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We have had so many cats and dogs over the years, so we've had plenty of both: some who chose us, and some who we chose. One of my favorite "choosers" was a tortie cat (yep, Miss Attitude the rest of her life), who walked right into my garage and looked at me. She was suffering from starvation, literally. Weighed only 4 pounds when we found her (an adult!). My vet said she was very clean for a "stray" and didn't think she had been living outdoors. Either someone purposely kept her indoors and starved her and then dumped her on my front lawn (wouldn't have been the first time something like that happened), or she got locked inside somewhere. Regardless, she acted like she belonged in our home and was quite demanding and sassy from the get-go. "Come on! Let's go to the vet, get me taken care of, and then I will permit you to care for me and love me for the rest of my life". Lordy, I miss her. She died about a year-and-a-half ago at a fairly elderly age and at weight more than double what we found her at. The funny thing is, even though I found her and initially took her in, she thought my husband was the living end. She thought I was just OK, a useful set of thumbs to open her Fancy Feast. But my husband? She would literally jump out of my arms and run to him if he walked into the room. I am laughing as I type this.
Dogs I chose. Seems that cats chose me. I've had couple dogs that were strays that came to me/us to, but it seems the cats I've had just sort of showed up and said "Ahh....I am here, you are now mine. You may love me now."
LOL! I know that attitude! I always say to my husband, how do they go from pathetic stray to King or Queen of the household? And act like it is all their due!
I’ve been adopted by many stray cats. They show up to the back door hungry always, sometimes hurt or sick. I know what it is to be hungry and alone. They come in to a clean house that has food and truck that is takes them to the veterinarian. They get vaccinated and fixed. They can spend the rest of their lives with a full belly and a warm bed. I think cats choose us. I don’t know about you, but I’m blessed to have been chosen.
We had a neighborhood cat (older tom) figure out the doggie door would get him out of the rain. Really don't know long he'd been coming in when we weren't home. The dogs were used to cats, so they didn't mind. He still visited the neighbor across the street on a regular basis because she set food out for him, but he belonged to us for a couple years. 'Our' cat hated him.
In college, my roommate and I went to buy a parrot that we were going to share at lest during school. Parrots were too expensive but we found a baby cockatoo that was discounted because half of one of his wings was missing. When we went our seperate ways, I bought out my roommate and the cockatoo became my best friend. He went everywhere with me. As I started working mopre hours and spending time with my kids, the cockatoo did nto like it. If I was gone for a long time, he woudl bite me when I got back. He woudl scream like mad every day when I left for work and start screaming atain when he could hear my car from almost a mile away. He also bit the kids if they let him. My wife cold not take it anymore.
After I had him about 20 years, we gave our cockatoo to some friends who did bird shows at local schools. He quickly became the start of their show. With only one wing, he had learned to love humans and was not skittish at all. We gave him to them with the condition that they call us first if they were ever going to get rid of him.
Some years later, they called me and said they were downsizing from 40 burds to two ans asked whether I wanted him back. I had spent the years regretting our decision and desperately wanted him back. They said he now had a girlfriend "Sophie" and he did not scream as long as she was around. They suggested we take Sopie as well and I agreed.
Turned out Sophie was a rescue bird that had been abused. She was completely insane and a terrible pet. My cockatoo never screamed because Sophie rarely stopped screaming. If she got out of her cage, she woudl attack anyone and anything. She terrorized the now much older kids, thee giant dogs, and my cockatoo as well.
WE eventually got her to trust us some, and she woudl pick one person to adore and continue trying to kill anyone else. She bonded with one of my daughters. No one else could safely get near her much, but she just loved my daughter.
My cockatoo got cancer and died when he was about 30 years old. Shortly after that Sophie decided she loved me instead of hating me and decided to hate my daughter instead. Now she follows me around the house all morning and is sweet as can be (to me). If my daughter is anywhere near, she will go nuts trying to attack her feet or bite any part of her she can. Sophie does not like my wife, but will tolerate her nearby only if my wife does not move, except to offer Sophie a treat. Sophie now screams only when I leave for work or arrives home. My kids, my wife and the dog are absolutely terrified of her, but she is amazingly sweet to me.
So that is how I got my pet cockatoo Sophie, whom I would really rather not have.
I suspect for many of us, we chose which pet from a number of candidates to become our own.
For some of us there was no choice - perhaps there was only one available.
An example of what I'm asking is if you arrived at a litter or a shelter or wherever there may be many pets to select from, and one particular pet came to YOU saying, (in pet voice) "Take ME home with you!" and that's the one you acquired!
From my foster experience, I went to the rescue organization and there was a list of dogs to foster, which the staff was going to bring out. The first one seemed really friendly and seemed happy to be around me, so he was the choice.
When my 18 year old granddaughter moved in with me to go to college, she was all excited about picking out a breed of dog, when one of my very elderly dogs died, but I told her, "Silly girl - you can dream all you want but how do you think I ended up with two mixed breed rescued dogs?" Sure enough, a few months ago, a friend of hers who lives out in the country had yet another puppy dumped in her yard, and she called us and said "Please please please take this puppy!" Well, of course we did. She's 3/4 blue heeler and 1/4 lab - had her DNA done. Such a sweetie!
So not sure if we picked her or she picked us but all I know is that she ended up with us and I love her.
As usual they chose me. I set out to get a pair of black cats. Have a soft spot of their quirky sense of humor.
Instead I came home with Emma and her twin, Boomer. They were so lively and friendly and jumped right into our laps.
Poor Boomer was the bloom of health when we brought him home. But he had a bacterial infection that caused his death within three days. It was devastating.
Worse yet was my husband got it and spent two days in the emergency room and three more in the hospital. He still hasn't completely recovered. Bad stuff. Campylobacter.
Then we had to do treatment for ear mites, runny eyes, worms and lice and the distemper booster so the vet bills really piled up. But I think we're on top of it all now. I was surprised as I thought that was all done at the shelter.
You can tell the two, littermates I believe, have been handled with nothing but kindness, though, and that counts for a lot. They've got a good start. DH tells them often, "You guys don't know how lucky you are!"
Emma is misnamed. Should have called her Helen Wheels. LOL. And Cooper is the most relaxed, gentle and loving little guy you could imagine. She gives him a run for his money all morning long. "Play with me!" He'd rather hang out. They both have had good potty habits
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