Do you remember your first pet? Was it a dog, cat, bird, turtle, fish?

[debm55]

Last edited Sun Apr 23, 2023, 10:12 PM - Edit history (5)

Please remove the name of your pet for security reasons. Thank you all for posting and sharing your wonderful stories of your pet. I am sorry I let some posts get to me. Sometimes, for some of us our pets were the bright parts of our lives. They will always be remembered and loved as a friend, a companion.a protector. After all these years we still have our memories. I thank you for sharing your story with us.

[Polly Hennessey]

1. My first pet was an English Sheepdog

named Finney Boy.

[debm55]

9. Sheep dogs are beautiful. My friend had two. Big Fluff Balls of love.

[Siwsan]

2. Cali the Calico Cat

I was only about 2 or 3 but I still remember her.

At the same time my grandmother had a dog named Brownie. Brownie would run up to me and snatch my red, home made mittens off of my hands. I would run into the house screaming that BROWNIE STOLE MY MIMIS!!!

[debm55]

57. Siwsan, please remove the name of your pet. TY

[Siwsan]

62. That name is nowhere on any of my 'security questions'

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Dog - Laddie

I was 8 & Laddie was the best I could come up with.
He was a buff & white cocker spaniel.

[debm55]

13. Laddie sounds like a beautiful name for a beautiful dog.

[ProfessorGAC]

24. He Was A Digger

Upset my dad greatly as he did damage to the back lawn. My dad was a turf nut.
Doggie developed a tumor & didn't make it 5 years.
We got Heidi a couple years later when my sister turned 4. That doggie lasted a long time.
I was married 5 or 6 years when she died. 15 or 16 years.
No cats until we married as my wife already had 2.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. Mine was a flea bitten black tom cat given to me by friends of my parents when i was about 4 years o

His name was Corky. My mom was not too happy with the deal because she hadn't been asked first. He turned out to be a sweet boy who would let me dress him in doll clothes and pull him around in a wagon. Unfortunately, he met his end on the busy highway in front of our house.

[debm55]

7. Oh, I am so sorry. My cats would never let me dress them. Corky seemed a very nice cat.

[Lunabell]

5. Misty

A beautiful, gray, long haired cat.

[debm55]

6. I had a Misty cat when I was older.

Your Misty does sound very pretty and special to you.

[Ocelot II]

8. This is a common security question for online banking

and other confidential websites, so I'd advise not answering that one - at least not truthfully.

[debm55]

14. One question though, why are two jokes demeaning women and religion

allowed to stand? I will let the posters decide. They are mature enough for me not to censure them. I have no idea if they are giving me a fake name. I thought it was a building community post of sharing--that is what I had intended.

[Ocelot II]

16. Maybe nobody alerted on them, or maybe a jury let them stand.

I don't know; I didn't see them.

[debm55]

20. They are still here.

[Ocelot II]

21. If you consider them offensive you can say so in the thread,

or you can alert and let a jury decide.

[debm55]

22. I did

[JudyM]

26. We got rid of one, could you alert on the other so we can get it?

[debm55]

30. I would rather not, people are perhaps not as thin skinned as I. I think you can let it be. I don't

people on ignore for that reason. People are free here to post. I don't report to the higher ups for that reason. I let it be.Can you please tell me what I can post as I am very confused as what I can post about. I was a teacher for 40 some years. All of my questions came from a journal starter book I used for my students' journal writing. There is nothing malicious to add. A post of"What dwarf in Snow White are you most like" is not a malicious post. I am very sorry and confused.

[Ocelot II]

45. There is nothing to be sorry for. You are doing nothing wrong.

People are free to answer your questions, or not.

[debm55]

52. How do I delete this thread and all the answers?

[Ocelot II]

53. Why would you? There's nothing wrong with it.

[BlackSkimmer]

115. You have been here since 2004 and don't know how to delete a thread?

It's very simple.

[JudyM]

73. In this thread, Ocelot II offered an observation for folks answering, but that's a

pretty uncommon issue with the vast majority of posts, so nothing to feel bad about. I don’t know what the Snow White situation was, but in general, really just feel free to post whatever you feel like discussing. You can check out the “About this forum” tabs for more info about what all the forums are set up for. You’ll get used to it.

[debm55]

74. It wasn't ocelot, it was Blues Heron.

Last edited Sat Apr 22, 2023, 10:22 PM - Edit history (1)

[thatcrowwoman]

65. I never answer any security question truthfully.

I don’t necessarily even answer in the prompted category.
Mother’s maiden name? Perhaps a color.
Place of birth? Perhaps a flower.
Name of pet? Perhaps a planet.
Or, like my son-in-law, I answer with an unrelated phrase or question.

That being said, I enjoy these conversation starters from deb. It builds some camaraderie, some community. And it’s the lounge, so folks that don’t care to participate have any number of alternatives throughout DU.

That’s just me.
🕊thatcrowwoman

[Ocelot II]

66. The problem with that is that you have to remember your fake answer, while

you'll never have to worry about remembering the correct one.

The questions are themselves harmless and people can answer them or not, but it's always good to remember that even though DU can be a nice, welcoming community, it's not like a private meeting in someone's home - it's more like a gathering in a bar or a coffee shop, where you can be eavesdropped on. Not to stir up paranoia, but the internet isn't a private space.

[Raine]

71. Same here ... I just make a point to remember the false

info, I've never had a problem.

[blm]

81. There have been warnings posted about this.

https://www.helpmepcs.com/blog/why-its-dangerous-to-answer-fun-questions-on-social-media

Facebook has these questions that are supposed to be fun for everyone to get to know each other. One thing that can lead to it though is getting information within the answers to be able to answer security questions. Answering about your first dog, where you were born, or anything with personal information will lead to figuring out security questions for bank accounts, credit card information, and even billing information! They seem to be fun when you first answer them, but when the wrong person gets their hands on that kind of information, it can lead to more severe accounts that can be compromised and information being stolen.

The posts that ask what was your first grade teacher, who was your childhood best friend, your first car, the place you [were] born, your favorite place, your first pet, where did you go on your first flight … Those are the same questions asked when setting up accounts as security questions. You are giving out the answers to your security questions without realizing it! Hackers can use these questions to build a profile and hack into your accounts or open lines of credit causing a breach!

[cloudbase]

10. A dog named Nemo.

Adopted mutt, but really smart. He would go to the local ice cream shop, and. they'd give him a cup of ice cream. When one of us would show up, they'd tell us what we owed for Nemo's treats.

[debm55]

35. Nemo. I have found mutts to be the best type of dog, as they have the traits of the dogs they were

from. Thank you.

[Xavier Breath]

11. My first pet was a Brittany Spaniel

named 'Prince.' My dad had a dog with that same name when he was a boy in the '40s, so that's what he named him. I got him when I was six and he lived nearly 14 years. He was intended to be a hunting dog, but showed zero inclination for the task. Once he got lost in the woods while out hunting with my dad, and it took forever to find him. My mom said he was never going out hunting again, and he never did, which was for the best. He was always more of an indoor dog anyway.

[debm55]

36. We had a Brittany Spaniel named Sam. Was supposed to be a hunting dog, but was gun shy. Dad took him

out once to hunt and Sam ran the other way. He was not allowed in the house, He had a pen in the yard.He was russet and white with a stub tail. I am so glad it worked out that you got an indoor dog.

[Xavier Breath]

40. Ours also had the stubby tail and was an outdoor dog.

He was only allowed in if it was really cold, but after the divorce my mom stated that she never liked him being outside and he became an inside dog. There were no issues with the change, apart from the shedding. Man, that dog could shed, and we were constantly cleaning white hair off of everything.

[debm55]

41. We let ours in when it got too cold, also.

[Xavier Breath]

46. I'm reading upthread where someone suggested

that this sounds like a security question, so to protect myself I would like to change my answer. I never had a dog, but I did have two horses named Snoopy and Prickly Pete

[debm55]

68. ---------

Last edited Sun Apr 23, 2023, 01:36 PM - Edit history (1)

:

[Blues Heron]

12. Sounds like a security question

[debm55]

15. whatever

Last edited Mon Apr 24, 2023, 12:03 AM - Edit history (1)

[Ocelot II]

17. Your post doesn't violate any DU TOS.

I only mentioned that this question is often used as a security question, and that for this reason maybe people might want to be cautious about posting their responses publicly - scammers collect and aggregate information throughout the internet. It's just a word to the wise. The question itself is OK if people choose to answer.

[debm55]

32. And you know this, how? The question is from a journal starter book I used when I was a teacher.

Please give me a type of question I could ask, as I am very confused. The book was published by Scholastic books.

[Blues Heron]

34. Cool story bro

[debm55]

37. Oh my.

Last edited Mon Apr 24, 2023, 12:12 AM - Edit history (2)

[BlackSkimmer]

116. A starter question for a journal is how do you hang your toilet paper?

I really would like to see an image of this journal starter book.

[a kennedy]

18. We had two green parakeets, one's name was Mrs. Kelly, and the 2nd one was Perkey.

Perkey would be on my moms head when she’d let him out of his cage. The last time we saw him he was flying through the air with two black birds flying after him. We never saw him again. So sad, my mom really loved that bird. Then we ended up getting a miniature Schnauzer named whiskers.

[debm55]

85. Thank you for sharing your post with us. Sorry, about the bird flying away.

[Raine]

19. It was a little green parakeet 🦜named Tweety

I think she was bought at Newberry's Dime Store. That was in the old days when they sold pets, thank goodness they don't anymore. Tweety lived quite a while and thankfully died of natural causes just being old. I loved that little bird, ❤️ thanks for the question it brought back some nice memories.

[debm55]

33. We had a canary named Tweety. He never sang.

[doc03]

23. We had a Cocker Spanial mix named Boots, he was hit by a car and had

to be put down.

[debm55]

38. doc03, so sorry. But you had a mutual love for Boots and he for you. After all these years your

love for boots still comes through your post..

[wendyb-NC]

25. My first pets were

A German Shepherd/Doberman Pincer cross, named Minnie, a Persian cat, named Smokey and 2 Flemish rabbits, with the softest salt and pepper gray coats. My older sisters rabbit was named Thumper and mine was named Sneezy. These were some of my earliest memories. I was about 2 1/2 years old. They all were present, in our family from my earliest, fond memories.

We acquired these wonderful creatures when we lived in our first house. We moved when I was almost three. I remember my father transporting Sneezy and Thumper, to the new place in one of their wooden pens, in the back of our Plymouth station wagon. Minnie, and I sat in the back seat. My mother and sister were at the old house,packing up, they were going to borrow a carrier for Smokey, from the neighbors.

The pets lived out their lives, from the mid 1950's through the mid 1960's. As the years went by they passed away, but we got more, as time went by, Ducks in 1959, several kittens, after Smokey passed, and a puppy, after Minnie crossed over.

[debm55]

39. What a beautiful post, you and your family's love for all the creatures comes through your post.

Thank you for giving them all your love and care.

[wendyb-NC]

49. That was a magical time

Recalling the pets, brought back complex sensorial memories such as, the smell of the Cedar chips we used for the rabbits and ducks, or the way each kind felt to the touch. The dog had smooth coarse hair, the rabbits were so soft, and warm. The Persian cat had long fluffy fur, and sharp paws. I enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

[Backseat Driver]

27. I don't remember him, so I must have been very young.

I've been told he was a mutt pup named Blackie. My mother gave him back to my grandmother who knew a farmer. I've been told Blackie became a chicken-killer. We had others, cats, dogs, neither purchased or adopted; they adopted us, as well as birds, a turtle, and a goldfish...sadly, no names I can recall. Grandma even once had a monkey, but not for long!

[debm55]

86. Wow you had alot of animals. I bet your house was fun. A monkey?

[Backseat Driver]

95. I think grandma was influenced by J. Fred Muggs,

the chimp mascot on Dave Garroway's Today Show, 1953-1957. They live as long as people, you know, and I think my mom shut it down--see the grandkids or keep the monkey, LOL! Grandma also had a feisty little, nervous, very spoiled, Pomeranian she always put away when we visited.

[Backseat Driver]

96. I think grandma was influenced by J. Fred Muggs,

the chimp mascot on Dave Garroway's Today Show, 1953-1957. They live as long as people, you know, and I think my mom shut it down--see the grandkids or keep the chimp, LOL! Grandma also had a feisty little, very nervous, very spoiled, Pomeranian she always put away when we visited and she raised parakeets for sale. Grandma was a live-in caretaker of a blind, diabetic lady for many years.

More on home pets: Budgie Birds: Honeybun was powder blue; also a green one; stray kitties (oops, we fed them on the porch): Calico got PG (how else to learn about birth in the basement and death?--all 6 given to the pound post-weaning save Auggie, who died of natural causes) and an orange kittie, Fluffy(?). who we brought home from the field behind the house, who subsequently got out, and was run over on the street) Ginger, a stray beagle mix who got a forever home, and a huge stray Irish Wolfhound named GiGi, also got a forever home. Turtle and fish from Woolworth's never lasted long.

DH and I have had two beagles, Woody and Happy, a Cocker Spaniel, Amadeus, a Mountain Feist, Parker, and currently have senior dogs, Havanese Coco and a Shih Tsu, Diva. In the past are also two kitties, Ivy and Tiger. We kept a fresh water tank of fish when newly married; our daughters had a bunny; when our daughter lived with us while going to college, we helped her care for a salt water aquarium. She's had two Russian Blue kitties she adopted together, real Blue(s) Brothers, Jake and Elwood, and now fully degreed and fledged, she has another adopted little rascal, Tobi. So yep, a lot of fun furkids!

Disclaimer: (We never use pet names for pass codes on-line).

[questionseverything]

28. Deb, when hundreds or more read your post and one or two people complain, please don't take it to

Heart ❤️

[Raine]

61. Agree 👍 nt

[Nictuku]

29. This is often an account security question

Friendly advise, DO NOT give this information out on the internet. Just saying....

No offense meant to deb AT ALL!

We all just need to be careful with our information. So this is fun! Yes, tell your story, but maybe use a fake pet name if you have ever answered this question for a bank account or something that could be accessed with that bit of info.

[debm55]

31. Do you have information that a first pet would be a breach of my banking security? And if so, can

can you give me some examples of what I can post? Right now I am very confused, as I have been asking these Journal starters from
my teaching days. Thank you, but I am very confused.

[Ocelot II]

43. When you first open an online bank account or a credit card account

you will often be asked some security questions so they can verify that it's really you when someone tries to log into your account or change the password. Usually these are questions that nobody would know the answer to but you, like the make and model of your first car, the street you lived on when you were a child, your father's middle name, or the name of your first pet. Scammers can use bots to search multiple web sites, bulletin boards and social media like Facebook, and collect this sort of information from the answers on public sites to seemingly harmless questions like these. So, if on various social media sites you have revealed, by disclosing various harmless bits of information over time, that - for example - you are a white, middle-aged male, you live in Omaha, grew up in Sioux Falls, went to college in Boston, owned a 1981 Buick Skylark, your father's middle name was George, your first pet was a dog named Spot, etc., identity thieves can use all this along with other accumulated information to figure out who you are and access your online accounts. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4194-social-media-security-tips.html

The journal starter questions you have been using since your teaching days could not have been used for identity theft or other nefarious purposes in the past, before the Internet; but they can now. And there is nothing wrong with asking the questions; of course people can respond as long as they are comfortable making their answers public.

[blm]

58. We posted about this a few days ago and

I posted the article that explained exactly why people shouldn’t answer this type of question on a public internet page.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1018&pid=1807248

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1018&pid=1807268

[blm]

67. I'm just an oldtimer looking out

for DUers so comfortable here and who may have forgotten for the moment that this is still a public page on the internet.

I thought you appreciated the article I posted warning people to not answer this type of question.

I thought you said you’d be more careful in future ‘prompts’.

Now you’re mad at ME?

[blm]

72. Where is the post refuting the article?

Last edited Sat Apr 22, 2023, 09:48 PM - Edit history (1)

No one told me the article was wrong.

Can you post the link?

[blm]

80. Can you point to that post?

I didn’t see it.

[debm55]

87. You posted the link on this thread.already . You look for it, since you found it your business to

Last edited Mon Apr 24, 2023, 12:14 AM - Edit history (8)

go though my posts,I not mad or angry, I only see you for what you are=spoiled nitpicker

[blm]

94. Link please.

I’m pretty sure I did NOT post a refutation of the article I DID post.

But, if you say I did then please link to it.

[BlackSkimmer]

113. Your OP was a good reminder blm. People need to be careful of what they put out on the internet.

You did nothing wrong.

[blm]

69. The article was not wrong.

https://www.helpmepcs.com/blog/why-its-dangerous-to-answer-fun-questions-on-social-media

Facebook has these questions that are supposed to be fun for everyone to get to know each other. One thing that can lead to it though is getting information within the answers to be able to answer security questions. Answering about your first dog, where you were born, or anything with personal information will lead to figuring out security questions for bank accounts, credit card information, and even billing information! They seem to be fun when you first answer them, but when the wrong person gets their hands on that kind of information, it can lead to more severe accounts that can be compromised and information being stolen.

The posts that ask what was your first grade teacher, who was your childhood best friend, your first car, the place you [were] born, your favorite place, your first pet, where did you go on your first flight … Those are the same questions asked when setting up accounts as security questions. You are giving out the answers to your security questions without realizing it! Hackers can use these questions to build a profile and hack into your accounts or open lines of credit causing a breach!

[blm]

103. I get you're really sour about this, but,

it doesn’t change the fact that a lot of bad people on the internet can aggregate answers to innocent questions and gather enough info to pull off identity theft. They don’t have to be a member, they can just lurk. It’s a public page.

It shouldn’t bother you that I care enough about DU to post warning reminders. You could say, “Thanks for the warning,” and remind people yourself. But, you’d rather dig in and be combative.

Suit yourself. I’m moving on.

[BlackSkimmer]

119. ...

[Raine]

55. Actually I don't use my real pets name etc

for security questions. There's nothing in the security question that says your answer had to be something for real as long as you remember the fake pet name, book , movie etc that you used.

[Scottie Mom]

42. A Scottish Terrier, a wee lassie.

I was in grade school when my parents FINALLY gave in and got me a Scottie. She was the first of the seven wee lads and lassies I have had over the years. My seventh one is a wee lassie who will be five years old this coming June.

Edit to remove dog’s name.

[debm55]

88. Thank you so much Scottie Mom for sharing your love of your Scottish terrier.

[surrealAmerican]

44. Apparently, I don't remember.

There was a turtle when I was maybe three years old that I have no memory of.

We had fish, who didn't have names, later, and eventually a well-remembered dog, but I don't know if the turtle even had a name.

[Niagara]

47. A German Shepard named Sarge.

He was my protector when mom and dad brought me home from the hospital when I was born.



Sadly, I didn't get to grow up knowing him since he got hit on a busy highway.



This is not any security question/answer that I have set-up. I'm not sure why anyone would do that.

[debm55]

51. Mine either--has always been city of birth, mother's maiden name, etc. Never have I been asked

about a pet I had. But I am not a troll looking for things to breach an account.

[BlackSkimmer]

114. You shouldn't call people trolls.

I have an account where my first grade teacher's name is a security question.

Also one where the name of my first pet is required. Name of first street, name of best friend....they are all out there.

[debm55]

117. I didn't. I said that I was not a troll , not the poster. I am not and never been a troll.

Last edited Mon Apr 24, 2023, 10:02 PM - Edit history (3)

and you should learn how to read. I'm not angry or sad. I thought you were better then that, I was wrong. It's funny and amusing that HS has never ended for some people. It is what it is, I guess.

[Nictuku]

97. Why would anyone do that?

On some of these account set-ups, they have limited pre-made questions that you have to select. I remember in one case, NONE of their pre-made questions fit ME. i.e., questions about my Spouse (I'm unmarried), or questions about siblings (I have none). The pet questions did apply to me, and I wanted to make sure that I answered something that I could remember should I be tested to prove that I was me.

Anyway, I'm sorry that deb is upset, I am just hopeful that people who are speaking up are trying to help protect people from getting scammed. There is so much of scamming going on today, we have to do everything we can to look out for each other and protect each other.

Try not to take it personally deb. I mean, my posts are directed at others, not you. In fact, I'm kind of glad to see this topic on DU, most of the questions like this I see on facebook, and I look at 37,000 people commenting and giving out their info on the internet like that.... Its scary.

Again, just trying to look out for my fellow DUers, and not at all trying to criticize the original poster. This can be taken as a learning situation (hopefully)

Maluhia! (means Peace in Hawaiian)

[debm55]

98. Oh, I am not upset about the information. I am upset about the digging up of my threads and posts

and putting the links here. I understand the security issue, but I feel like I'm back in HS for various reasons.

[Nictuku]

99. I know how you feel

So many nit-pickers around here. It makes me not want to post much here. Sometimes I'll comment, but I rarely start new posts any more. I do tend to take things personally, and I figured that in the long run, for me, it is not worth it in most cases.

Keep doing what you are doing, trying to bring a little humanity into this digital world of ours here at DU.

[debm55]

100. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. Can I PM you?

[Nictuku]

101. Absolutely :)

[Niagara]

122. Ideally, security answers need to be random for treated security.

The same holds true for passwords. The more obscure, the better security system one has in place.


No banking institution, no online account, no company is safe 100% safe from cyberattacks, security breaches or phishing. Phishing is the term that you refer to as scamming.



Security question: What is the name of your first pet?

I'm going to use the name of my first pet Sarge with a SECURE twist.

Security answer: $ar397Ge


Creating more security means to protect yourself and your information means thinking outside the box. One should always change security questions frequently along with changing passwords frequently as well. Just putting in a word that matches the question is a colossal mistake.


Like I said above, I have no idea why anyone would make it easy to breach.


Thank you and have a nice day.

[nevergiveup]

48. It was a totally black cat that ended up at our back door when it was a little kitten.

We did not know the breed but its mother and father both came from a good neighborhood. We named it Licorice.

[debm55]

89. That's a very good name for a black cat. Thank you for your post.

[sinkingfeeling]

50. A dog named Snowball. Parents found her when I was 6 months

old. We had her for 15 years.

[debm55]

90. It sounds like my dog--white. You had her a very long time. Isn't it sad that they leave us to early

Thank you for post about your buddy, snowball

[MOMFUDSKI]

54. My turtle,

Pierre. My dad fed him raw chicken livers when we had chicken. He loved lettuce. He lived 6 years and I loved him. Still have a real soft spot for turtles. Once, in Georgia, we pulled off the highway onto a side road and there was a turtle in the road. Got out of the car and when I picked him up and turned him over he had a 2-part, hinged tummy that COMPLETELY closed his head and legs. Solid. I gently placed him off the road onto the grass.

[Ocelot II]

56. This is not necessary.

[thatcrowwoman]

60. Chico the Boxer

was my boon companion when I was a toddler. We read a bedtime story together every night. Well, we looked at the pictures in a Little Golden Book and made up a story every night. Is it any wonder I became a librarian?

I was given a goldfish in a small fishbowl for my 4th birthday. I was also given some bubble bath, which was crazy fun. I liked that magical bubble making powder so much, I was sure the goldfish would, too. Oy, vey! Not so much. Lesson learned. So, yes, it might be a bit of a wonder that I taught science to 6th graders for lo, those many years.

Hadn’t thought about the goldfish bubble bath in years, deb. As for Chico, I still see him in my dreams.
🕊thatcrowwoman

[debm55]

91. thatcrowwoman, that you for sharing your post with us. Your love of animals comes across in your

post thank you.

[Raine]

63. I'm not removing my pet's name because

I have never ever used it anywhere. This is the very first time in probably 50yrs I have mentioned my little parakeet 🦜 Tweety.

[sinkingfeeling]

75. Not removing my pet's name. I really don't think someone can tie

my DU user name to my real name, to my location, to my bank account number, to my bank password, to answer 'Snowball' to a security question.

[debm55]

76. I guess asking for names is too private, maybe will avoid that

[mopinko]

78. you'd be surprised.

sorta depends on what you post here, but i’ve been doxxed a couple times.

[BlackSkimmer]

118. I still remember a poster who was doxxed here years ago.

I can't remember her name, odd for me because I usually do, but anyway, she was a waitress at some place in New England.

She posted she hated tourists or some such, and somehow she was tracked down and her employers informed. I don't know if she got fired, but it surely couldn't have been a pleasant experience.

She posted about it here, but I remember nothing more of that.

So you're right, it is a thing.

[pansypoo53219]

79. kitten at 5, but i sorts got both kittens. which lasted til 18ish + 21. i don't use whickers.

he was a black kitten w/ 1 white whisker. cryptosporidium got him. faced that he needed youthinasia, but he had a heart attack in my arms.

[debm55]

92. I had that happen to me with a dog and cat. We couldn't get them to the Vet on time. I have always

Last edited Sun Apr 23, 2023, 03:44 PM - Edit history (1)

been with my pets when they are put to sleep. I say the prayer of St Francis to them and make a sign of the cross on their foreheads.

[Emile]

82. Blue baby chicken for Easter.

[debm55]

93. I never liked that tradition. I had one-didn't want it. It was pink and died overnight. I am glad

that is no longer done.

[csziggy]

83. The first pet that was all mine was a little red dog

My Dad found it abandoned out in the woods and brought it home. There had been other family pets, dogs and cats, but this one bonded with me and followed me everywhere. When I started school, he would follow me to the point where I had to cross the road with help from a crossing guard. Then he would return home and would be waiting at the crossing when I got out of school.

One day he wasn't there but my Mom was. She'd been crying and told me my dog had been hit by a car and was dead. Later she told me he'd actually been bitten by a cottonmouth and died from the bite. (I think that at first Mom & Dad thought he had been hit by a car but the vet realized it was a snake bite.)

Until I got my horse at thirteen I never had another pet that was just mine while I lived with my parents. Other animals that Dad brought home - he had a habit of "rescuing" abandoned animals - went to my sisters. None ever had that bond with me until I got a cat when I was in college.

As to the breed of my dog, I don't know, he was just a mutt. I had memories of him being collie sized but I found a very blurry picture of me and the dog when I was five or six. He only came to my waist so was pretty small since I've always been short. I guess you could say he was fox sized. He was red and his coat was very collie like, but he had no white markings.

[debm55]

84. csziggy, he sounds very beautiful, I am so sorry for what happened to him. But he will always be

with you. thank you for sharing that love.

[sakabatou]

106. My first personal pet was a rat. I don't remember his name.

First pet I remember my family having was a tabby cat named Ginger.

[debm55]

107. Did the rat and cat get along. I think I would be afraid to have one. Was he kind to you? I did hear

that they are very intelligent. When we first got married we had two calico cats =Maryann and Ginger.

[sakabatou]

109. I don't remember, it was a LONG time ago.

[yellowdogintexas]

108. A big orange tabby named Buttons.

I have a very vague recollection of my grandfather bringing this orange tabby kitten to my mom. I was really young, so it is one of those flash type memories. We had him maybe 3 years; I am fairly certain he met the fate of many cats out in the country: too close of an encounter with a moving vehicle.

[debm55]

110. But you had three years of Buttons to love and be loved by him. Thank you

[wnylib]

111. The first pets in the house were not mine exclusively.

They were two turtles and 10 gold fish that my mother bought when I was 4.

The following year, my mother got a green parakeet that she named Dickie. We taught him to speak and my brothers taught him to do a wolf whistle. One day when my mother's brother and his wife were visiting, Dickie whistled when my aunt entered the room. She thought my father did it and snapped at him that it was out of line and crude. My uncle was angry. They did not believe that it was the bird until Dickie whistled again when my father was talking and could not have whistled.

When I was 6 I got a gray tabby that I named Smokey. He was an indoor-outdoor cat. Smokey learned that if he rolled a ball back toward me, I would keep rolling it to him. He astonished people who didn't think cats could learn to do that.

One morning when I got up early, before anyone else, I caught Smokey with a paw in the gold fish bowl. I chased him away, but he had already got 2 of them. He got put out at night after that.

Dickie could open his cage door and liked to tease Smokey. He'd land on the floor, just a few feet away from the cat. When Smokey leaped up to grab Dickie, the bird would fly up to a curtain rod and say, "Dickie's a pretty boy." One day he lost a tail feather because he didn't move fast enough. After that, we locked his cage door with a safety pin and didn't let him out when the cat was indoors.

A few days later, Smokey took a flying leap at Dickie's cage and knocked it over. Seeds, water, and feathers went flying while Dickie screached and squawked.

Smokey and I played hide and seek outdoors, especially in winter when he liked to hide behind snow banks and ambush me.

Unfortunately, his shots were not updated and he caught distemper and had to be put down. My mother did not tell me ahead of time. She had my older brother take me to a playground. I found out when I got home and was devastated. Would not forgive my mother for not letting me tell Smokey good-bye.

[debm55]

112. That is both a funny and sad story, wnylib. It is sad that you didn't get to tell Smokey good bye or

be with him when he passed. Back them, I don't remember people taking their pets to the Vets like they do now.My pets never got shots or yearly visits. I'm sure you have very good memories of Smokey and he will forever be in your heart. Dickie seems like he was fun to be around and entertaining. Love the story with your uncle and aunt. Keep them in your heart and remember the fun they brought you.

[Pas-de-Calais]

120. I was born in September, godfather got me a mutt for Xmas

He was brown with a white stripe down the center of his head.
He became an outside dog. Dad cut opening in garage, placed the dog house inside, off the ground, filled it with straw & blankets.
Sandy was always on a rope leash, attached to the clothesline. That was his exercise.
He chewed his rope apart right after I turned 21, as he did the same. Never saw him after that. I have 3-4 photos of him to this day. I’m 66, never had another dog.

[debm55]

121. That is very sad. I'm sorry you had to see Sandy on a clothesline. It might have been better to give

Sandy to a home where he could run and play. I don't blame you, you were a child. I can see why you never wanted another dog. Sometimes a child that young should not be given a pet as they can not take care of themselves let alone a pet. My friend, I am sorry that happened.