Adolescent Pet Survey

[mousapelli]

For my Adolescent Psychology class, I have chosen "Adolescents and Pets" as my research topic. Adolescents, just to clarify, have been identified in my class as between the ages of 12-25.

Because most of the source articles I am turning up have to do with animal therapy in adolescents who are seriously emotionally disturbed, or have serious illnesses, I have decided that it may be more effective to gather my own data, and that my Livejournal would be a more effective place to get a wide variety of participants, since my UVM classes are primarily Northeastern upperclass people age 23.

I would therefore appreciate it greatly if you would take a few minutes and comment to this entry about the 6 questions below. It should only take you 5-10 minutes. If you wish to comment anonymously, that's fine. If you wish to email your comments to me directly at mousapelli at livejournal dot com, that is also fine. You do not have to be an adolescent to answer the questions, reflections about your childhood are perfectly acceptable.


1. What is your general age range? (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30+)

2. Where did you grow up? This answer can be as vague as you like, but should include a geographical answer (such as the Southwest, California, Nigeria, etc) and a comment about the type of home (such as an apartment, a house, a dormitory, etc).

3. Did you have pets growing up? If not, was there a specific reason why not?

4. Give a brief summary of what sorts of pets you had and when you had them. Feel free to be either specific ("I had a cat named Fluffy from 11-18") or give a broad idea ("We usually had two or three guinea pigs at any given time").

5. What did you like about having pets? What didn't you like? If you didn't have any pets, what did you think you might like about them?

6. Share a favorite memory or two about a pet you have had.

Please pass this around to as many people as possible. I'll need to start analysing results in a little over a week.

Also, don't let the fact that this is a survey dissuade you from discussing each other's comments on the post. The chitchat will probably be just as helpful as the survey itself.

Comments

[spurious.livejournal.com]

1. What is your general age range? (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30+)
10-20

2. Where did you grow up? This answer can be as vague as you like, but should include a geographical answer (such as the Southwest, California, Nigeria, etc) and a comment about the type of home (such as an apartment, a house, a dormitory, etc).
A house in the suburbs in Michigan, US.

3. Did you have pets growing up? If not, was there a specific reason why not?
Yes.

4. Give a brief summary of what sorts of pets you had and when you had them. Feel free to be either specific ("I had a cat named Fluffy from 11-18") or give a broad idea ("We usually had two or three guinea pigs at any given time").
I had some fish at several points.
I also had a dog from 7-16, I think. And I had a cat from about 9-16. I currently have two cats that I got at age 17.

5. What did you like about having pets? What didn't you like? If you didn't have any pets, what did you think you might like about them?
I liked having someone around to play with all the time, since I'm an only child. I didn't like having to clean up after them.

6. Share a favorite memory or two about a pet you have had.
During the winter, I used to tie a sled to my dog and try to get her to pull me around the yard.
I also used to try to dress my cat up, which he didn't like very much.

This is making me miss my cats! (I'm at college at the moment.)

[beagley.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure, survey-for-class... I know what this is... you really want to work your way up to deep personal questions, get us crying our hearts out, take careful notes, then begin your life of international black-mail.

WELL. I'll play your game.

1. 20-30
2. Michigan, house
3. Yes, always briefly. My dad was allergic to a lot of things.
4. Dog for three months, out-door cat for a few years, fish. My sister had a few birds that always died quickly.
5. Pets were alive... they were "real" somehow, more than books/television. I didn't like the chaos factor. The dog we had was a dalmation... very very tempermental, drew blood from me a few times, would suddenly start barking and growling at us if we did certain things. Pets were alive, which was cool, but it also meant they were a bit scary.
6. I have no favorite memories of having pets. Okay, one-- I had a pet rat that I taught to bar-press. Her name was Glinda, after the good witch in all the Oz books. It was cool taking her to show and tell and showing people that I had a pet RAT. Major status points.

[souliesoul.livejournal.com]

1. 10-20
2. England, in a house.
3. Yes.
4. When I was around seven my brother and I were allowed pet fish for the first time, then a little after he got a hamster. We had several hamsters since the first one, and the last one died about a year ago. I got a pet rabbit when I was about nine, a couple of years later we got a guinea pig and when they had both passed on it was a couple of months before we got two rabbits from one of mums patients. That was a couple of years ago, and we still have one of the rabbits.
5. I like having pets because you can talk to them about anything and they don't think you're silly. They're cute and sweet and when things are bad you can go and chat with them or stroke them and they cheer you up just by being there.
6. Snuffles, my first rabbit, liked being held like a baby, on her back and you could cuddle her like that for longer than you could holding her any other way.

[phoenixw.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely clear that you want to collect information from people in my age range (45) but just in case (and because I can't resist telling stories about myself...)

1. 30+
2. Seattle, Washington State, Pacific Northwest, USA. Lived with mom and dad and brother in a house until parents divorced, after which we lived in an apartment, and then in a house again.
3. From as early as I can remember, we had a cat. From 0 to 5 we had an orange long-hair named Fluffy (no kidding). From 5 to about 23 we had a black tabby named Fritz. During the Fritz era, we also had goldfish, mice and guinea pigs, though not simultaneously. When I was 17 I got a boa constrictor, who got along very well with both my mom and the cat (who liked to sleep on top of the cage).
5. I enjoyed having someone around who seemed to enjoy hanging around with me. The small animals were fun to play with and interesting to watch. The cats were good company, especially if I was feeling miserable. The boa was interesting and beautiful. I hated cleaning up after them - the cat box was a least-favorite duty, only surpassed by cleaning the toilet.
6. I wrote a silly song about my guinea pigs when I was about 12. They used to run up and down the stairs, and they made the most delightful "squee-squee" noise.

[sociofemme.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'll play your game, you rogue!

1. 20-30
2. House in a smallish town just outside the St. Louis metro area
3. Yes, always.
4. When I was very small, my parents had a poodle named Lulu and a cat named Frisky. The poodle died when I was about four, and then when I was five, I picked out Tiger, a stripey kitten from the neighbors (I got her because the boy was MEAN and I just knew he picked on the kitties, I had to rescue one).
So we had the cats all the while I was growing up. Then, at various points, we had fish, hermit crabs, a hamster once (briefly--he was a biter), and a tarantula named Hairy--he was WICKED COOL--we would go out and catch crickets to watch him eat them. Now I have a very sweet, mellow rattie named Avery.
5. I only really like the pets in small doses. I usually think of them as someone else's, that I occasionally pat or take care of. I don't think of myself as much of an animal person, really.
But my mom's cat Frisky helped me grow up. The Halloween of 2003, she got really sick, and the vet told mom that she'd have to be put down. Mom, who's had this sweet, affectionate, loving grey shadow since before I was born, couldn't handle it. I had to fly home for the weekend and go with mom to the vet and take care of her for a day or two. (I think I actually ended up crying harder there in the office.) I'm crying now, thinking about it. That's not exactly a favorite memory.
6. Oh, I know. I remember when the tarantula escaped from his cage. I was up in the middle of the night, sleepwalking, when I saw him on the floor. I picked him up and carefully put him back in the cage (I think I was maybe 9?), then went to bed. An hour later I woke up screaming. We knew it had really happened, because the book on top of the cage was ajar and he was trying to push the screen back up when we went to investigate. SO COOL.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

your rat is mellow like I am a successful UVM student.

also, a poodle named lulu *dies*

[jaebi-lit.livejournal.com]

1. 20-30

2. California in a house

3. Yes

4. mice, goldfish, a cat, a dog, and two chickens. Not all at once - it would be mice or goldfish or a cat or a dog at any given time.

5. They were company. Even if my room smelled funny from the mice, when I went into my room there was something alive there and I could have something uncomplicated to love. I could even pretend that they loved me back.

6. One of my mice crawling up my arm. It tickled.

[instantramen]

1. What is your general age range? 20

2. Where did you grow up? Southwestern Ohio

3. Did you have pets growing up? Yes.

4. Brief summary of pets: Cat and dog named, respectively, Garfield and Odie until 3, dog named Sweety from 12 to present

5. What did/didn't you like about having pets? They're great with the unconditional love thing and Sweety's the most adorable woobie in the world (IMO), but it can be kind of annoying when she wakes me up in the middle of the night for an off-schedule potty break.

6. A favorite memory or two: Dude, any fall or winter when the leaves or snow are deep enough for Sweety to play in. She rolls and dives and has such a blast, it's so much fun to watch.

[instantramen]

*looks at the age thingy again* Er...

[puchuupoet.livejournal.com]

1. What is your general age range? (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30+)
20-30

2. Where did you grow up? This answer can be as vague as you like, but should include a geographical answer (such as the Southwest, California, Nigeria, etc) and a comment about the type of home (such as an apartment, a house, a dormitory, etc).
California in a house in the woods.

3. Did you have pets growing up? If not, was there a specific reason why not?
Yes.

4. Give a brief summary of what sorts of pets you had and when you had them. Feel free to be either specific ("I had a cat named Fluffy from 11-18") or give a broad idea ("We usually had two or three guinea pigs at any given time").
Earlier in my life, there was a tropical fish tank, four or five hamsters, and cats. More recently (3 years ago), I had 5 rabbits, 3 mice, a hamster, a chinchilla, a dog, and a cat. Right now, I have two bettas, a gecko, a snake, a dog, a cat and a rabbit. Over the past 8 years, I've raised 5 guide dogs for the blind.

5. What did you like about having pets? What didn't you like? If you didn't have any pets, what did you think you might like about them?
I've always seemed to connect better with animals than people (I was shy when I was younger), and they provided constant friendship with no judgements passed. I didn't mind taking care of them, but it seemed like when I finished cleaning one cage it was time to start again. Now, some of my animals are more for the beauty and temperment rather than for their cuddling abilities (the reptiles).

6. Share a favorite memory or two about a pet you have had.
When my first guide dog graduated with his partner (6 years ago? wow), and then last month when my snake decided to start eating again after 7 months and took her first frozen/thawed mouse :)

[(Anonymous)]

1. What is your general age range? (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30+)
20-30

2. Where did you grow up? This answer can be as vague as you like, but should include a geographical answer (such as the Southwest, California, Nigeria, etc) and a comment about the type of home (such as an apartment, a house, a dormitory, etc).
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.A I've lived there my entire life. Both my parents came from Benkelman, Nebraska which is a very small town. My dad's family owned about half the land. Lincoln is the capitol of NE, and it's the second largest city in NE, but it really isn't that big. Smaller than Kansas City. My parent's divorced when I was 4, so there were two households in the same development.

3. Did you have pets growing up? If not, was there a specific reason why not?
Yes.

4. Give a brief summary of what sorts of pets you had and when you had them. Feel free to be either specific ("I had a cat named Fluffy from 11-18") or give a broad idea ("We usually had two or three guinea pigs at any given time").
The count starts from major count goes from age four to twelve.
At my dad's house we had a goldfish that lived for seven years. In that seven years we also had a succession of other goldfish (in a seperate tank) that died. During that time we also had first, 2 guinea pigs. After their death we had two mice that breeded three times and were given away. Then there was a turtle. There was a long period without any pets after the 7 years old goldfish died. And then after my older brother and I were moved out (aged 24 and 18 respectively), my family got a pug for my younger sister(age 9).

At my mom's house there was Reggie, a miniature schnauzer. (me aged 4-6) After his death there was a one year period of mourning, and then we got two more schnauzers. They were half brothers, a year apart.(aged 8-17) After they were put to sleep, and I was out of the house, they got a beagle (aged 18). And five very annoying birds. There was a beta fish in there somewhere, and I think a hamster right after I moved out, since I was allergic.


5. What did you like about having pets? What didn't you like? If you didn't have any pets, what did you think you might like about them?
I liked the feeling of connectedness with them. They were always there, even if my parents were not present.

6. Share a favorite memory or two about a pet you have had.
My brother and I named our mice and our guinea pigs after characters from Get Smart. And when we got our two shnauzers, they were both boys, so we couldn't do Maxwell Star Smart and 99. So instead it was Max, and I panicked and said, "Skittles" because that's what I had in my hand.

[dipping_sauce]

1. 20-30

2. Montreal, QC, in a semi-detached house.

3. Yes.

4. (Unless otherwise mentioned, they're all cats.)

First there was Kit-Kat (god, I give my pets *such* original names), who we had when I was in primary school. He ran away on a trip home from visiting the relatives in Ontario.

A year or so later, we got Lucie. (I think I was eight or nine.)

She was a bit nuts, and we figured she was lonely, so we soon got another cat, Max. He was a big sweetie, but he had been mistreated at his previous home, so he was almost always a nervous wreck.

Between them and the current cat, I also got a hamster. It was supposed to be my pet, but because it made so much noise during the night and I couldn't sleep, it lived in the TV room. It lived about two years.

My last year of high school, my dad found a trio of kittens by the side of the road. We gave one to a neighbour, took another to the SPCA, and kept the last one. I named him Pookie.

When my parents split, my dad took Max and Lucie, and we kept the Pook-meister.

Max died in 2001. Lucie died earlier this year.

Pookie's nine and still going strong (though I've been trying to put him on a diet.)

5. I like the companionship. It's nice to have someone, even if he's fat and orange and can't talk, who'll love you no matter what.

I don't like having to change his litter, or when he gets the night crazies.

6. My cat's been obsessed with my hair since we found him. It was the first thing he smelt when I picked him up just after my dad found them.

So this one time, when he's about six months old, while I am brushing my hair, he *jumps* from my bed onto my back! And he dug his little claws in and held on.

[dipping_sauce]

Guh, I forgot.

My parents had a dog (a Lab or a golden retriever, one of those big dogs) before I was born. Her name was Trixie and she died when I was about six.

(My dad handled it the same way he handled all the pet deaths -- he told me afterwards, completely like 'Oh, by the way, the dog is dead. Have fun in kindergarten.' I'm still upset he never gave me a chance to say goodbye to Max or Lucie.)

[jedilora.livejournal.com]

1) 20-30 (21 in 15 days!)
2) Southern California, then Eastern Massachusetts. About half each.
3) Yep! Raised guinea pigs. We have a cat now though.
4) 3 begat two, who begat 3. Though we never had more than six at a time. The first was gotten when I was..9 or so, and the last one died when I was in high school. LONG-lived pigs. Fluffy, Jenny, Rocky, Snowy, Michelle, Sacajawea, Bunny, Tails. Well, and Nameless, who only lived a few hours.
5) I loved that when I had a bad day, I could come home and someone would love on me for nothing more than a bite of carrot. I mean, I hated cleaning the cages, but it was worth it for the nuzzle afterwards, when they'd re-nested and were happy.
6) One time, we took the pigs into the school, so that we could have a smarts-off with another person's rat. Sacajawea was a VERY tubby pig. She was the dominant one, and she got the majority of the food. Well, her first run through the maze went fine. She sniffed her way through to the alfalfa hay at the end no problem. Second run through, there wasn't any food there. There WAS, however, some on the other side of the wall, since we didn't think to move it too far away. She CHARGED through, and when she got to the end she reared up, tried her best to climb over the wall, and when that didn't work, she began chewing on the plywood of the wall. Got a pretty decent scratch through before we picked her up. Strong and smart, was the verdict.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

LOL, that's the best story ever.

we always had guinea pigs too (our record was ten at once, when one had four babies), but ours never lived more than 2-3 years. we were rough on em. I always liked the males best cause they'd purr at you more.

right now, though, we have one left that absolutely will not die. I got her right before I went to college, and then she got left to my brother, who doesn't even like her. Now he's in college, and she's STILL THERE. She's going to be six soon. We call her the Highlander Pig, cause she won't die and there's only one.

[ladyamedeus.livejournal.com]

1. 10-20

2. Born in TX but lived in Los Angeles area after I was two in a nice house. Go figure.

3. Yes, I did/do.

4. Had a guinea pig named Skunk when I was little, a cat named Stickers who was eaten by a coyote, a dog named Pumpkin who died of a heart attack or something heart related when I was 12, and I currently have two cats named Mimi and In-debt and a dog that I adore named Sheridan. Oh, and there's a bunch of goldfish spread throughout my life time.

5. They love you unconditionally! But I HATE cleaning up after them. Oh well, comes with the territory.

6. I got my current dog, Sheridan, from a pound for Christmas my senior year in high school. I went and looked at animals 3 or 4 times, and he was there every time, but I guess it just wasn't love at first sight. Anyway, I eventually decided on him and my parents and I went through the paces to sign all the paperwork and whatnot. So I stick the leash on him and we proceed toward my car, which is down the block. Suddenly, he GETS OUT OF HIS COLLAR and runs ACROSS the street and as far away from us as he can. Of course, I run after him without thinking about it, but I COULD'VE gotten run over really easily. It was serendipity that the "it's okay to walk" signal was green when I crossed the street cause I REALLY wasn't paying attention to the traffic. I caught him (after MUCH chasing) and now he'll come when I call him! Yay.

[cmw-brigid-5501.livejournal.com]

1. What is your general age range? (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30+)

10-20

2. Where did you grow up? This answer can be as vague as you like, but should include a geographical answer (such as the Southwest, California, Nigeria, etc) and a comment about the type of home (such as an apartment, a house, a dormitory, etc).

Northeast - suburban NY, like an hour and a half northwest of NYC
I lived in a mobile home. It had wheels. lol.

3. Did you have pets growing up? If not, was there a specific reason why not?

Oh yes.

4. Give a brief summary of what sorts of pets you had and when you had them. Feel free to be either specific ("I had a cat named Fluffy from 11-18") or give a broad idea ("We usually had two or three guinea pigs at any given time").

We had our family dog Max when I was 2-16. When I was 7, my parents got me a cat that I named Tippy, though unfortunately she had cancer and had to be put to sleep when I was 17. Now my family has another dog named Shana, we got her when I was 17. We've also had numerous amounts of fish, a hamster or two, and maybe a guinea pig at various times in my young life.

5. What did you like about having pets? What didn't you like? If you didn't have any pets, what did you think you might like about them?

I liked that my dogs have been our guard dogs. They make me feel safe. My cat was my baby, she always lessened my stress. She was also fun to play with. I didn't like watching them get old and unable to take care of themselves. :(

6. Share a favorite memory or two about a pet you have had.

When I was little, my mother told me that our dog Max would always know somehow and bark if I ever went near the road in front of our house. We grew up together and he looked out for me. Also, I loved my cat, but she was SO FAT, hahaha. I remember her laying on our kitchen window ledge with her belly hanging over it, lol.

[sacreddesire.livejournal.com]

1. What is your general age range? (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30+)
10-20

2. Where did you grow up? This answer can be as vague as you like, but should include a geographical answer (such as the Southwest, California, Nigeria, etc) and a comment about the type of home (such as an apartment, a house, a dormitory, etc).
Massachusetts, home

3. Did you have pets growing up? If not, was there a specific reason why not?
Yes, a dog and two cats.

4. Give a brief summary of what sorts of pets you had and when you had them. Feel free to be either specific ("I had a cat named Fluffy from 11-18") or give a broad idea ("We usually had two or three guinea pigs at any given time").
Dog before the age of 10, and 2 cats after that. I still have the cats.

5. What did you like about having pets? What didn't you like? If you didn't have any pets, what did you think you might like about them?
They are technically my mother's. I don't care too much for pets.

6. Share a favorite memory or two about a pet you have had.
I enjoyed taking pictures of my cats when they were kittens. They make great models :P

[fantomeq.livejournal.com]

You'll want me on this one. :D

1. 25 (20-30)
2. Illinois, in the same single-story home throughout my whole childhood.
3. Yes.
4. Many fish, zebra finches (some hatched from eggs about age 8-10), hermit crabs (at various times), 2 hamsters (from about age 8-12), 1 gerbil (about age 10), 1 guinea pig (died in one day), 3 dogs after age ten, two adult cats and litters of kittens before age 6, rabbit from age 10-18, two mice at about age 13, two geckos at age 17-18. I think that's all up until adulthood. I'm estimating on the ages.

5. I loved the affection that I received from them, particularly the way the dogs knew when I was sad. I didn't like it when they died, but I expected it with the short-lived pets.

6. When we got our Sheltie puppy, she learned to drag a paper grocery bag around the kitchen. She also slipped on the linoleum when she ran. My temperamental pet rabbit used to growl, which amuses me now.
I have better stories about the pets when I became an adult (16 hamsters--a litter and three adults, and 2 rats). For some reason, I bond with them better now, probably because I'm less busy.

[fantomeq.livejournal.com]

Oh, I spent ages 15-21 in places where I wasn't allowed pets (boarding school then apartment), and I missed them a lot. They would have been a comfort during some difficult teenage years. It was always wonderful to see my parents' dog's reception when I came home to visit. Right after I bought my first house and got married (at 21), we got two hamsters and had a litter (13, 3 lived, hand-fed because the mother rejected them).

[bribitribbit.livejournal.com]

1. 10-20

2. I grew up in California, but I've moved a lot.

3. I 've had a lot of pets, just because I was a lonely sort of kid.

4. I've had about seven cats in my lifetime, the first being a tabby named Darci, and currently, I have two cats named Joey and Sammy. I have a German Shepherd named Goliath, but I've had two others named Bailey and David, and I've also had a frog and a bird.

5. I never liked my frog very much, poor thing. I never gave it much love; it probably died of loneliness. The bird was my first pet, and I loved it very much, for a hundred billion different reasons. I like my pets now well enough, but they are a lot to take care of, and one of my cats was born to be generally annoying.

6. I'll always remember the first time my bird, Fred the Bird, talked. It was so awesome. I also love anytime that my cat decides to spend time with me. There's something about cats that makes spending time with them sort of like you've been chosen. :P

[bribitribbit.livejournal.com]

I forgot my fish! Wow. In first grade, I had twelve fish, all named some variation of star. Starfish, Starfire, Starlight, Star, Starry... I also had two fish called Senor Draco and Senor Harry that died a few months ago.

[wambo.livejournal.com]

Anything to help a fellow psychology student. :-D

1. 10-20.

2. A split level home in the Hudson Valley, NY.. about halfway between Albany and NYC.

3. Yup.

4. From when I was born until I was about five we had a white persian cat named Micia.. when I was 7 I had two goldfish named Freddy and Speedy... when I was 9 I had three baby iguanas named Frisky, Iggy, and Iggy II.. from age 8-12 I had a siamese cat named Micia II and a tiger cat named Simba.. and since I was 14 I've had a coon named Chico and another cat named Li'l Buddy. I also had sea monkeys when I was 17 but I don't know if they count as pets, lol.

5. I always loved having pets! They help relieve stress, which is always a plus. And there's nothing like curling up on the couch with my Chico in my lap purring after a long day.

6. One of my favorite memories is when I first got my iguanas. My cousin had bought them for me and my brother and I was afraid to hold mine, even though they were just babies. My whole family was making fun of me because I wouldn't pick Frisky up. So finally I picked him up and his TAIL fell off in my hand (if you don't know much about lizards, it's a common reaction when they're frightened.. the tail grows back after a while)! So I looked down at my hand and my iguana was gone (he'd jumped onto the floor) and all that was left in my hand was a bloody tail! I freaked out! Another great memory is of my current cat, Chico. He always likes to sit on my brother's and his friends' shoes.. and one time my brother's best friend was over and he didn't take his shoes off in the house so my cat got mad and sat on his shoes while they were still on his FEET. So my brother's friend was standing in the living room with my cat sitting on his feet and he wouldn't get up. It was soo cute!

[ceresi.livejournal.com]

1. 10-20

2. Ohio, mobile homes and apartments.

3. Yes.

4. I had two hamsters when I was little, a hamster, a guinea pig, and two cats after that, and two cats for about six years now.

5. Likes: they're cute, fun, and affectionate. Dislikes: they make messes, get sick, get injured, and if they're black they get under your feet in the middle of the night.

6. Hm . . . well, an hour after we brought our cat Yuuki home he learned how to slide down the lamppost like it was one of those pole things on a playground, hence the name. Also, Blue smacks the shit out of him and is half his size, with paws the size of nickles.

[silver-freak.livejournal.com]

1. 10-20

2. Southern CT, old house

3. yes

4. My parents adopted a cat named Tina one year before i was born, and she died last fall when she was about 19(she would have been 20 in the spring). When i was two, we adopted a black lab mix named Tinker, who died this past spring. He was 17. I currently have a cat named Pepper, who we adopted as a stray when I was 10. She will be 10 next spring. We also had hamsters, Babe I and Babe II when i was about 7 or 8, who both were unfortunately attacked by Tina. I personally had two carnival goldfish, Goldy and Gilby, from about age 10 to 11 and a half, when one died and i gave one to my 5th grade teacher.

5. I just liked having something warm and fuzzy around, something to play with when i was bored. They always made me happy just being there.

6. A lot of times when i was sick or even just feeling really depressed, Pepper would come sit on my lap and purr. she always knew when i was going on a trip because she would come and try and get in my bag. tinker would looooove to play ball, so much that we had to spell out B-A-L-L, and one time he ran so much when my grandpa was playing ball with him that he pulled a muscle.

[mycrystalball.livejournal.com]

1. 20-30
2. house in san antonio, tx
3. a few
4. we got a dog for christmas when i was born, she died when i was seven. from that point until 6 months ago we only had misc fish at my mom's house, but at my dad's we found a stray dog and took her in. she died about a year or 2 ago and he got 2 more.
5. i love having a dog. they love you unconditionally all the time. but they are alot of work to keep (food, shots, cleaning up poo in the backyard)
6. my first dog, since i was too young to really take care of her, learned this game i taught her. whenever i was upset or sad i covered my face and laid face down on my bed ... she would come up and always find a hole somewhere and lick my face.

[yabamena]

1. 20-30

2. Southern Westchester County, New York.

3. Yes.

4. I had a cat named Antomio Mama [Toni for short] from the age of 3 to the age of 16. I had a hamster named Jack from the age of 21 to the age of 23. I had a cat named Murphy Kyo MacManus fromt he age of 22 to present.

5. I have several good memeories with my current cat. Because he's insane and acts like a dog, always rolling around on the floor wanting to get his belly rubbed. I think one of my favorite things that he does is when, in the middle of my friends and I ploaying D&D, he'll just wander in and lie down right on top of our map like a giant dragon. It's annoying, but really cute.

[mycrystalball.livejournal.com]

my friend doesn't have lj so here's his info:

1. 20-30
2. house in san antonio, tx
3. yes
4. fish, hampster, cats and dogs
5. it makes me feel like i have friends and my life is longer. i didn't like them dying and getting sick sitting and being sad while watching their life fade. helpless behind the glass.
6. when i was at the humane society looking for a cat to adopt but none really caught my eye, but then one reached out and grabbed me. literally. so i got him.

[ladysorka]

1. 20-30

2. Small town Wisconsin, relatively large house with a yard.

3. Yes and no (yes at some times, no at most others - no due to severe allergies in the family)

4. I had Holly the Evil Goldfish, who lived for over two years, ate every other fish we put in the tank, and finally died of a tumor when I was 8 or so. We later got two cats when I was a junior in high school. (I now have my own cat - I'm 22.)

5. There wasn't much I liked about Holly, other than the novelty of having fish. Cassie and Fandes were great, snuggly, and comforting.

6. Holly was evil. Two fish at night, one fish in the morning! Fish of DOOM! But Chiana, my cat now, really, really brightened up my life. I don't live anywhere near family, and have a lot of trouble making friends, so she pretty much stopped making me feel so lonely and depressed. She's my baby girl.

[latentfunction.livejournal.com]

1. What is your general age range? 20-30

2. Where did you grow up? Texas, in a series of houses.

3. Did you have pets growing up? If not, was there a specific reason why not? Yep.

4. Give a brief summary of what sorts of pets you had and when you had them. We got two cats the summer before I went into the fourth grade, and a day the summer before tenth. They're all three still living.

5. What did you like about having pets? What didn't you like? If you didn't have any pets, what did you think you might like about them? I'm not much of a dog person, even though we've had one for a while. I love her, but she needs so much more attention than the cats, and I always felt guilty when I had too much homework, or wanted to sleep, or go out with my friends, instead of walking her. I like the companionship, and it probably made me more responsible as a kid.

6. Share a favorite memory or two about a pet you have had.
When our dog was a puppy, six or eight weeks, we had a bucket we used as her water bowl. (She's since taken to drinking out of the pool, and won't drink fresh water no matter how hard we try.) We'd put ice cubes in it on days it was especially hot, and she would jump inside the bucket and spin around in circles to chase them.

[blitzava.livejournal.com]

1.10-20


2.House, in a nice neighborhood, Rhode Island


3,yes I had pets


4.ages 1-4 a large mixed breed dog named Sera that we had to give up, 8-now a welsh terrior named Sera, 8-13 various small lizards as well as some crayfish, 14-now a portuguese water dog named ISIS, a gerbil for about a year now


5.I've always loved having pets, I'm not always very social, they kept me company (well, the dogs did). What I don't like? The gerbil was given to me, it's not used to humans, bites everyone except me, and it's cage is a pain in the ass to clean.


6.I just find this amusing. I'd gotten a ride home by one of my dad's obnoxious friends (this guys is an annoying drunk asshole who loves to play the "hero" role, even though he's far from it) Now this guy decides he should go in the house with me to make sure there's no one inside waiting with a knife (this is getting stupider eh?) My dog ISIS (at this time a puppy) who is truly the sweetest most innocent dog you could meet (not to mention at this time was still very little) breaks out of her crate and come running up to my father's friend barking and growling. My last sight was this giant 6 foot tough guy hightailing it out of my house chased by a tiny "vicious" ball of fur