People who aren't head over heels for animals

[Ritz459]

I think my brother's girlfriend belongs in this catagory! lol She likes dogs and cats, but that is about it. And then it is a toloration. I guess I just can't get over that fact. She is scared to DEATH of my ferrets, and she even hates my bird! I just find it so funny...
Jacob (my bro), Gabe (gf), and Elise (Gabe's best friend) where in my room looking at my critters, so I go in there and ask, "What are you guys doing to my poor critters?"
Well, Gabe was blowing my fan onto Dameon and laughing (nice laugh, not a "Oh, I'm going to torment the ferret and tease it to death! MWHAHAHA!" laugh) at him, and you could just tell that Dameon was liking it. lol He was flopped over on his back sleeping like, "Ah...this feels so nice!"
So then, just to make Gabe mad (I love teasing her), I took Joey out of her cage and I was like, "Hold the birdie Gabe!" And she totally freaked out and said, "Will it try to fly? I hate it when birds do that!" (Me: Birds trying to fly? Why would they do that? )
So I had Joey out for a while, and then I put her up and grabbed Dameon (who was now up and looking at us like we were weird) and I said, "Hey Gabe, pet the fat fert!"
So she screamed and ran out of the room only to come back with our cat in her arms so he'd protect her. I just laughed and said that the cat was scared of the ferrets, so he wouldn't be of much use.

And now as I'm listening to my Grandma scream because Sadie is licking her legs, I just can't get over how people could not like animals! Especially when they are oh-so-cute and cuddly, not to mention funny! And when they freak out when the animal is being a perfect lil angel, I find it even more funny. Boy do they not know what they are missing!
And when people are complaining about dog hair, slobber, kisses from the creature, the stink, the mess, the noise, whatever, I just shrug and smile because I look past all of that and see the companion that it is!

So I was just thinking and I don't know where I got my love for animals, because my dad only tolorates dogs and that is about it and, while my mom loves animals, she will only tolorate so much. If it sheds heavily, makes messes, or stinks, her tolorence is limited. (And she likes Saint Bernards???)
My dad was shaking his head the other day about how the two things he DIDN'T want was a noisy house and pets. Well, now he has five kids, two of us teens, two preteens, and one rough and tumble five year old, plus...lets see now...12 critters! He must really love us all!

[Beryl]

I hear ya. Everyone has his/her limitations. Although I love almost all critters but would be a little uncomfortable holding a wild rat or a snake. I'm cool with birds, ferrets, pet mice, turtles, and even frogs. But, I don't do insects except ladybugs and sow bugs (the latter is not actually an insect though).

I was the only kid in the 8th grade class to cry when dissecting a frog. I still tear-up when I think about it.

My Dad (rest his soul) was a serious critter-lover and that is where my sister and I got it. He took my 12 year old pom and it was his pal for the remaining 6 years of both of their lives.

My mom is like your grandma and would freak if our dog licks her leg or a cat jumps on her lap. OTOH, she loves watching animals. She even watched the entire 3 hours of the Puppy Bowl on The Animal Planet.

[Dogsareme]

Some people just don't see all the happieness past a few chewed up shoes that animals bring.

I was always a sucker for animals. I brought home my first stray dog at age 6. I was walking home from school and this dirty, dirty, sheep dog was walking around. I called it over to me and gave him the rest of my lunch. He then followed me home. Before that I was always bringing in things like Catpillars, Salamandors, Frogs, lol, one time I even brough in voles(it's like a mouse and a mole but not quite either), mom did not like that.

[Cassiepeia]

I know how you feel Ritz, I come from a family of people like that. My mum doesn't really like animals much. She admires them from a distance but would be thrilled if she didn't have any at her home (currently she has chooks and a dog, because her hubby..my step dad...is a farmer at heart and loves having both around).
My dad loved to adopt cats when he was a kid and had more than 20 at one point, but he's not a 'cat person'...it was a "kid thing" he just liked the novelty. They ended up as farm cats not really pets. My dad likes animals and adores nature documentaries but would be happy with no pets at all (no matter how much he loves Jesse).
My sister likes the idea of pets, but not the reality. She's a neat freak...and doesn't want a dog that will make her house look like a dog lives there (no...that doesn't make sense to me either ).

I'll never understand people who don't adore animals. My best friend is completely befuddled by my insistance that I "MUST" have pets. She hates them...yes HATES them and is always disgusted when she meets people who actually allow their pets into their home. I lived with her when I first moved out of home and had a cockatiel (tame) that I'd let out of the cage. She could never understand why I let her out all the time. She believes they should live, locked up, in a cage.

Oh well, I'd rather be thought mad and surrounded by delightful, happy animal companions than act "sane" and never be able to share my life with them again. Life would be so empty, I couldn't stand it.

Cass.

[Carrie]

I enjoyed reading your story. Yeah....I just can't relate at all to people who don't like or aren't crazy about animals. LOL. My sister loves dogs, has a Sheltie, but when she comes to visit, she's usually wearing casual clothes, nothing fancy, but nice and she winces when Lyric comes over close to her and pushes him away so she won't get dog hair on her clothes. She is even like that with my little Chi who has tan color hair and very short. Lyric's hair is very short, but black. So, I think it's weird. She knows there are four dogs here so why wear clothes that you like more than dogs? LOL.

My Mom loves dogs and is not squeemish about their slobber or hair, although she's a maticulous house keeper. She just works at keeping priorities straight and dogs are more valuable than stuff.

My Dad likes animals too, but has some kind of prejudice about Dobes, although he concedes that Lyric is a nice dog, especially when we visit and Lyric goes into his den where he's on the computer and rests his chin on his lap or forearm. Then what can my Dad say?

He's the one who got me into horses when I was a kid, tropical fish and both my parents thought it was fine for me to have canaries and parakeets. I'm so greatful that they were the type of parents who like animals and encouraged me that way.

When I say I can't relate to people who don't like animals, I usually find that I can't relate to them in any way. They're just so different in lots of ways that we don't have much in common.....there are exceptions, of course.

[Raised By Wolves]

My youngest brother and I are the only ones in my family who are into nature and animals. We both brought frogs and snakes home as kids. We were the ones who HAD to have pets. I still have my very first animal book from when I was a very young.

My grandmother had a great connection with nature and taught me gardening. But, the rest of the family is just not into nature or animals. It took me years to finally pester my parents into letting me have a horse.

My sister does not like animals much in general, but really doesn't care for dogs. Oh, she'll say she likes MY dogs because they're well mannered, but she really can't stand dog hair or them getting too close. Mom and dad understand that if they want me to come for the holidays, my dog comes too. This is non-negotiable.

[Ritz459]

Originally Posted by Raised By Wolves

Mom and dad understand that if they want me to come for the holidays, my dog comes too. This is non-negotiable.

lol, I know how that goes. I'm already teasing my mom that when all of us kids move out, she can't sell this house and get a smaller one because when I come home for the holidays, my dogs are coming with me. And my Grandma has tried and failed to get me to come spend a week with her because if she takes me, she has to take the ferts too. No one here will take care of them, so they are stuck with me. I'm more than willing to go on that one condition, but she isn't to thrilled. lol She likes Casey, says she is pretty, but she thinks Dameon is a big fat stinky demonic opossum/skunk cross. (So do I for that matter, but I still love him! )

I guess my dad likes animals from a scientific stand point. They are fun and amazing to watch and good to pet every now and then, but that is about it. His perfect pet would be an outside farm dog that was very smart and highly trained and would keep him company while he is outside in the garden/orcherd/mowing/woodworking and will keep the "varmits" away.
My mom likes animals, but views them as "companions". Nothing wrong with that, but when the cost gets too high or the care too much, they are expendable. She's more of a cat person.
My sister just about drives me nuts too, because she wants all kinds of pets, but that girl has no responsibility at all. She was telling me earlier about how she wanted to get a Corgi or a CKC spaniel or a kitten, and I started to say all of the BAD things she would have to do and she was like, "Ew...no, I won't do that" (after I told her she'd have to clean out a litter box or clean up throw up or accidents in the house).
My younger brother is like me when it comes to animals, dogs in particular, and he is in love with the hounds. His dream dog is a Bloodhound, with a Beagle, Basset Hound, and Coon Hound thrown into the mix.


I guess people who value fashion over the pet (or money, or whatever) are just weird to me. lol I can't click with them. I get along ok with people who "like" animals, but I can only "click" with people who love them. My best friend who I've known since I was in diapers is my only good friend that loves animals as much as I do. (Only, she likes horses and I like dogs. lol)

[mulroony]

My favorite is people who are in love with their car (or any of their objects), yet can't understand why I would care about an animal so much...

Ok so you would pretty much give your left arm for a machine, but be inconvenienced by another living, breathing, feeling, thinking life... never

Yet I am the strange one

My folks are already not wild about me bringing two dogs home (I think they think I will board them to visit, wrong), so not sure what they are going to do when he have our pack We have already excluded a resort from the possibility of getting married there... they won't allow us to incorporate/have our dogs there.

[Cassiepeia]

My favorite is people who are in love with their car (or any of their objects), yet can't understand why I would care about an animal so much...

Ok so you would pretty much give your left arm for a machine, but be inconvenienced by another living, breathing, feeling, thinking life... never

I try to explain it to people in a similar way...they ask me why I like dogs...I tell them "I like dogs, the way some guys like cars. It's not really 'like' or 'love'...it's 'obesession'!"

Cass.

[Ritz459]

Originally Posted by Cassiepeia

I try to explain it to people in a similar way...they ask me why I like dogs...I tell them "I like dogs, the way some guys like cars. It's not really 'like' or 'love'...it's 'obesession'!"

Cass.

Exactly! lol

[linnie]

I always wonder about people who dont love animals , its like they have a fundamental part missing from their make-up as a human.
My brother cant stand little dogs, so I just tell hiim that my dogs are more loyal than any human and I would take them over him anyday
If this is the only obsession we have then I think it is one that makes us richer as a person dont you???

[Beryl]

They are loyal, consistent, patient, and forgiving. Who would lay by your side while you are sick for a week waiting patiently for you to recover and not complain about being walked or played with? Who is always willing to visit the elderly, the sick, and little children who can't even throw a ball or dangle a toy? Who would be satisfied with a rub on the nose, food and water? Who is willing to stay in a crate for hours waiting to be let out to eliminate? Who is willing to run with you for hours when you finally get in the mood?

...and they wonder why we love animals (especially dogs).

Maybe people who do not love animals cannot understand or accept the fact that animals already have attributes that humans aspire to possess.