1 post tagged “my pets”
How many pets have you owned in your lifetime? Tell us about them.
Submitted by jennajellopy.vox.com.
This is very creepy since I was planning to do this as an entry anyway. I have had many, many animals die under my watch.
1. Socks and Patches the cats
I named Patches, since he was white with brown patches. My sister name Socks, since he was cream colored with white socks. We rescued them from some crazy cat-lady house, and Patches threw up in the car on the way home. It must have been from Illinois since I remember crossing the river. I was very little and don't recall the details, but in high school I reconstructed that they were euthanised after coming down with Giardia or something. Actually they may have just gone to a shelter, I am not sure about the euth, I don't really want to know I guess.
2. Polly and Birkus the parakeets
I think my parents were not ready for more mammals, so we got birds. My sister named hers Polly due to I guess that is a common name for birds. I named mine Birkus because I reached deeply into my soul and fetched the most appropriate phonemes to drape o'er his essence. They both died. Apparantly Birkus "bumped his head" I was told, and a while later Polly died of "old age". Hmmm...
3. Millions of goldfish
We tried to do it right with constant water changes, no overfeeding, etc. But many many goldfish died. I found out only in college that goldfish are actually fairly challenging and really poor choices for amateurs. There is only one that I was really attached to, one of the bug-eyed black ones that was called Popeye. Man, no points for that name. Anyway, when his time was past, I used our IBM Selectric typewriter with interchangable font-ball to type out a Gothic Calligraphy paper tombstone and buried him in a flower pot on the fire escape. Part of living in the city and not having a yard.
4. Newts
Had 2 newts for a while til they died. They were cute. They ate frozen brine shrimp which my sister was constantly mad about having in the freezer.
5. A parade of tropical fish
Some died, well, they all died eventually, but some lasted for years and years. I really liked marble hatchetfish and pictus cats, corydoras, and ghost-glass cats. I also had some of those terrible tetras that are injected with fluorescent dye. I thought they were natural.
6. Billiken the Malamute
I had been begging and begging for a dog, I wanted a pug or Boston Terrier, but we could not afford one. After the great Sacramento flood of 87 (or so), this dog ended up homeless and coworker of my mom rescued him. He came over for a visit, I was terrified. I had what felt like 30 seconds to decide if I wanted a dog or not. I said yeah, even though he could kill me with one bite and I knew nothing about sled dogs. He tured out to be great, he was already housebroken, knew how to sit and stay. Someone must have really missed him. He pulled me around on my skateboard. He killed several possums in our backyard, and once killed nearly all the koi in our fish pond when it overflowed due to a mishap. He escaped when a hot-tub repair person left our gate open. I hope he found a good home.
7. Tyler the kelpie-basset
Finally got a chance to have a puppy. I let my sister name him since she did NOT want a dog in the house. She named him after Ann Taylor (some clothing designer/brand?) which I was opposed to so we compromised. He was so cute, his ears were so long I had to wash them after he ate. I loved taking him to the river. He howled at fire engines. He barked too much, but he was really cute and sweet. I built a doghouse for him with my dad, and painted it a terribly boring white with grey roof. We moved to Missouri and for some reason my parents talked me into finding a new home for him rather than moving him. Lame.
8. Stuart the white-headed boston terrier
My mom felt bad about ditching Tyler and let me get a dog from a breeder. I had wanted a boston terrier for so long, so we went out looking at them, and they were too expensive. I was crushed, but then we found out about one that was "marked down" because of his non-standard markings. Of course now I find the whole AKC standardizing and inbreeding horrific, but even then I was able to appreciate that this white-headed mutant was actually the BEST one of the litter, screw those champs. Stuart was the best dog, so cute and very mellow (well, after he grew up) and well-behaved. I loved driving around Missouri country roads with him in the passenger seat, and I loved carrying him around on my shoulders. He liked to escape though, and often ended up in the cow pasture and I would have the terrible job of hosing him down before he could even come in for a bath. He died because I let him out to poop in the yard and he got run over by a speeding construction truck. I still want to kill myself when I think about it. I wish I believed in heaven:
9. Lots more fish.
10. In college I had a parade of tropical geckos (Madagascar day geckos), frogs (mostly White's Treefrogs but other types as well) and insects (mantids and phasmids). Also in my home were usually various aquariums and roommate's pets which I helped with. Ross H. Pirrahna would eat feeder goldfish to my horror and fascination. Firebellied toads in the kitchen solarium ate flies which Tim caught with his hands and put in the freezer. Later I lived with some cats.
11. Now in my home are four cats, a rabbit, 2 Whites Treefrogs, a bearded dragon, firebellied toads, and 2 aquariums. I think its too much but I like having the various life around.
