Reason Why I don't Keep Pets

[Lote-Tree]

As a child I had number of pets. I enjoyed looking after them. I found joy in them. They made me more compassionate towards the whole of Animal world and made me love nature more than before. They also taught me as a kid some responsiblity :D I would spend ours catching fish for my heron with hooks so that I can feed it.

To be honest I did not go out and buy my pets. They came to me accidently or pehaps because of some Higher Power :D if you believe in such things ;-)

My heron for example, fell from from it's tree as a chick and broke it's leg. I nursed it to health and raised it and it became attached to me.

My dog was a abandoned puppy.

The reason I do not have pet is that I do not have the time to take the responsibility for their welfare and also fear that I will fail in that duty because I take my responsibilities quite seriously.

I prefer to see the animals in my Garden and all around me. But I do miss the closeness that I had with animals when I was younger.

What about you?

Have you hads pets before? and if so why have you stopped? :D

[Sweets America]

Jesus, another thread!:D
Just like you, I am wondering about having a dog later because I don't know if I'll have enough time for him. However, I am more and more thinking that I will find time for him, because I just need dogs in my life. It is a big need.

Your story with the heron reminds me of my ex boyfriend who saved a catfish when he was a little boy.

[Bakiryu]

I've always had pets, ever since I was a little girl. My first pet ever was a tarantula, then some dogs and later a cat.

However, I've always been deadly allergic to fur. But animals love me, every time i go out strays follow me and try to lick my hands.

I've a dog now, it's name it's Einstein and even thought, I have a really stuffy nose and the allergies are over reacting, I love it.

I plan to have more pets in the future.

[metal134]

There has never been a time in my life where I have not had at least one pet.

As a side note, I don't know it for sure, but I have reason to believe that my dog Cassie was abandoned.

[papayahed]

As most of you knoe I desperately want a dog. My last dog died about 4 years ago. I'm not going to get one any time soon only because I just don't have the time to devote to the dog. I'm thinking of getting a turtle or frog, not sure.

[Virgil]

The reason I do not have pet is that I do not have the time to take the responsibility for their welfare and also fear that I will fail in that duty because I take my responsibilities quite seriously.

I prefer to see the animals in my Garden and all around me. But I do miss the closeness that I had with animals when I was younger.


A very responsible attitude. I applaud that.

[Sweets America]

I've always had pets, ever since I was a little girl. My first pet ever was a tarantula, then some dogs and later a cat.

A tarantula? :cold: :cold: :cold: :p

[Pensive]

I just don't like the idea of having a pet much, due to aesthetical reasons, though the sight of free cats wandering about is what I like.

[Lote-Tree]

I just don't like the idea of having a pet much, due to aesthetical reasons, though the sight of free cats wandering about is what I like.

Pray telll what is this "aesthetical" reasons are?

[Pensive]

Pray telll what is this "aesthetical" reasons are?

aesthetical: That which appeals to the senses.

The idea of having pets doesn't 'appeal' me, it just doesn't. I don't know about whys or whats.

I don't like red colour much, I don't have to wear it. I don't like pets much, I don't have to have them. But I do like to see animals (such as cats, rabits, etc) wandering about freely.

[V.Jayalakshmi]

Dear Members,

One day when I was young,my brother went for a walk and came back holding one parrot,who somehow had escaped the clutches of the keeper using it for fortune telling.We could make this out because the parrot's wings were cut.We reared it,and this was our first pet.Of course when the wings grew again we allowed the parrot to fly away too.As a child I was afraid to let it fly away thinking that it will not be competant to survive in the wild on its own,being protected for some years by us.I do not know whether it survived.

After this pet , I had never thought of having a pet thinking it to be too much responsibility.

Quote:

To love is divine but to let go of love just peaceful.

The above quote is authored by me.

[manolia]

I would spend ours catching fish for my heron with hooks so that I can feed it.

What?? No pet stores up there? :D :lol: You sound like Mogly (sp?) :p
Actually, that was really cute (what you did for your heron) :)



To be honest I did not go out and buy my pets. They came to me accidently or pehaps because of some Higher Power :D if you believe in such things ;-)

Or one can say that those poor beasts were deprived of their survival instincts :p



The reason I do not have pet is that I do not have the time to take the responsibility for their welfare and also fear that I will fail in that duty because I take my responsibilities quite seriously.

Same for me lote. All my pets are at my parents house now. They have a really huge garden and it is better for them. Besides i recently discovered that i am not fit even to have a plant. The last died yesterday. Now i have only cactus (it is really hard to "kill" a cactus, you know)

[AimusSage]

I have a stuffed dog. This pet is very low maintenance. All that is required of me, the owner, is to brush it about once a month.

[Jane Jane]

This planet is so over run with unwanted, lonely, diseased, sad animals that I for one don't go out and get a pet.However, I believe that God has indeed sent several unwanted ones my way and that is a whole different thing. I cared for them, loved them, grieved when they died. But I knew that at least they had love, were wanted even if abandoned by some jerk who left them on the street to fend for themself.
But if there WERE no unwanted pets and such I would never. I think dogs and cats and all that should have been left alone to have their own lives in their own communities. No matter how nice a dog is, I would not want him to round me up when I have been abandoned from time to time , and taken home to live with the 'fam.' Because no matter how they would love me, I am er a human. :) I think we humans have quite an egotistical bent, we take a creature from its element, cram it into an apartment or house with a so so yard-take it for its' walk once a day, give it treats, some hugs and think we are wonderful. It's world goes from unlimited to so tiny and then it becomes dependant on us thinking we are 'the pack' and when we let it down it has no others to depend on.
No, for me, I prefer to just enjoy nature and only if it is a rescue do so.
PLEASE SPADE OR NEUTER YOUR PETS. please. I have watched a sweet animal go to its death. I never recovered.

[formality hater]

Pets increase the already crushing workload!

[Lote-Tree]

What?? No pet stores up there? :D :lol: You sound like Mogly


Yes. I was kind of Mougli :D



Same for me lote. All my pets are at my parents house now. They have a really huge garden and it is better for them.


Yes. That sounds excellent.



Besides i recently discovered that i am not fit even to have a plant. The last died yesterday.


Oh no! Poor plant! But you are only the second women I met that actually can kill a plant :D May God have mercy on your husband's soul :D



Now i have only cactus (it is really hard to "kill" a cactus, you know)

Yes. I have them too :D But sadly they are not as gorgeous as leafy tree :D
But some cactus flower nicely :D

[mmanuelap]

I have pets. One dog at home, and two others at my mother's farm. Recently we lost one of the farm's dog, he caught a bug disease (I don't know how it's named in English) and died. Although he wasn't living with me, and I didn't see him everyday, I fell like something is missing :( So, I guess having a pet is definetly a need in my life, and I can always make some time to take care of the one creature that always knows when I'm not well, and insists on taking me to a walk at the park :)

[Tersely]

I've always had cats. I love them, still do but I'm considering as I get older...you grow that attachment and then as nature takes its course---they die. Its hard, I get attached to things that can look me in the eye or respond when I call them by name. Thats the only reason I can think of not continuing the pet/animal care. But then I think gosh...if I dont save some then they might die alot sooner, expecially ones that stay outside. Its a crazy mind cycle.

[Bakiryu]

A tarantula? :cold: :cold: :cold: :p

it was very friendly and cute :p

[Adventure Man]

I have a Rottweiler, he chases away unwanted guests for me. He doesn't ask for much, sleeps all day, licks my face in the morning and wiggles his knob (former tail) when he thinks a date is a good match for me. :thumbs_up


http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff89/quasimodo69/rot.jpg

[Sweets America]

it was very friendly and cute :p

:p Some part of me finds them fascinating but the other part of me is terribly scared of them. :cold: :cold: :cold: I am even scared of the very little spiders we have here. And I am very scared of moths too. :cold: :cold: I am scared of bugs in general. :D

[Adventure Man]

I'm not a fan of bugs either, but I do have a thing for cockroaches.

[Tersely]

I'm not a fan of bugs either, but I do have a thing for cockroaches.

As in you keep them or they welcomed themselves?

[Weisinheimer]

I like animals, but I wouldn't want to have any pets because they smell and they're messy and I'm lazy and wouldn't want to have to take care of them.

If I did have a pet though, it'd be something like a snake or a monkey.

[Adventure Man]

As in you keep them or they welcomed themselves?

Depends on the occasion.

[Bakiryu]

:p Some part of me finds them fascinating but the other part of me is terribly scared of them. :cold: :cold: :cold: I am even scared of the very little spiders we have here. And I am very scared of moths too. :cold: :cold: I am scared of bugs in general. :D

Oooh, have you tried immersion therapy? My aunt did it once and they put her on a bathtub filled with the little critters. *shiver*

[Sweets America]

Oooh, have you tried immersion therapy? My aunt did it once and they put her on a bathtub filled with the little critters. *shiver*

:cold: :cold: :eek2: Immersion???? NO.:D Oh my God.

[pussnboots]

Although I already have a dog, I would love to have a horse, chimpanzee, and a pot belly pig.
Hey adventure man, your rottie is cute ! How old ?

[free]

There are many reasons for it. But the most important one is - I don't have this kind of habit.

[cacian]

I don't keep pets because
a) it would mean my time would revolve around them. I have seen with families where parents chose their animals over their children.
and
b) pets are better off in the open that is their environment where they most happier.

[YesNo]

I would not, for my personal benefit, get a pet, however, we do have a cat now because the children wanted a cat when they were little. We went by a Petsmart store and my wife and I said, "Why not?" I've had a dog for similar reasons long ago: someone else wanted a dog.

Some animals one might have aren't pets. For example, I did purchase a handful of chickens at one time when I was in a rural area. I planned on getting at least eggs from them, but still I pampered them to the point that financially it would have been cheaper to buy eggs and meat from the grocery store.

Although it crossed my mind, I never actually ate those chickens. Before I got a chance to eat them that dog I mentioned earlier, finding his way off the chain, finished them off. I have to admit they were taunting the dog. I allowed the chickens to roam freely but the dog, by local laws, had to be kept on a chain. They had nothing better to do. They would mercilessly tease the dog cackling when he lunged at them but was stopped by the chain around his neck. How the dog got off his chain is another story, but just because animals can't talk doesn't mean they aren't smart.

[cacian]

I would not, for my personal benefit, get a pet, however, we do have a cat now because the children wanted a cat when they were little. We went by a Petsmart store and my wife and I said, "Why not?" I've had a dog for similar reasons long ago: someone else wanted a dog.

Some animals one might have aren't pets. For example, I did purchase a handful of chickens at one time when I was in a rural area. I planned on getting at least eggs from them, but still I pampered them to the point that financially it would have been cheaper to buy eggs and meat from the grocery store.

Although it crossed my mind, I never actually ate those chickens. Before I got a chance to eat them that dog I mentioned earlier, finding his way off the chain, finished them off. I have to admit they were taunting the dog. I allowed the chickens to roam freely but the dog, by local laws, had to be kept on a chain. They had nothing better to do. They would mercilessly tease the dog cackling when he lunged at them but was stopped by the chain around his neck. How the dog got off his chain is another story, but just because animals can't talk doesn't mean they aren't smart.

animals are smarter then people much more smarter.
how do you mean by pamper?

[YesNo]

animals are smarter then people much more smarter.
how do you mean by pamper?

That dog was smarter than I was.

As far as pamper goes, I would buy them the best feed, or whatever someone told me was the best, and they had plenty of fresh water. They also got the run of the yard. At first I thought they would run off, but they must have figured "Why run away from this paradise?" I even had plans to build a regular chicken house so they would have a place to stay at night, but they didn't live long enough for me to get off my butt and finish it.

[Emil Miller]

There are various reasons why people don't keep pets: lack of funds, landlord restrictions etc. but I believe there is a primeval connecion from the animal to humans that is breached to the detriment of both. Of course, it depends on circumstances but, to my mind, it's essential to bnng up chlldren with a respect for animals.

[YesNo]

Having pets or farm animals around should give one a respect for animals. They can make choices. They can plan ahead. They know about death. Their hearts can break. Now I know that last one is hard to believe, but I'm positive of it.

[cacian]

That dog was smarter than I was.

As far as pamper goes, I would buy them the best feed, or whatever someone told me was the best, and they had plenty of fresh water. They also got the run of the yard. At first I thought they would run off, but they must have figured "Why run away from this paradise?" I even had plans to build a regular chicken house so they would have a place to stay at night, but they didn't live long enough for me to get off my butt and finish it.
haha I see. I am sorry to hear the dog at them. It sounds a bit like ''animal farms''.
you must have enough space to have chicken running around.
did you get any eggs from them?

[cacian]

Having pets or farm animals around should give one a respect for animals. They can make choices. They can plan ahead. They know about death. Their hearts can break. Now I know that last one is hard to believe, but I'm positive of it.

it is not hard to believe. they have feelings they are very intuitive.

[YesNo]

haha I see. I am sorry to hear the dog at them. It sounds a bit like ''animal farms''.
you must have enough space to have chicken running around.
did you get any eggs from them?

I got a few dozen on a mainly wooded lot. You don't need a lot of room to let them run where they want. If you are, say, gardening in the yard, you can see them following you, watching and then when they know they're being watched they will start pecking at the ground pretending they were really busy with something else besides just watching you.

My dad had a real farm and kept about 100 hens for laying eggs. He would sell them. Sometimes we'd eat the birds, but he didn't like to kill them and even in those good old days the grocery store was an easier way to get chicken meat.

Did you or your family ever have pets? It seems to me you might have enjoyed them being around.

[qimissung]

I have pets. At present I have several cats. It is very interesting to observe their temperaments and personalities.

[cacian]

I got a few dozen on a mainly wooded lot. You don't need a lot of room to let them run where they want. If you are, say, gardening in the yard, you can see them following you, watching and then when they know they're being watched they will start pecking at the ground pretending they were really busy with something else besides just watching you.
the eggs must have tasted really nice because of their fresheness.
the story of them watching is hilarious it made me laugh haha.


My dad had a real farm and kept about 100 hens for laying eggs. He would sell them. Sometimes we'd eat the birds, but he didn't like to kill them and even in those good old days the grocery store was an easier way to get chicken meat.

Did you or your family ever have pets? It seems to me you might have enjoyed them being around.no never had any pets as such.
I don't think I could have a dog in the house either.
once we had a cat for a bit called guiness and that was quite tense at time because he would come up to the bedroom and start scratching at our feet. I did not like that because it was painful.
another time the cat would bring a couple of dead birds into the house brought. and that was not very nice.
apart from that no.
I think chicken would be nice in a farm and yes to have eggs that would be really nice.
I could not have them in the house.
I have seen people have inside them in their houses. I think that is just too much for me.

[YesNo]

Guiness sounds like a good name for a pet. That dog who got even with those chickens was called Fred. He did have an unusual personality and a high-strung temperament.

As far as pets going inside, my mother wouldn't let a pet into the house, but I think dogs and cats are fine. Chickens should stay outside, but I guess it depends on the kind of house one has.

[AuntShecky]

Generally speaking, pets are the privilege of homeowners, not renters, as landlords tend to spell it out right in the lease: "no pets."

Expensive, too, just in pet food alone! Years ago Gail Parent, one of Carol Burnett's comedy writers, once quipped on a late night talk show that as a little girl she brought home a goldfish. Her mother had a fit. "Just what we need!" she yelled. "Another mouth to feed!"

Additionally owning pets comes with a host of logistical problems: (human) family members with allergies,the difficulty of transporting the animal to the vet (for shots, etc.), liability if the dog bites a litigious neighbor, as well as the daily problem with who takes care of the pet while both parents are at work during the day. (You can't keep Fido locked up inside, or chained to a tree., all day, especially in nasty weather.)

By the bye, "Fido"-- that noble nomenclature from the Latin -- is the generic name for a dog, but I've never in my life known anyone, anywhere naming his dog Fido. Human names, yes, but not "Fido."

Dorothy Parker had an extremely funny line about pets. She said she named her parakeet "Onan" -- because he spilled his seed on the ground.

[Emil Miller]

One reason why some people won't keep a pet is the thought of losing them when the animal dies. I lost my cat Milly just before last Christmas and it really hurt but although I said I wouldn't have another I missed not having her around and now have a young cat called Debbie.
Like Milly, she spends a good deal of time sitting on my lap and purring contentedly but its a symbiotic relationship because pets are great stress busters and they pass their contentment on to their owners.

[cacian]

One reason why some people won't keep a pet is the thought of losing them when the animal dies. I lost my cat Milly just before last Christmas and it really hurt but although I said I wouldn't have another I missed not having her around and now have a young cat called Debbie.
Like Milly, she spends a good deal of time sitting on my lap and purring contentedly but its a symbiotic relationship because pets are great stress busters and they pass their contentment on to their owners.

Emil I love cats too. how did you get to chose their names?

[papayahed]

One reason why some people won't keep a pet is the thought of losing them when the animal dies. I lost my cat Milly just before last Christmas and it really hurt but although I said I wouldn't have another I missed not having her around and now have a young cat called Debbie.
Like Milly, she spends a good deal of time sitting on my lap and purring contentedly but its a symbiotic relationship because pets are great stress busters and they pass their contentment on to their owners.

I'm sorry to hear about Milly. When I saw this thread the first thing I thought of was you and Milly.

[Emil Miller]

Emil I love cats too. how did you get to chose their names?

It's easier to call them as they seem to respond more readily to a two syllable name when called.
It might be silly to say so, but in both my cases the names seem to match their appearance




I'm sorry to hear about Milly. When I saw this thread the first thing I thought of was you and Milly.

Thanks, I knew it would be tough going when she became sick and everything was done to keep her alive but to no avail.
I will try to put up a picture of Debbie later. She's very pretty but she will never replace Milly.

[YesNo]

Sorry to hear about Milly, Emil. The cat we have is getting old. I know what is coming.

I didn't know that Fido mean "dog", AuntShecky. When the bad dog (sinner?) who killed the chickens was named, Fido was suggested. Fred was a close alternative to that very name. The dog was not expensive that I recall nor is the current cat we have. What I was planning for the chickens might have been unrealistic. Fred lived outside with a small house as a shelter to protect him from the rain. His chain was attached to that house. The hens knew just how far it would stretch which was where the vegetation stopped growing. They also lived outside under a shed or on some wood construction beams off the ground. Until the dog got loose they seemed content.

[Emil Miller]

Sorry to hear about Milly, Emil. The cat we have is getting old. I know what is coming.




It's not so bad when there are other pets in the house but when all of the attention has been given to one it hits that much harder. It's a great pity that cats are so prone to disease but that's the price we pay for having them.

[cacian]

It's not so bad when there are other pets in the house but when all of the attention has been given to one it hits that much harder. It's a great pity that cats are so prone to disease but that's the price we pay for having them.

I think cats when domesticated and given the type of food we eat that is not meant for them originally they get ill quicker. their physiology does not assimilate our food and therefore they suffer later on. I have seen cats put on a diet because they grow old and become intolerant to food like milk. it is hard to watch because some people I know would put them to sleep when they no longer are capable of coping. I don't know whether it is right for us to decide on animals' life and when they should be put to sleep.
a cat is an wild animal after all the food they must eat must come from wilderness too.
but that is my opinion.

did your cat become allergic or intolerant to food? or did just die of all age? how old was the cat?

[Emil Miller]

I think cats when domesticated and given the type of food we eat that is not meant for them originally they get ill quicker. their physiology does not assimilate our food and therefore they suffer later on. I have seen cats put on a diet because they grow old and become intolerant to food like milk. it is hard to watch because some people I know would put them to sleep when they no longer are capable of coping. I don't know whether it is right for us to decide on animals life and when to put them to sleep.
a cat is an wild animal after all the food they must eat must come from wilderness too.
but that is my opinion.

did you cat become allergic or intolerant to food? or did just die of all age? how old was the cat?

I believe that they often die prematurely due to inbreeding. About a year before she died Milly had an operation to remove a lump near to her left ear and all seemed OK, but she subsequently had a growth pressing on heart, causing her lungs to fill with fluid. She had another operation to remove the fluid but it came back and, despite intensive medication, she died. She was only seven years old. Cats have been domesticated since the days of the Pharaohs so it is unlikely that the food they eat is the cause of health problems although I admit it cannot be ruled out completely.

[cacian]

I believe that they often die prematurely due to inbreeding. About a year before she died Milly had an operation to remove a lump near to her left ear and all seemed OK, but she subsequently had a growth pressing on heart, causing her lungs to fill with fluid. She had another operation to remove the fluid but it came back and, despite intensive medication, she died. She was only seven years old. Cats have been domesticated since the days of the Pharaohs so it is unlikely that the food they eat is the cause of health problems although I admit it cannot be ruled out completely.
oh my. cats inbreed?? how do you know that?
I am sorry to hear Milly died seven years of age that is so young. it can't be a nice feeling for you.

[Emil Miller]

oh my. cats inbreed?? how do you know that?
I am sorry to hear Milly died seven years of age that is so young. it can't be a nice feeling for you.

It's well known that a major motivation of cats is to spread their genes as widely as possible
and they don't care too much how they go about it; as is the case with humans, inbreeding weakens their immune system.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

It's easier to call them as they seem to respond more readily to a two syllable name when called.
It might be silly to say so, but in both my cases the names seem to match their appearance

Thanks, I knew it would be tough going when she became sick and everything was done to keep her alive but to no avail.
I will try to put up a picture of Debbie later. She's very pretty but she will never replace Milly.

I recall your past pictures of Milly on top of books or the printer, sorry to hear she's passed on. Look forward to seeing Debbie.
We recently lost Betty; a pet dog who was with us for about 13 years. Betty's passing was particularly hard on my son since they were together since he was about 6 years old. We still have Lily the cat and now have a new dog named Isis.

(click on the picture)
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae114/tabuka1/Misc%20Album/th_fba559d24e0ad19e7a882cd7fef65057_zps771626a9.jp g (http://s963.photobucket.com/user/tabuka1/media/Misc%20Album/fba559d24e0ad19e7a882cd7fef65057_zps771626a9.jpg.h tml)

[Emil Miller]

I recall your past pictures of Milly on top of books or the printer, sorry to hear she's passed on. Look forward to seeing Debbie.
We recently lost Betty; a pet dog who was with us for about 13 years. Betty's passing was particularly hard on my son since they were together since he was about 6 years old. We still have Lily the cat and now have a new dog named Isis.

(click on the picture)
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae114/tabuka1/Misc%20Album/th_fba559d24e0ad19e7a882cd7fef65057_zps771626a9.jp g (http://s963.photobucket.com/user/tabuka1/media/Misc%20Album/fba559d24e0ad19e7a882cd7fef65057_zps771626a9.jpg.h tml)

Thanks for posting the photo of Isis, you will probably find yourself being taken for walks again as is the fate of many dog owners.
It's always particularly hard on children when they lose a friend, because that's what pets are, but it's all part of growing up and I guess we must always remember the good times when they made us laugh with their individual personalities and antics.
I will put up a picture of Debbie some time soon.

[Emil Miller]

As you can see, Debbie is somewhat camera shy. The reason being that my camera is damaged and I cannot use the full focal length, which means I have to get really close to her to take the picture; at which point she decides that she doesn't like the camera being so close and takes off .

http://imgur.com/cAxzYWK

[AuntShecky]

I didn't know that Fido mean "dog", AuntShecky. .

The Latin word for a generic dog is the root of our word "canine." "Fido" is also a Latin word, which has echoes in our English words "Confide," "confidence," "fidelity," "infidel," and so forth.

One thing I didn't know until I looked it up on "Google" just now was the connection between "Fido" and Abraham Lincoln, which you can read about by clicking here. (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201110/why-are-dogs-so-frequently-called-fido)

The story seems a little contrived to me, but who am I to argue with a certified psychologist? In eany event, I'm sure you heard the anecdote which I THINK originated with the legendary Random House publisher and frequent quiz show guest, Bennett Cerf. The publisher had asked one of his minions to find out what kinds of books tended to be best-sellers. The answer was that any book about Lincoln, doctors, or dogs would be sure-fire. So apparently someone went ahead and wrote a book with that very title. I don't know how many copies it sold. But you can read about it here. (http://www.metaphordogs.org/Dogs/entries/lincolns.html)


http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201110/why-are-dogs-so-frequently-called-fido

http://www.metaphordogs.org/Dogs/entries/lincolns.html

[YesNo]

That was a nice story about Lincoln and his dog Fido.

[Emil Miller]

Managed to get a picture of Debbie after many attempts to get her to look at the camera and not run away.

http://imgur.com/hKAH7EV

[Dkbogord]

Thanks for sharing.