Let's talk pets!

[Eve]

I'm trying to find more information on how people think about pets. I work at a vet and I get a great chunk of information about how people view pets in New York City. However, I want a wider range of opinions from all over!

So, tell me why you have pets. Do you find them relaxing? Was your expectation of having a pet met? Are you disappointed your guinea pig wasn't the dog you wanted? Are you disappointed you got a dog and now your stuck walking him in 20 degree weather? Is your cat holding you back? Did you buy an animal and didn't feel you got your moneys worth? Did you adopt an animal and feel this was a poor choice? Purebred or mixed breed? Fixed or unfixed?

Why am I asking? I'm going to be starting my comic about animals up again. Home is a comic about choosing the right pet for yourself and your household. I'll also go on to talk about what happens when you can no longer keep your animal.

Thanks for helping me to make this comic as comprehensive as possible!

[AlkseeyaKC]

My husband loves cats. I'm a bird person. But I also like cats. He been having a lot of stress with his type one diabetes. Having a cat to sit in his lap and cheer him up. Be bought Malla.

She did not end up a lap cat and she hates being held. lol But she is a crazy hyper kitty that loves play time so much. She is a really vocal cat too. She meows about everything and runs around at crazy speeds. She is a nut. We love her to bits, though we still wish for her to be the lap kitty we need. One day we might get a second kitty when out money is doing better.

We also got a fish tank. We thought it would be relaxing because that's what they always say. Fish are relaxing and all these good things. So we thought this would help relax my husband. Its not so much a big deal maintaining the tank. and I do enjoy watching them swim around. but getting the whole set up was EXPENSIVE. All but one fish we got from Pet Smart has died. We now get fish from a local pet store. Fish seem to get sick on a dime. Its kind of hard to say if we like or hate having a fish tank. Its kind of 50/50. We like it and its relaxing when everything is good. But then when something goes bad, we hate it. If we knew what we know now, we wouldn't have gotten fish. lol BTW we have a 20 galleon tank, one Zebra Danyo (we need to get more, his friends died off), 1 snail, 3 Neon Tetra, Started with 3 cory catfish but now we have 6. lol

BTW One of the Neon Tetra are HUGE. It likes to eat. It would get so excited to eat it would swim up to the top to eat and swallow air. It would then swim downward for like 3 hours till the air passed. It did this twice a day, everyday. Its like the Arnald Swarsanager of the tank! Like There are bloated fat fish. But you can tell this one is all muscle. XD

[Kura]

Some days I feel like I have too many pets in my house. I have a larger family, and each member owns pets. It not a 'family' or 'house' pet situation because siblings are all over 18 and tend to move in and out depending on financial and living situations (not always easy to be doing well in both around here) and when they move home they bring pets that they may have acquired with them. Everyone here gets them for the same reason, companionship (even more so if they got the animal when moved out and living on their own), and when the expectation is as simple as that the animals have no problem filling that void, they almost fill it too well depending on how demanding or spoiled they are (some family members spoil/can afford to spoil their pets more than others in this house)

Pets are not always relaxing, especially when you have a multi-pet household. When they play with one another it can sometimes cause all kinds of destruction, and of course animals are not going to get along all the time, so every once and a while you'll need to break up a fight, but regardless of the stress they cause I find they are still capable of taking away a lot more stress then they cause, which makes up for all that. To be fair this this is not exclusive to pets, I mean you're not going to live your entire life without one of your siblings causing you trouble or starting an argument with you.

I can't say that I've ever been over all disappointed in a pet, sure if you train them not to do something and they one day they decide not to do that and get in all kinds of trouble then yeah, you get annoyed or disappointed for that moment, but never overall in my experience. I get a pet expecting to get a living creature that is gonna be both fun and not fun, I don't think I've ever expected them to be something or fit a certain mold, not even when very young.

I will say that pets are a lot more trouble now than they used to be because I am disabled, and that was not the case when I first got them, so it's not an issue of me having to take them for 20 min walks, it more so I now have to get someone else to do it cause I can no longer do it, and that's not a frustration due to the pet but more so my own physical limitations. My pets are not limiting me or holding me back, my illness is, the pets are actually helping me get through it even though I now need to hire or ask for help in caring for them because I no longer can.

All our animals are fixed and mixed breeds, with the dogs all being large breed mixes. This not so much because this is what we're looking for in an animal, but because that's what you most commonly find at the shelters or from rescue families. Especially with dogs that are not pure breed AND that grew larger then their previous owners realized they would, or mixed puppies that are expected to grow very large so they are hard to find homes for, as not enough people are looking to own large dogs, especially ones that are mixed and might grow up unpredictable (in regards to temperament and health issues as well as how they might look)

[SpavVy]

I rescued two ferrets a couple years ago and gave them to my friend, now I live with him for the time being and yeah I love the animals, I think their cute and fun but God I hate it when they try to shit on the floor when the litter box is right next to them.

[Runiix]

I have three parrots - 2 cockatiels and 1 green-cheeked conure. I really love them, and they are pretty relaxing to be around. They are pretty attention seeking though; especially the conure. Also, the bigger the bird, the more attitude it has. My cockatiels are as docile as, well, babies. But the conure can be really sassy and nip you when you don't "satisfy" her. At least none of them really smell ^^

Interesting comic idea you have here!

[gateofselidor]

I have a pair of Netherland Dwarf rabbits. We've had two other rabbits before them, so I knew what to expect. Our first rabbit came from a pet shop, but we had to have him put down because of an inherited health problem that turned out to be very common in rabbits from that particular shop. Since then we've stuck to a reputable local breeder. The current pair are very cute, but also grumpy and stubborn, and they can be a bit of a handful.

[PotooGryphon]

I have three cats; Socrates (Socs), Cassanova (Cass), Aristotle (Ares).

I love cats and have always had a pet cat growing up. They are the animal type I most understand and appreciate. I know all of a cat's nutritional, environmental, and behavioral needs which makes for 3 happy, healthy, and well behaved cats. I've never had any regrets or issues with my three boys. I understand why they act a certain way and through that I'm able to fix any issues they may have. Most cat problems can be fixed by either playing till the cat tires themselves out or adding another litterbox so they can mark in an area where they're feeling less secure.

Grain-free raw food diet has done wonders for my cats. Cats, in general, aren't meant to eat or digest grains. It's ridiculous how it's in most store bought cat food brands. Instantly, their coats grew fuller and softer and they all have crazy high energy levels. Playtime gets pretty crazy fun in my house.

Hmmm, your questions are a bit odd to me. Expectations? Disappointed? Holding me back? Money's worth?

None, of these are thoughts that enter my mind. I don't see them as objects I bought from a store. They are beings that are apart of my family, good or bad, healthy or sick, they are my responsibility to take care of no matter what my expectations are. When I adopt a pet, it's because there's an empty void in my home. I adopted Socs and Cass, because my previous cat Zorro passed away and the house was so empty and lifeless without that spirit around. There's a completeness when an animal is around. I also adopt to save the animal's life in the shelter.

To tell the truth, all three of my cats lied to me the day I first met them. Socs was super chill and feel asleep in my husbands arms, only to later find out he was just super sick with kennel cough at the Humane's Society and near close to death. Cass was also super sweet and loved everything, he even did a super special kitty dance when we first met (we were meant to be together), only to find out he didn't particularity want to live with other cats. (that was fixed later on through slow pleasant introductions and positive reinforcement) And Ares (the god of war) was a sweet 6 week old kitten I rescued after watching a lady dropped in the bushes outside of Burger King. He became apart of our family because the Humane's Society wouldn't accept a stray and Animal Control would have killed him. (Ares mellowed out also through positive reinforcement training and neutering)

Adopting a pet requires learning and researching before hand. It's a commitment. Even with Ares, where I didn't know what we were getting into and adopting him was thrown in our laps, I decide to commit to any baggage he may bring with him. I find it quite distasteful when owners surrender a pet because they weren't prepared for what they were getting into. That's not the animals fault, it's solely the human's. We're their guardians, not their owners. It's important that we make the best lives we can for them.

[Raven_C]

We technically only have 3 cats that are officially our pets, but recently a stray kitten found its way to our home (pictured at the bottom left). It seems we are prone to getting strays because two of our cats were previously stray cats, too. Haha! From top to bottom of the pic, the cats are Oliver, Tomo, Callie, and Destiny (we like to call her Denni for short).

Oliver is very mellow (and lazy) and always hungry. Tomo is very affectionate and playful. Callie is still a bit shy but also playful. Destiny doesn't like other cats -- period. Lol.

[Eve]

That's so wonderful! I'm glad your cat is helping your husband while he's not feeling well. Getting a second cat may help Malla's vocalization and may also help you and your husband have the lap cat you want. Do you mind if I ask if Mala is spayed?

Fish are a handful! The more I read up on them the more I understand the financial burden they can represent. Getting a larger tank when you can afford it may help. I hope any new guys stay around longer!

Also I was curious since you like birds if you have any?

[Eve]

That's awesome that you and your family takes in large mixed breed dogs! Also, I'm glad even when you were young you never felt your animals had to fit a certain mold. It sounds like you have a great set up for these guys and I'm glad you continue to care for them even when it's hard! Many dogs end up in shelters for exactly the reasons you spoke of, and they are indeed the hardest dogs to find homes for!

[Eve]

Ferrets are crazy and cute little guys! And they're unfortunately not the neatest of pets. I have a part about ferrets coming up in my comic. Did you litter box train these guys or did they come trained?

[Eve]

That's awesome, they sound like great pets! I have a coworker who loves birds and she has an African grey and a parakeet! I've never had birds so I wasn't going to talk much about them in my comic, but I'd be interested to know what kind of bird you think a first time bird parent should adopt.

[Eve]

Oh, I know how stubborn rabbits can be. I had rabbits and they were awesome! One was a sweet lop eared man and I had a little grey dwarf girl. The girl, Elphaba, used to bang on everything with her toys and destroyed all my cables.

Pet shop animals usually have some issues.

You have very cute little guys and it looks like you have an out door set up for them. Are they indoor/outdoor?

[Eve]

Awesome kitties, and great set up you have for them! Cat trees are perfect for any indoor feline!

I know how you feel, and many people decide eventually to adopt for the same reasons. They house just feels to empty without a furry presence! It's a great reason to adopt, and I'm glad you got two kitties to keep each other company! And sometimes a third comes along. My mother found a stray kitten and eventually she got added to a household of 4 cats and 2 dogs! I'm glad in both cases it looks like the new guy fit right in!

I know my questions seem strange, but that's because I want to get a feel of how people feel about their pets. Having worked with animals for so long a lot of people expect certain animals, or certain animal breeds, to act a certain way. When they don't there's a lot of confusion on both ends, which can lead to issues.

Looks like you kitties are in good hands! : )

[Eve]

Awesome kitties and great set up! Like Destiny I have one cat who just wants to be left alone, he's an old man and quite set in his way.

It's awesome that you take in strays. Do you mind if I ask if they're fixed and if you had a lot of trouble introducing the new guys?

[PotooGryphon]

Totally agree.

I think breeds really plan around with cats, dogs, fish, and birds. Each breed has there own needs ontop of everything else. My favorite cat breeds are Maine Coons and Snowshoe cats. None of mine are pure breed. Pure breeds are a bit overrated. Aside from the horrors of puppy mills and breeders, most of the time to maintain the pure breed status the animals are inbreed which can lead to health complications.

College Humor actually did a great video on the subject:

[Runiix]

Definitely cockatiels - they are very sweet, and when they do bite, it usually is very soft. They are also relatively small and quiet so their screams wouldn't freak out any neighbors ^^

[Menbung]

Hi! I really didn't plan to have a pet, I always liked dogs but my mom didn't want to have any, nor cats, or any animal for that matter D: -

But a couple of months ago a little street cat ended up at my front door (literally) he was in a horrible shape, skiny, he drooled all over the floor, had like an eye infection, he was all bruised and wounded, so my brother and I started to take care of him, givin' him food everyday, we didn't let him in the house coz family issues and all... he started to gain weight, and started to look better.

One day 2 dogs that lives in my neighborhood saw the little cat and cornered him, they were going to kill him, I didn't saw the thing, my brother did, somehow the cat escaped, we don't know how, he disappeared for some days, we thought the dogs found him and killed him for sure =(... but one day he came back, wow, poor thing he was all wounded... so Vet time ! , the guys at the vet took care of him =] .

Now he lives at my house and he's all healthy XDXDXD. He can be a little pain when he gets over exited, he has this habit of jumping at you and clawing or biting at your knee when he jumps.. =T I'm trying to change that, he sometimes will hunt you down like you were a prey, I know he doesn't do it to hurt you, he's basically playing coz he doesn't bite hard, but sometimes his claws makes wounds that bleed . Other than that he's a good cat, he likes to hunt birds, I think he loves it too much D: .

Aw yes he has his little toys and all too =P. Sorry for the long comment, I dunno if it will help you but I liked the thread XDXD. Regards

[Raven_C]

They're fixed, except for the kitten. We've only had her for about a week and she's still a bit scared of us. She actually just comes and goes whenever she pleases. For some reason, my cat Oliver somehow always gets the kitten to follow him home. Haha. I didn't have trouble with introduction of the cats. My older cat Destiny is sort of always on her own and she just doesn't care about the other cats. No matter what, she hates other cats and prefers solitude. As for the others, they've gotten used to each other fairly quickly. ^^

[Basil]

@Runiix
I'm just letting you know, I know next to nothing about birds and how to take of them beyond their tendency to be amazingly stressed (the only exotic pet I've ever had was a Leopard Gecko ages ago). So when you said "They are also relatively small and quiet so their screams wouldn't freak out any neighbors," I was well and truly freaked out for a good moment there.