Would love to find out what your moment was when you *knew* your pet was the one you wanted to care for.

I own two little baby turtles. They are adorable. They were a gift which I usually totally disapprove of (pets should choose their owner in my opinion ) but the second I looked into their little big black eyes and saw their little feet (are they called feet ??) I was toast LOL Totally spoken for There was little water in the aquarium and a little rock they sat on and they would bend their feet up high to sunbathe and when I took them out of their aquarium they would come running after me and crawl into my sleeves to hide LOL

I just love them. I know there is people out there who think pets have to be furry and cuddly but I swear my two little sweeties are just lovable. I call them my little dogs because I swear they have no ideas they are turtles. They are totally attentive which is unusual for turtles

Sorry for the long and sappy post.

when we picked out our rotti, she was getting run over by all her brothers and sisters. she wasn't the runt, but all of the others just seemed really aggressive to get to the front for the attention and she hung back, watching. i figured if she would tolerate that much from other dogs, then she must be ok around kids. i was right! she is the best dog i have ever owned in my life. we got her when she was 13 weeks old - she will be 3 years old in may.

our cat, well she adopted us. she was a stray living in our yard for apprx. a month. she finally came up to us, and would let us feed her out of our hands, and pet her. she came into our house by herself, and she hasn't left. i think she may be pregnant though, so we are kind of waiting around for that one!

Good question. I knew when I saw his picture. The breeder emailed it to me, and he looked like a little stinker that didn't want his picture taken. He definitely didn't want to be a show dog. I knew then, he was the one. And when I met him, I was right. He is mommy's boy for sure.

When my ex an I went to pick our chinchilla out, we went around to all of the different pet stores in the area. And we first decided on a color then we got ifo to see if we wanted a male or female. The one pet store had 2 lovely chinchilla's, one was male and one was femaile. We held both and let both play with us at separate times. The male didn't seem to be very friendly. The femail I knew was the one the first time I held her. She was so friendly and looked like she wanted a good home. So we brought her home with us at that moment, her name is Zoe. And thankfully I got custody of her when we broke up.

With Jack it was when we saw the lady who rescued him leading him down the driveway to meet us for the first time, he looked so lost and loveable how could we resist?

With the cats it was a little different, like Jack we knew nothing much about them, hadn't seen pics or anything we just knew they needed a home or they were to be put to sleep so we said we would take them and see how things went.
Jake was no problem he loved us from the start and the feeling was mutual but Buffy wasn't so easy to get along with and after two days I have to admit I did think about giving her back, she hissed at the kids and would bite if you went too close. We persevered with her though and now almost a year later she is much better.
She still has a hissy fit every now and then but she can be really sweet when she wants to be and I wouldn't part with her for the world.

I haven't posted in awhile (ever?)

Anyway, I have 2 cats both of which were saved.

Our first cat is named Prozac (yes, she is a little excitable) and she came to us after our other cat, Rambo (yes, I love naming my animals oddly), was so sick we had no other choice but to put her down. We were absolutely heartbroken and my mother was just beside hereself.

After my bro left with Rambo to go to the vet, he came back with Prozac, whom he got from the vet. She was abandoned at the vet's office and no one wanted her and the vet said she probably didn't have a long life.

We took one look at her and completely fell in love, she was little (I guess she was the runt) and very nervous and therefore she was christened Prozac. It has now been 13 years and she is still young as ever. Love wil do that.

Our second cat is named Mandy (formerly Mommy and there is NO WAY I'm calling a cat Mommy) and she was saved from my mother's co-worker. Her husband redid their driveway and since the cat must have gotten in his way, he kicked her on the newly tarred driveway and she was completely burned.

My mother found out and took Mandy home with us. Mandy was extremely fearful for the first month she was with us, but once her hair grew back and she was comfortable enough, she did come out. It was been a good 7 or 8 years that she has been with us.

Michele

My 13-year-old Siamese had died, and I was looking for a companion for my Siamese/tabby mix who was heartbroken (as was I). There were no ads in the paper for Siameses right then, so a friend and I went to a pet shop. In the kitten cage were about 7 little rascals. The sole Siamese was the feistiest of the bunch. Instantly I had an attachment for the little dickens, but just one problem: I wanted a female,since at that point, the only male cat I'd ever had used to pee on my shoes - not a great memory. But the sales clerk said she couldn't tell (!) and handed the kitten to me. After the great indignity of flipping up its tail,I practically caused it to go deaf when I screeched, "You're a girl!" It was the best 40 bucks I ever spent.Jasmine is now 17-years-old and still feisty.

8 years ago we got a kitten from the pet store and named her Cleo. We already had an older cat named Paws, who didn't want anything to do with her. We could tell she really wanted a playmate so we went back to the store the next day to find her a buddy. I spotted a little orange ball of fluff behind the glass, who was from the same litter as Cleo. He had HUGE feet and ears and my hubby said he looked funny, but I knew right then and there that he was the cat for me. His name is Tigger and he is the most affectionate cat I have ever had. He never really did grown into his big feet and ears, but he such a sweetheart.

quote:

but I swear my two little sweeties are just lovable. I call them my little dogs because I swear they have no ideas they are turtles. They are totally attentive which is unusual for turtles

awwww!

thanks for sharing Elle

We were looking for a pet that was both ready for us(adults) and could deal with a 6 month old..no easy task. We didn't want a puppy or too old of a dog. I started looking online for idea characteristics in a dog. We narrowed to beagle or lab mixes. So I started contacting rescue facilities in my area, who better to help me find one of those breeds and help with any concerns. I discovered Oklahoma Beagle Rescue and thus Frisco. Frisco was 3yrs old and looked to be younger in the original pictures. They weren't sure what all he was. They knew some beagle, some lab, and they thought some pug. He was a rescue dog from a place he spent his puppy years chained to a 5 gallon drum with only rain water to drink and sometimes food. He had been adopted out numerous times but brought back, with never a true explanation. I didn't care..I knew he was too cute to resist. So Chuck, head of OKBR, brings him to our home to visit...and that dog was so ugly I felt sorry for him...but was determined he was right. He did great the 1st night..a little scared,m but happily adapting. 1 week later was Halloween..and he tried to attack a trick or treater (KID!!), which he never actually touched, so I was really worried and we sat and talked about it. My father-in-law came over that next day to help with something and he snatched something out of my hand, much like the child the night before..again Frisco attacked, this time actually tearing at his pants. I scoulded him and put him in his kennel. Then it dawned on me how both instances happened. So we conducted an experiement with people asking for or taking stuf...everytime they took=attack, asking=no response. He was just REALLY smart and looking out for me, his new mom! He never acted this way with any of the 3 of us in the home, son, husband, & me, taking stuff from each other or others...just them to us. SO...years later, I hear him growling in the backyard, thinking he's growling at the new stray cat, I roll over and go to sleep, the next morning our car had been stolen with the house key in it...I notice the back gate is open with blood everywhere..there Frisco stands at full stance and ruffled with blood all over him..he saw me and collapsed. The police officer helped me take him to doggie ER where they found he was just exhausted, not a single scratch on him and holding a chunk of human flesh...the man who tried to enter our home, who would have killed us as he had been a suspect in 2 previous home burglaries/murders. That chunk of flesh that our "unwanted, unloved, useless" rescue dog, caught a felon, saved our lifes, and proved how thankful he was we took that change on a "mangie mutt" that no one else wanted. He's 8 now and we have another rescue beagle who is 3 and we all, including the dogs, volunteer at OKBR! Now, I can only imagine what our lives who have been had he not been there to return the "saving" favor!

elle, this is a beautiful thread ... thanx...

i grew up on a farm in sthn vic, oz ... cats were feral pets and dogs worked the land with dad ... that was life...

i'd grown up with cats and i'vs had cats since but tom was my prince for 18 years...

since then i've had fish and at the most inconvenient time, they too passed...

five years nearly to the day and i walk into a pet store interested in finches but right there in her perspex temporaty home in the middle of this store she stood looking at me ... i wasn't looking for a dog but she was looking for me...

i made my way to the back of the store but she held my gaze ... an assistant was 'loving up' some other pups ... he noticed me loitering, came to me and gave her to me...

i held her, argued i wanted to rescue, but as she nestled calmly in my arms i knew i was her home...

pebbles and i took some time to consider ... it wasn't on our cards but we took her home that day

her name is bella and despite me wanting to rescue, i could not have learned more from her than what i now know...

bella is a gift ... and at some point in the very near future she will be the perfect role model for any rescue ... i believe

My dog, coco, is the most adorable springer spaniel in the WORLD! She's nuts, but i love her anyway. She loves playing and running around and I adore her. I could not ask for a better dog.

I fell in love with Molly the second I saw her at the animal shelter. The minute I walked into the dog area, all of the dogs were jumping at their gates and barking madly. Molly was sitting quietly with her head down like she was going to get yelled at. She gently licked me through the gate...my heart was in my throat and I loved her immediately. She has been with us since October now...she is the best dog I have ever had. Unfortunately, someone had beat her before she came to us because every time I sweep or mop, she cowers and runs and hides. A few times, I have caught her being naughty and pointed my finger at her and she ducks her head like she expects to be hit. I hope she comes to learn that she is safe here. My son rides her back and she licks everyone to death, lol. Her only fault...she tries to hog all of the attention when company comes.

one more of my girlie...

Oct 2004 I was hit head on at 70mph. I had 26 breaks and only had my right arm that was not broken. After a long hospital stay I went home to spend months in a hospital bed (yuck!). My husband brought me home a 4 month old long haired doxie (Gabby). She immediately laid next to me in the bed and never wanted down. She rode with me in my wheelchair and followed me on a walker. Now I walk again and she is still by my side. I was in love the moment she climbed in that bed with me. I have 4 dogs and 2 cats - the love is so special between a pet and their person!