If I had not lived in a farm, it could be understandable the reason why I don?t like animals. However, there were different animals living in stables close to my house in the little village. There were cows that were taken to the pasture by my mum every single day, hens that laid more eggs than we needed, and pigs reared for the production of food. Even in my childhood there were some pigeons and rabbits.
But all of them are farmyard animals, they cannot be considered pet. And I am not sure how to consider our cats, because they were allowed to enter into the house, but i wouldn?t say they were pets.
Notwithstanding I grew up surrounded by animals, never have I felt special sympathy with them, it is like if we were in different worlds. Furthermore, for some time I was afraid of dogs which could be the explanation of why I did not buy a pet for my sons when they, as may other children, asked for one dog without considering the responsibility involved.
Be that as it may, I have not had a pet. However, step by step I have learnt to love them thanks to some of my friends who are dog-lovers. Rufus has helped me to discover a new kind of relationship and feeling; I enjoy taking him in my car when he comes with my friend. It is a pleasure to greet him when we meet near the river and see him running across the field when we go to the countryside or to the beach.? Other friends of mine have cats, and also I admire their passion for them. Pets as parrots are not so frequent, whereas I have a friend who has one.
Do you have a pet? Do you have dogs, cats or other more exotic pets? Do you have had some interesting experience or adventure with them?? Share your opinions with us, thanks.
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Dear Gloria, thanks once again for your wonderful blog and,especially, for this post. I love animals and I?ve had so many pets since I was a child. Nowadays, I share my life with a bunch of them, including my family: Trini, my beloved and beautiful cat, seven canaries and a school of fish in a tank. It may sound weird, but I consider them as part of my family. When I was a child, I felt so identified with the story told in Gerald Durell?s wonderful novel _My Family and Other Animals_ which narrates the life of the Durrell family on Corfu in a comical way as it describes the fauna of the Greek island. They are part of a trilogy, together with _Birds, Beasts, and Relatives_ and _The Garden of the Gods_. If you or any of your readers like animals and grew up surrounded by them, these books are a must.
Dear Vicente, thank for your contribution to this blog (to my life too), and although I did not mention you in Facebook I know Trini is important in your life. The books you mentioned was recommended by our teacher and one of my classmates chose it, however I am not sure it the best for me, as I have expressed through this post. Anyway, we have one more year of English classes.
Dear Gloria.
Thanks for this post: I liked its topic. It touched a nerve.
Yes, as you all know, I am a dog lover. As the saying goes “love me, love my dog”… and my long-lived parrot. Both Luka (Skywalker) and Trapo (the dog) are an important part of my life and my family’s.
Trapo came to our lives a couple of years ago, after a friend told me that the dog was going to be taken to the pound as a result of his “owners” not wanting him any more at home (apparently because a new baby was expected). Probably the wrong present to the mistaken person.
The beginnings were not easy. Nor were they for Trapo. He came from a warm home to a new one that he didn’t know at all. Soon we adapted to each other and we have always tried to give him the best of us. I’m sure that he always achieves to give us the best of him.
Taking on the responsibility that having a healthy, balanced dog involves has been one of the best things I’ve ever done and we certainly don’t regret. Walking him, playing with him, swimming with him, speaking to him and scolding him when he bites my slippers is all worthwhile. Sometimes, he looks at me calmly, stares at me as if thinking how much he owes us. In fact, I look at him and certainly know how much I owe him.
Thanks, Gloria, for coming up with this post that has brought this feeling about animals.
Thank you very much, Andr?s. I knew you love animals and, as you can imagine, I was thinking in you when I mentioned the parrot.
One interesting thing in life, at least for me, is that we can learn about everything, even to love animals.
Glory, I love dogs although for some reason I do not like cats. There is no objectivity in this preference, since I cannot recall any bad experience with a cat and yet I become nervous when I have one of them around.
On the contrary, dogs have been a part of my life. I still miss my dog Selma, who came to my life as my brother’s present when I become independent from my parents. She was a beautiful, very fond, funny and full of energy Cocker Spaniel, Although Vicente said it may sound weird, it does not to me. Some people think love to pets are typical from lonely individuals with poor social life. I deeply disagree: Selma passed away when I was pregnant of my third child (and still I had a fourth one afterwards). However, to have children to brought up in a family with 8 uncles/aunts and 12 cousins altogether do not erase the love I felt for her. I was shattered when she passed away. Once the pain for the loss wasn’t so sharp, we started to speak about her from time to time. Curiously, she is so much still a part of my family that my two youngest children, who did not have the chance to meet her, think they knew her!
Now we know the reason of the name you use sometimes. All of you than have wroten and some friends who uploaded pictures of their pets in facebook, love annimals. I admire you, and as I said I have learnt to do too, however I don?t want to take care of them just now, but “never say never”.