Pets and companion animals

[Quill]

I'd love to see what kinds of pets and animals that everyone here shares their life with. I think a pet can tell quite a bit about a person, their lifestyle, and their personality, even.

I'm on the odd end of the spectrum, I suppose. I own an amel corn snake, who has quite a bit of personality! I'm not certain how I would manage without her, at times. When I'm having a bad day, I can come home, take her out of her tank and hold her, and she instantly calms me down.

http://dragonroost.org/cornsnake/gallery/122708_zaida003.jpg

The corn snake is just the right size for me, not too large, very rarely aggressive and an overall healthy specimen to keep. I've also owned a Texas Rat snake in the past as well, which I'm certain is where they came up with the term "mean as a snake".

On a more normal playing field, I also enjoy dogs for companions, particularly working stock, dogs that have been bred for a job. I've had the privilege of owning a German Shepherd Dog, Doberman, and a Shetland Sheepdog in the past. Currently, due to finances (hur hur..), I'm unable to keep a dog at the moment, but once life falls into place for me again, I intend on purchasing a german lined German Shepherd Dog.

As far as snakes go, however, they allow me to grow increasingly lazy, and encourage me to lounge around when I'm not at work instead of getting things done at home, which isn't always a good thing.

If anyone has any pet pictures or stories to share, I'd love to hear them!!

[fanimation]

This is my dog Benny when he was a puppy. He was a husky/chow mix. This first picture is of him and me the night my wife and I brought him home as a puppy. The second picture is Benny about five years ago with Nikki our first cat. We lost benny two years ago at age 12, he had very bad hip dysplasia and knee problems and could not get up well at all anymore. We had to put him down and it was very sad and hard to do! we miss him very much! We lost Nikki last year. She was 17 and a half years old, she died with kidney desease. She had a long good life but we miss her very much also.

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww141/fanimation/benny-1.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww141/fanimation/benny-nicky1.jpg

The next photo is Nikki a year and a half ago with our two newest cats Jake and Maizy

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww141/fanimation/DSCF0667.jpg

[johncbeggs]

What an awesome dog, sad story tho :(
Dogs become part of the family

[fanimation]

This is My favorite picture of Jake. The first Christmas we had him as a kitten, he would not stay out of the tree!

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww141/fanimation/DSCF0345.jpg

This is Jake again a little older. He loves my daughters Snoopy chair!

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww141/fanimation/DSCF0416.jpg

This is Maizy walking towards the Camera. Maizy and Jake are great Cats! We saved them both from the streets. Found Jake in a Mcdonalds parking lot and adopted Maizy from our vets. She had been on the street for her first year they said. We love them both very much!

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww141/fanimation/DSCF0665.jpg

[johncbeggs]

Cats hate me :)

[JayTea]

At one time, I considered myself a cat person. The cats would rarely hesitate to come up and "say hi". Then I spent a couple years at my sister's where I grew to like walking her dog. Somewhere along the line I became a "dog person" - which the cats could tell. Suddenly they are more likely to be skittish around me. :(

I later found a stray dog that, after making friends with it over a few days, started to follow me home. She was my friend for the next ten years. Then two years ago she fell ill and I had to "let her go". :crying:

My "Dog Comix" sketches on DA (http://jeatay.deviantart.com/gallery/#Comics) are largely recalling my experiences with her.

[Hana]

Wow Jaytea those dog comics were absolutely gorgeous. I really love number 5.

We have a whole bunch of animals at our house but most are my mum's including 2 mice, a rabbit and 3 birds as well as fish. We also have 2 family dogs. However I have my own bird as well :D

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb249/picormdwe/qp/ani.jpg

His name is Andreas an he loves to chatter to me all day and is learning a few words as well.

[Regan]

I don't have any of my own pets, but my parents have an American Eskimo. I love that kind of dog. We had one that died 2 years ago and then got another one right away.

Hana, what words does your bird know? I hope it's nothin dirty! ;)

[Hana]

No naughty words yet haha. He can say step up and good boy and is learning to say go poo =P However step up and good boy are good for him as he likes to use them to demand stuff from me like attention.

[JayTea]

Hana, have you heard of Alex the African Gray Parrot (http://sciencetechbooks.suite101.com/article.cfm/alex_me_by_irene_pepperberg) who they were teaching as part of a study on animal intelligence? One incredibly smart bird!

Oh, and thanx re the comic :D

[Regan]

No naughty words yet haha. He can say step up and good boy and is learning to say go poo =P However step up and good boy are good for him as he likes to use them to demand stuff from me like attention.

Go poo! Love that :D;) Pretty soon that bird is gonna own you. :p

[Hana]

Why yes I have Jaytea :D Those African Greys are absolutely amazing birds. Much more intelligent than one would expect.

Also Regan I'm pretty sure he already does xD He gets upset if I don't say good night to him.

[johncbeggs]

Well hes not my pet but I met this cool seagull while taking the ferry to victoria two years ago, the date on the camera was wrong.

I called him Legless The Brave, he flew beside me on the ferry and just sat beside me the whole time and we shared some fries :D it was really cool.

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu41/johncbeggs/LeglessTheBrave.png

[lavallelee]

awww poor birdy, that is a great shot john

[Hana]

Those seagulls are amazingly hardy guys. Great photo :D

[johncbeggs]

Thankyou lavallelee and hana,

[Regan]

John you shouldn't be feeding Legless any french fries...he's probly diabetic. That's how he lost his foot!

[johncbeggs]

John you shouldn't be feeding Legless any french fries...he's probly diabetic. That's how he lost his foot!

Trust me I wouldn't want to eat polluted fish either if I had a choice,:D
He seamed pretty healthy to me even though hes a junkfood addict ;)

[Regan]

Trust me I wouldn't want to eat polluted fish either if I had a choice,:D
He seamed pretty healthy to me even though hes a junkfood addict ;)
Any kind of fish skeeves me out, I don't know how people and animals can eat that stuff. :D

I think junkfood makes you more healthy....I live totally on Reeses Pieces and cigs, and I'm very healthy. :smoking:
;)

[Regan]

We need a laughing smilie here, by gum.

[johncbeggs]

We need a laughing smilie here, by gum.

I second that !:D

[Regan]

I second that !:D

It would fit right in the empty space. :yes:

[dmgctrl]

That would be pretty neat alright! :laughing:

ADDED.

[johncbeggs]

That would be pretty neat alright! :laughing:

ADDED.

now that was quick :laughing:

[Regan]

That would be pretty neat alright! :laughing:

ADDED.

Cool! Thanks...now we can laugh out loud. :laughing:

[Penumbra]

I have three pets at the moment, a dog and two cats. Until a few months ago I had a bird as well (I'm totally a parrot person, haha) but unfortunately he passed away.

I can't find my photos of the pets! I'll come back and edit this post when I do. XD

[johncbeggs]

This is what pet I want to buy soon maybe a year or two! :D
osOqF1b92SQ

most of you probably see something viscious I see a challenge :D
but Ive always wanted a lizard and water monitors are just perfect closest thing to a dinasaure Ill ever get :).

common these guys are awesome admit it! :laughing:

[wolfsymphony]

Here are some shots of my baby, he's a 10 year old pure-bred English Labrador.
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/3521/dsc1033c.th.jpg (http://img193.imageshack.us/i/dsc1033c.jpg/) http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/782/dsc0895o.th.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/dsc0895o.jpg/) http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/2936/dsc0750r.th.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/i/dsc0750r.jpg/)