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Animals don't give love. Animals respond to their environment and owners perceive that response as love in order to meet their emotional needs.
Exactly. Animals are great and I've really enjoyed the few cats I've had over the years. But our relationship is owner and pet, not father and son/daughter. My cats follow me around and purr because they know I am the food guy. And that's fine! Cats are funny and cute and I like them. But they do not give love.
You are not supposed to have just one. They are social like rats. They are nocturnal and smelly. They are inappropriate pets. They have been exploited because "cute". Hence, a glider rescue group. Yes your cat would go likely nuts with those tempting little morsels around.
Nimbus is a good companion? Why would you want to bring something to upset the balance of his home and territory?
Gliders could work as pets for a person who could let them live nocturnally with other gliders in a large area and didn't bother them. Like at a sanctuary. But that isn't really a pet, it's a keeper of a wild animal, so why.
Exactly. I wasn't really considering it. I was saying that I wouldn't, although I found the one I "met" to be adorable and all, because of reasons I already had...and even had those reasons been absent, I'd have wanted to research the HECK out of them if I'd even been thinking of it.
So in that research, I would surely come across the facts that they are smelly and nocturnal and need company, and probably had a lot of reservations about the whole thing and decided not to get one.
I love animals, they're great, but I don't need to have every cute little creature in my home, just because "AWW!"
But I said they are the trendy exotic pet du jour because I keep hearing about people getting them, and even promoting them as pets. I guess they're very smart and trainable, at least that's what the guy was saying...*shrug*...still. No, believe me, I am very content and happy with my Nimbus cat as my only animal companion.
Exactly. I wasn't really considering it. I was saying that I wouldn't, although I found the one I "met" to be adorable and all, because of reasons I already had...and even had those reasons been absent, I'd have wanted to research the HECK out of them if I'd even been thinking of it.
So in that research, I would surely come across the facts that they are smelly and nocturnal and need company, and probably had a lot of reservations about the whole thing and decided not to get one.
I love animals, they're great, but I don't need to have every cute little creature in my home, just because "AWW!"
But I said they are the trendy exotic pet du jour because I keep hearing about people getting them, and even promoting them as pets. I guess they're very smart and trainable, at least that's what the guy was saying...*shrug*...still. No, believe me, I am very content and happy with my Nimbus cat as my only animal companion.
The promoters have their agenda. The gliders might be smart and trainable but they are nocturnal and unless we are playing with them in the dark they are being thrust into OUR environment to please us not what is natural for them.
I'm grumpy about pets lately because frequently this time of year there are house fires, and seems always so many pets perish, (seven in the most recent) and also it is a worse time for abandoned pets who cannot survive the cold and the local rescues get overburdened. I wish people would think and consider carefully like you say, and always think about what is best for the animal before our own desires.
The Cutest little animals are most at risk because people want cute and they will twist themselves into pretzels to justify having something cute even if it is not really the right thing for them or the animal.
The promoters have their agenda. The gliders might be smart and trainable but they are nocturnal and unless we are playing with them in the dark they are being thrust into OUR environment to please us not what is natural for them.
I'm grumpy about pets lately because frequently this time of year there are house fires, and seems always so many pets perish, (seven in the most recent) and also it is a worse time for abandoned pets who cannot survive the cold and the local rescues get overburdened. I wish people would think and consider carefully like you say, and always think about what is best for the animal before our own desires.
The Cutest little animals are most at risk because people want cute and they will twist themselves into pretzels to justify having something cute even if it is not really the right thing for them or the animal.
For sure. God, thinking about how I'd handle a house fire I needed to escape is a sure way to ramp up my anxiety quick. I'd be frantic to get my cat out, and he'd probably go into "hidey cat mode" because that's his reaction to anything that scares him. I'd have to find him fast. Good thing I keep his carrier in an easily accessible place, too.
When we had a big forest fire here in Colorado Springs some years back, the Black Forest Fire, I was listening online to the emergency responder scanners while I was at work and they were rescuing horses and dogs and all sorts of animals from the area. Lots of people up there had horses. It was nightmarish to listen to. And I remember one where they only just managed to evacuate a bunch of dogs that were trapped in an outdoor dog run built of chain-link, the people had evacuated (or more charitably to think, perhaps were not allowed back into get their dogs) and crews only just got the dogs out in time.
I start to feel itchy reading your post. Thinking about a friend who is now gone, but her cat slept on her chest most nights, excuse me while I sneeze...
Until this last summer, I had a small family of cats. The were outside kitties who came in to be warm, and decided they liked the inside way better than the yard. And my dogs love their cats, and like to snuggle with them. But they were all old cats this last year, cuddling and loving still, but the age really showed. The oldest ones were ten, and I knew eventually I'd start losing them. But until that day I'd love them and hold them and when my favorite solid black girl, raised there from kittenhood, got sick we went to the vet. He said the medicine didn't really work for old cats, but he'd give me one month of it, and really should have her put down when it failed.
But instead I use a homeopathic med for breathing and against infections, mixed in a small cup and squirted in her mouth, and clearing her breathing. We used it for some five months daily when she failed again. But all of them did, most from age. the others did to, and I lost all of them to something as simple as age. I held her at the end, stroked her and talked to her softly. She died peacefully.
Since, the house has been too empty. My dogs were lonely, and they loved their kitts too, cuddling and sleeping with them. My big dog looked lost without her kitties to snuggle. I couldn't find a good spot for sleep without a few warm soft cuddles of fur to make all the worry away.
Now I have two kittens, adopted from the porch kitties around here. There's two identical ones on my porch, and still might see how many want to come inside. But my babies are delightful, and have brought happy life back. Even the dogs, and my big guy is a BIG shepard mix, are so gentle with them and love it when they snuggle up.
We got two kittens recently, related to the group who live on my porch. The one couch where the dogs sleep now has a couple of little muchkins snuggled with them now, and I'm trying to resist calling Sweetie's succesor Sweety the second.....
And when it comes right down to it, the differences in them being different species makes the mix so much better. And my little kittens can be found lying somewhere on you, and under the covers if its cold because your just the same as one of the family in cat sleeping rules, and they become this one soft purring creature who is irrestable. I loved dogs and cats and especially when they are together. But it so sweet when you wake and they cuddle you and each other so that all the worries of the day can fade.
I met a woman who lived in an 800 square ft mobile home who had two German shepherds. She's planning to breed them for extra income.
That makes me see that some people may regard their animals as investments.
What amazes me is how much people will pay for a dog. My brother's papillon cost hundreds of dollars. He (the dog) does cute tricks for treats, but doesn't like to cuddle or be petted. I'd rather have an affectionate mutt.
I've had several cats over the years, some strays, some adopted as kittens. Most at once was three. I don't have any pets now because I worry they would outlive me and not be cared for.
I met a woman who lived in an 800 square ft mobile home who had two German shepherds. She's planning to breed them for extra income.
That makes me see that some people may regard their animals as investments.
That's what we call a "backyard breeder," since I assume her dogs aren't AKC-registered, health/dna tested, etc. No legitimate breeder would just have two dogs like that, and casually breed them for money... in fact, the REAL breeders are lucky to break even with every litter. Mostly they breed to cover the costs of showing and raising the adults, and also to better the breed with SOUND specimens.
I sure hope she realizes how much it costs to vaccinate & vet a litter of puppies, and is prepared to take them back if the buyer can't keep them for any reason. But I'm guessing not, and sadly these pups would end up in shelters instead.
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What amazes me is how much people will pay for a dog. My brother's papillon cost hundreds of dollars. He (the dog) does cute tricks for treats, but doesn't like to cuddle or be petted. I'd rather have an affectionate mutt.
I paid $50 for my mutt, and he's given me 13 years of wonderful companionship and entertainment so far... worth every penny, lol. I understand the reasons for purebred dogs, especially if you need them for working (e.g. service to the disabled, hunting, herding) purposes. But for people like me who just wanted a nice dog, there is no reason to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars. A mutt is perfectly sufficient, and tends to live longer anyway. Mine is 13 years old, and still has plenty of spunk!
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I've had several cats over the years, some strays, some adopted as kittens. Most at once was three. I don't have any pets now because I worry they would outlive me and not be cared for.
Even for younger folks, it's a good idea to have directives in place for your pets. Anyone can die at any time, and I do sometimes worry about what would happen to mine. But I've already told a few friends/family members what my wishes are, so hopefully they would follow them. I could never be without at least one pet, even if I was 90 years old!
I met a woman who lived in an 800 square ft mobile home who had two German shepherds. She's planning to breed them for extra income.
That makes me see that some people may regard their animals as investments.
What amazes me is how much people will pay for a dog. My brother's papillon cost hundreds of dollars. He (the dog) does cute tricks for treats, but doesn't like to cuddle or be petted. I'd rather have an affectionate mutt.
I've had several cats over the years, some strays, some adopted as kittens. Most at once was three. I don't have any pets now because I worry they would outlive me and not be cared for.
That’s sad. Two of the dogs I have now that were essentially discarded came with “papers”. No matter how much someone paid for them, they still tossed them out
I had two others that have since passed away, same situation.
I met a woman who lived in an 800 square ft mobile home who had two German shepherds. She's planning to breed them for extra income.
That makes me see that some people may regard their animals as investments.
What amazes me is how much people will pay for a dog. My brother's papillon cost hundreds of dollars. He (the dog) does cute tricks for treats, but doesn't like to cuddle or be petted. I'd rather have an affectionate mutt.
I've had several cats over the years, some strays, some adopted as kittens. Most at once was three. I don't have any pets now because I worry they would outlive me and not be cared for.
I plan on spending probably $2500 for the next Doberman I get and there's a reason for that. I want to get a dog from a breeder who knows his or her line, has health tested the dogs (the more health testing the less I may end up spending in vet bills), and will take him back if I can't keep the dog. As I am already over 60, that last is very important to me. If something happens to me, I want to make sure my dog goes back to someone who will find another home that is every bit as loving as mine was. It's in the contract when buying the dog, which is awesome to me. I wouldn't want my dog to end up as a junkyard guard dog.
I grew up with a dog that had to be tranquilized during thunderstorms or over the 4th of July. Anyone who has had a dog like that knows how hard that can be. My last dog was a purebred with solid working lines behind him that pretty much guaranteed I would have a dog that wasn't bothered by a gun being shot off next to him. He used to watch fireworks as they exploded and fell down with his head cocked to one side! This was a dog where nothing phased him. At all. Crowds, loud noises, grabby kids, you name it, he was OK with it. That kind of temperament is worth spending extra on.
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Originally Posted by gizmo980
That's what we call a "backyard breeder," since I assume her dogs aren't AKC-registered, health/dna tested, etc. No legitimate breeder would just have two dogs like that, and casually breed them for money... in fact, the REAL breeders are lucky to break even with every litter. Mostly they breed to cover the costs of showing and raising the adults, and also to better the breed with SOUND specimens.
I sure hope she realizes how much it costs to vaccinate & vet a litter of puppies, and is prepared to take them back if the buyer can't keep them for any reason. But I'm guessing not, and sadly these pups would end up in shelters instead.
100% true.
As for lots of pets...well, I had one dog and one cat. But when I had mice, it was a case of the more, the merrier. I had a 2' x 3' cage and about a dozen mice at the most. All of them hand-tamed, socialized, and loved mobbing their mother (me). Most of them knew their names, too. The only problem: they don't live long enough.
This is not about animal hoarding, or neglect cases. But lately when I read about a fire, there are always casualties of multiple pets. Not two dogs or a dog and cat but five or six animals, and many of these are small houses or apartments (probably illegally kept number of animals). Now when there is a story of a house fire I know there will probably sadly be multiple animal casualties.
Why do people feel they want or need to keep such numbers of pets, particularly if it is in small homes, and it is not questioned. It seems like a lot of work, expense, mess and most people are at work all day. There has to be a psychological reason people are now keeping mini-zoos, certainly beyond "animal loving", it seems like not an ideal situation for anyone.
If I could, I would be one of those crazy cat people with cats running all over the place, but my better judgement prevails.
I just happen to love animals, cats in particular, and would love to give as many of them a good, loving home as I could. Right now, I have two at home and one who lives in my shop office. When I look at how well cared for they are, and how safe and well fed, I would love to give other kitties the same chance at a nice life. But it would get out of hand.
However, if I ever hit the lottery big, I will build and staff a no kill pet shelter for as many of them as I could rescue.
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