Pets, anyone?

[Mattical]

Does anyone else have pets?

I have a dog, love him to bits.

I know this sounds like a ridiculous topic, but hey, it's general chat, right?!

[Teresa B]

I have a poodle who's especially fond of Debussy.

Teresa

[Agnes Selby]

We had a cat who loved Bartok. She was a critic as well
for she was angry when Bartok was played badly and
metronomic with her tail when she was pleased.

[Ralph]

I can't have a dog because I've almost literally never home but I do have two great cats, both over 13 years old. Kimmy, the female, is a whopping 19 lbs. not because of overeating, it's just genes. She specializes in nonstop sleeping, often across my chest. Tassel, the male, is as frisky as a kitten and we play together a lot.

[Lark Ascending]

My landlord doesn't allow pets but I love cats. When I lived at home there were always cats, sometimes up to 6 at a time.

[Corlyss_D]

On my little acre of God's Heaven, I have 2 dogs, Gai and Gitano, and 5 cats. Only 2 of the cats belong to me. The other 3 belong to my very domineering apricot toy poodle Gai. My little white poodle mix Gitano also belongs to my apricot poodle. All of them were acquired to give Gai either someone to play with or to relieve his depression when his back legs became paralyzed in an idiopathic episode that destroyed part of his spine. The 2 cats that are mine are strikingly beautiful torties, one long-hair and one dilute short-hair.

[Ralph]

The most recent pro bono case I won that made me very happy was getting a decision that allowed a largely paralyzed, bed bound, emotionally fragile post polio woman to have a shih tzu as a companion animal in her condo. The board vehemently opposed her having the dog. I claimed discrimination in violation of both federal and state law and won. Her sister, who lives with her, told me the woman's whole daily outlook on life changed from the day the little pooch arrived.

Pets so enrich our lives and for those who are not able to pursue a normal existence the presence of a dog or cat makes a world of difference.

[Madame]

Pets so enrich our lives and for those who are not able to pursue a normal existence the presence of a dog or cat makes a world of difference.

You are so right! My father spent the last 4 months of his life in a care facililty for memory impaired people.

Visitors were encouraged to bring their pets, the residents perked up, smiled, and loved to pet the animals. Amazing chemistry.

I love my grand-dog, a Pug now 10 weeks old. He has added "new life" to the family, and he is just so darned cute and funny. Wish I could post his pic on here.

[Ralph]

When I was in the hospital confined to bed a volunteer with a beautiful Australian sheep dog showed up. After signing a release (those dratty, interfering lawyers again), the dog climbed into bed with me and it was such a good, light, happy experience for me.

[Haydnseek]

We had a cat who loved Bartok. She was a critic as well for she was angry when Bartok was played badly and
metronomic with her tail when she was pleased.

"The Cat Who Loved Bartok" - could be the title of a Lillian Jackson Braun mystery novel.

[Brendan]

Need a new cat - Cactus passed on awhile ago and I haven't had the heart for another. No room/time for a dog - and I'd only have a Boxer, which need lots of room and running.

[paulb]

I've always loved animals, watched alomst every animal show there is.
Tell you a story. Katrina was due to "possibly' arrive sunday night/monday morn, folks were preparing to leave town. I had planned to stay. A lady who I worked for as a gardner called me, as was her usual when leaving town , to take care of poor ol Oliver, a 6 yr old black lab. I never refused, as she knew I loved the dog. I took him to my house , just in case the storm did come.
He had a garage with air conditioning, which might be a safe place, but I loved the dog and wanted to be with him. My adopted cat did not like Oliver at my house, but he had no choice. ....long story short, on the 3rd day, wensday morning I paddled out of lakeview with a neighbors canoe that luckliy got lodged between a fallen new house construction and a back part of a house, had to swim in the 10 ft water to retrieve....so i took my cat that morning in the canoe with plans to come back for oliver that afternoon. After paddling out to the main strip a FEMA boat towed me the rest of the way to Veterans Blvd, Metairie, where it was dry on the other side of the canal.
From Veterans Memorial Blvd , one block from the bridge of safety, I could easily see Oliver's garage roof. Which had i not brought him to my house, where we stayed on the 2nd floor, Oliver would have been trapped in the garage with the flood waters.
A tear was in my eye knowing Oliver was safe in my home, and that he was not a victim like so many other pets. .
Oliver now lives somewhere in arkansas, with an adopted family.
More happy than ever, as he now gets constant love for the very first time in his life. I know he misses me alot, as I do him.
His first owner, the lady's son , passed away when he was a pup. i met Oliver about 3 yrs later. He had tears of sadness in his eyes at the lost of his best pal.. When I would come to his gate, he would jump for joy at my arrival. After i did the garden work, we would take walks along the levee (the same one that broke) , we would run and play, free from his cramped disfunctional backyard. (old swim pool, thorn trees, etc) I brought him many treats like whole baked chickens and big roasts slowly cooked with onions to make a gravy. .
I always wished for Oliver a loving home he never had. . I know my wish has come true. Oliver is now running free and happy in the cool climate of arkansas.