15 acres or more for the past 10 years but when she gets excited she still jumps straight up and down.

Ironically, Lily was diagnosed with a thyroid problem a year ago but she is doing wonderfully well with medication.

I have never heard of a Lurcher; I'll have to find out more.


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## SnoodMama (Jan 11, 2011)

I have a 16 year old (hyperthyroid) cat. She's gorgeous and I love her to pieces. I squirt fish-flavored methimazole in her mouth 2x per day.


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## Skye (Jun 26, 2010)

I DClaire said:


> Holy moly! 28 Boxers! My brother went to Georgia several years ago to adopt a rescued Boxer. Lily had been restricted to such a small fenced area for so long that when she got excited all she could do was jump straight up and down.
> 
> She has been living on probably 15 acres or more for the past 10 years but when she gets excited she still jumps straight up and down.
> 
> ...


Aww bless her :hugs:


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## McKenna (Jun 23, 2010)

We have two dogs, one Sheltie who is the smartest dog I've ever had, and a Pom, who is the smallest dog I've ever had. My sheltie is going to be 11 and slowing down a lot, poor guy. The Pom is only 1 and very active. I can't imagine not having dogs! They are such great companions.



Sharon said:


> My parrot talks like he's a human being at times. Some days we are rolling on the floor because of his antics. If he gets to my cell phone when it rings before I do he grabs it with his claws and starts screaming hello, hello, hellooooo. If he doesn't like what you say to him he'll give you a raspberry. This is no joke. They have the disposition of a 2-3 yr. old and the intelligence of a 5 yr. old.
> His vets office was glad to see us leave with him the last time he was there. He started to whistle for the dogs (like us humans would) and got the dogs barking. The secretary came out of the back room twice and gave my husband dirty looks. That's when she saw that it was our bird whistling. The vet thought it was hysterical but nobody else did.


This is hysterical! We had a sun conure, which are not the best talkers, but he was a hoot! When the phone rang he would start just like yours.."hello, hello, hello" and then laugh "hahahahahahahahahahah". He loved to make kissing sounds when you kissed him or if we kissed each other and dance like crazy when we put music on. He also would yell "no, no, no!" at the dogs. Some of his other speech was garbled, but he would immitate sounds a lot.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Hearing about pet birds from some of you is cracking me up... they sure sound like a lot of fun!


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

I agree, those birds sound like characters I'd like!


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## Sharon (Mar 30, 2011)

McKenna said:


> We have two dogs, one Sheltie who is the smartest dog I've ever had, and a Pom, who is the smallest dog I've ever had. My sheltie is going to be 11 and slowing down a lot, poor guy. The Pom is only 1 and very active. I can't imagine not having dogs! They are such great companions.
> 
> This is hysterical! We had a sun conure, which are not the best talkers, but he was a hoot! When the phone rang he would start just like yours.."hello, hello, hello" and then laugh "hahahahahahahahahahah". He loved to make kissing sounds when you kissed him or if we kissed each other and dance like crazy when we put music on. He also would yell "no, no, no!" at the dogs. Some of his other speech was garbled, but he would immitate sounds a lot.


Pets are great. The birds are a riot.


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## Sharon (Mar 30, 2011)

Octavia said:


> Hearing about pet birds from some of you is cracking me up... they sure sound like a lot of fun!


Birds are great but at times they can also be as testy as a 2 yr. old.
The other day my husband came in from work and our parrot decided he didn't like his cap. the bird jumped on his head and attacked that hat with a vengeance. I had to pickup the bird with the cap still in his claws and lay him on his back on the couch and pry the hat away from him. My husband wasn't too happy with the extra holes - it was a new hat.
This bird imitates sounds so well that it can make you crazy on the days you don't feel all that great. Just a few he imitates: loose fan belt, phone, a hawk screeching, a kid with a runny nose, and more!


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

Sharon said:


> Birds are great but at times they can also be as testy as a 2 yr. old.
> The other day my husband came in from work and our parrot decided he didn't like his cap. the bird jumped on his head and attacked that hat with a vengeance. I had to pickup the bird with the cap still in his claws and lay him on his back on the couch and pry the hat away from him. My husband wasn't too happy with the extra holes - it was a new hat.
> This bird imitates sounds so well that it can make you crazy on the days you don't feel all that great. Just a few he imitates: loose fan belt, phone, a hawk screeching, a kid with a runny nose, and more!


I have a hair/head story - no cap though. When I was in my 30's, I spent months befriending a solid black stray cat into coming inside our house. I was going to make Lucifer a housecat or die trying!! He hated every minute he was inside and I became fearful he'd get killed if he got outside.

One Thanksgiving my husband's elderly parents and his elderly aunt and uncle were seated at our dining room table eating lunch with us when Lucifer came sailing out of nowhere and grabbed on to the uncle's bald head. I thought I would die! Lucifer had run into the room, run up the back of an upholstered chair and literally dived onto the uncle's head, then hung on for dear life.

Within a few days Lucifer was relocated to a farm our next door neighbor's parents owned where he lived to be ancient and was reputed to be a mouser par excellence!


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## Sharon (Mar 30, 2011)

I DClaire said:


> I have a hair/head story - no cap though. When I was in my 30's, I spent months befriending a solid black stray cat into coming inside our house. I was going to make Lucifer a housecat or die trying!! He hated every minute he was inside and I became fearful he'd get killed if he got outside.
> 
> One Thanksgiving my husband's elderly parents and his elderly aunt and uncle were seated at our dining room table eating lunch with us when Lucifer came sailing out of nowhere and grabbed on to the uncle's bald head. I thought I would die! Lucifer had run into the room, run up the back of an upholstered chair and literally dived onto the uncle's head, then hung on for dear life.
> 
> Within a few days Lucifer was relocated to a farm our next door neighbor's parents owned where he lived to be ancient and was reputed to be a mouser par excellence!


This is too funny. How did the relatives fare? I can just see the shocked look on their faces.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Sharon said:


> This is too funny. How did the relatives fare? I can just see the shocked look on their faces.


Ditto! That sounds like something we might see in a National Lampoon movie!


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## Prairie Rose (Nov 17, 2011)

Horses.  I have three.


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