Your Family

[Doug627]

Is your pet a family member or just a pet? We found Chester, a pit bull, in the local animal shelter. He had been there two years. He is the kindest and most gentle dog I have ever known. He wants everyone to be his friend and is hurt when people don't warm up to him. During the day, he watches out a of window in a bedroom sounding an alarm when a stranger enters the cal de sac. He sleeps at the bottom of my wife and my bed at night. When someone comes to the door, he wants to meet them. His tail is probably the most dangerous part of him. He is a family member. He has earned his position. We love him and he loves us. Even my four your old grandson, Ryan, says Chester is a good boy. Tell me about your animal family member(s).

 

[bgrafsr]

Our cat, Pepper, is considered part of the family. She's spoiled and she knows it. She sleeps with us at night too.

 

[DWalt]

Our animals are our children. 2 dogs, 3 cats.

 

[Texas40]

This should answer the ?
Charli

She typically isnt under the cover she got comfy after I got up a couple weekends ago she wanted to sleep in.
She is almost 12 got her in 2010 from a shelter in Austin TX. Found her on a back row. Asked about her they said she was not adoptable and was sched to be put down next day. I informed um to have her spayed and Id be back in am to pock her up. Great dog loves people.

This is her brother Astro my roommate adopted him from a Houston rescue.
He was also to be put down however he was able to be saved just in time as well. He is about 4 now he has been around 3 yrs at the house.
Both make a formidable deterrent when their faces are looking back through the window at you.
Charli is the alarm system.
Astro is a stealth dog especially at night.

Out at the land camp house.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Smoke]

Mutt the cat.



Someone abandoned her at the place I work around 2 years ago. I took to feeding her and she took to sleeping in my car at night. We became friends but I couldn't bring her home because we are limited to two pets. One of my dogs died in her sleep 9 months ago and I brought Mutt home.

She was clearly born to be a house cat.

I'm a little surprised because usually when they live outside for that long they have this urge where they want to go outside but she was standing at our door the other day and I opened it to do something and she looked outside and I watched her eyes get big and she turned around and RAN the other way. She wanted no part of it.

 

[kraynky]

Our pets are family members too. Right now we only have a year and a half old toy poodle. He still has lot of puppy in him and some bad habits we're constantly trying to break, but we love him just the same.

He spends the day with the wife, who is at home all day, and his little nose comes through the crack first when I open the back door upon arriving home. He's a lap dog after he calms down, and he sleeps under my left arm each night.

If you love animals like I do, they grown into your heart quickly, and burrow deep. They are part of life's happiness. This is Captain.

 

[Bozz10mm]

It depends on the cat's mood. Sometimes she's our family, sometimes it's every man (cat) for themselves.

 

[NYlakesider]

No doubt about it, FAMILY!

 

[Puller]

I'll step out and express a dissenting opinion.

I get it that animals (i.e., pets) can get to be so loved and cared for as to be entwined into the family structure and be considered one with the people. In some cases, animals may be the only caring relationship a person really has. I'm okay with all of that, pets can be a great emotional asset. I am very fond of our family's dog. But it is an animal, not a person.

But here's the dissenting view, you may love your pet like a person but I can assure you most of the rest of us do not. I don't really want to be sitting in a restaurant with your lap dog or cat at the next table. I don't want to be grocery shopping at the local Walmart Neighborhood Market while someone is pushing their cat around in the cart or trotting their dog around on a leash in the store. I don't want to stand in line at the revenue office getting my driver's license renewed with someone's ankle biter running around yapping. I don't understand it when someone thinks it's okay to bring their little dog along in their purse while attending a church wedding. I don't appreciate it when folks are driving down the road with their pet riding in their lap, which is a disaster waiting to happen that could impact all the other drivers in close proximity. I have experienced each of these and more and it seems people have lost their minds when it comes to their pets in public and, to top it off, they get indignant when the rest of us don't acquiesce to their rude behavior.

What is done in one's home regarding the relationship with their pet is all good.

 

[mmb617]

I sometimes think our two dogs don't understand who's the master in our relationship, but then again maybe they do know and it's I who have been misinformed.

 

[whitestang]

I have a Seal Point Siamese that is 17years old. I was a volunteer at a shelter years ago and all the Pit Bulls we had were friendly and some would even fetch toys and bring them to you. So to those of you who have adopted any dog or cat from a shelter my hat goes off to you.

 

[Doug627]

Puller:

We are in agreement. However, everything you mentioned was due to a person's action, not the pet.

 

[Sistema1927]

Our boy, Rico, has been gone two years now, after a bout with bone cancer. Our hearts are still broken, and we are not yet ready to adopt another fur baby.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Our dogs have always been part of the family. Following the death of our superdog Joe in 2018, this little girl became ours. Corey, also known as "Booger" has stolen our hearts with her love, intelligence and loyalty. When our oldest daughter tragically died in October of that year, having Booger with us kept us on a more or less even keel with her sympathy and love.

Her latest thing is to watch the TV like a hawk, and whenever she spots a dog, she barks, rears up, and sticks her nose to the screen - she's hilarious!

Here she's pictured visiting one of our daughters in Colorado with us, poised to chase some squirrels. I often describe her to others as "a hairball with eyes."

As I write this, she's at my feet - my "velcro dog."

John

 

[REM 3200]

I'll step out and express a dissenting opinion.

But here's the dissenting view, you may love your pet like a person but I can assure you most of the rest of us do not. I don't really want to be sitting in a restaurant with your lap dog or cat at the next table. I don't want to be grocery shopping at the local Walmart Neighborhood Market while someone is pushing their cat around in the cart or trotting their dog around on a leash in the store. I don't want to stand in line at the revenue office getting my driver's license renewed with someone's ankle biter running around yapping. I don't understand it when someone thinks it's okay to bring their little dog along in their purse while attending a church wedding. I don't appreciate it when folks are driving down the road with their pet riding in their lap, which is a disaster waiting to happen that could impact all the other drivers in close proximity. I have experienced each of these and more and it seems people have lost their minds when it comes to their pets in public and, to top it off, they get indignant when the rest of us don't acquiesce to their rude behavior.

What is done in one's home regarding the relationship with their pet is all good.

Don't go to Germany. If you do, you will find most places welcome dogs.
It's nothing to see a dog or two under the tables in fine restaurants.

 

[Puller]

Puller:

We are in agreement. However, everything you mentioned was due to a person's action, not the pet.

You are 100% right.

There are some people who should not have children or pets, but they do it anyway.

 

[Mule Packer]

Suzy is definitely a family member. Hadn't planned on getting another dog after my last border collie, Patsy, passed away at age 14. She had gone with me on every pack trip since she was six months old. Just didn't think I could open my heart up to another one.

Patsy in the mule corral.

But my kids kept saying, "Dad, give it time. You'll get another border collie." I didn't believe them. People kept showing me border collie pups, but the spark just wasn't there....until I saw the eyes of this little pup.

I guess my kids were right. Suzy has been with me now for three years and goes wherever I go. She doesn't let me out of her sight. She even reminds me when it's time to take our afternoon nap together. At ten o'clock every night, while I'm sitting in my chair watching the news, she gives me a poke with her nose, letting me know it's time to go upstairs and go to bed. Her bed is next to my side of the bed and she doesn't like to go upstairs alone. Ms. Judy says that Suzy has me well trained. She just might have a point there.

Suzy at elk camp.

 

[jscheck]

Arlo

After losing Ranger (see my avatar) I didn't think my heart could stand another dog. "Arlo" came after much research into breed health and longevity. Chocolate lab boy. Can't figure how to post pics so take my word for it he's too adorable and steals hearts.

 

[mckenney99]

Puller, I agree whole heartedly and I am a huge animal lover. As far as people driving around with their animals in their laps or free ranging in the car, let me tell you it is DEADLY for your unrestrained animals. As a State Trooper whose primary job was traffic enforcement and Crash Investigation, I lost count of the number of family pets that were fatally injured in traffic crashes. Unrestrained pets become furry missiles within a vehicle in a crash.
Never having had any human children, my furry kids ARE my children, but they stay at home.

 

[bigwheelzip]

We're not a family of pet people, but I came across this photo, probably in 1961-62, of hubby's late uncle in the USMC, a confirmed dog lover. Caption says the dog had puppies.