Number of Pets - Pet Lovers Only Please

[kage_ar]

1 Dog - Luna, Shiba Inu rescued as a baby

1 Ferret - our 3rd rescued carpet snake - Kizmet

1 14 year old son

Right now, that is a full house for us

I agree with the other poster, volunteer at your local Humane Society. They need you sooo much!

Many rescue orginizations need foster homes, that may be an option for you.

 

[Sola]

Shiann:

I’m sure all your pets are in great health, but they are going to start aging, and will begin to need more intensive medical treatments as they do. This will cost beacoup bucks and I vote to save the money you would spend on another animal into an account for the geriatric medical treatments for the ones you have now.

Just my ::twocents::

Good point, Shiann. Our oldest dog is a senior dog, we’re not really sure how old, probably between 8-10 years. Her health is pretty good, but she definitely has the ageing phenomena of cysts and other small growths, stiffness, her eyes are getting that blueness.

ridesawhitehorse - wow, horses! A whole different level of “pets.” I wish you lived closer to Vancouver so I could invite myself over to meet your horses and maybe help you out. I love the smell of horses and taking care of them.

Good suggestions about volunteering at a shelter. I should really do that again.

 

[LabChick]

I love rescue stories!

I have three cats. One was rescued from a dumpster behind my former residence, another was found near the dumpster at the hospital where I worked, and the third was a shelter cat that donated a kidney to my second after her’s failed when she was only two years old due to a genetic defect. Ridiculous to get a kidney transplant for a cat? Maybe, but she was so young and the donor got a home for the rest of his life. Both donor and recipient are fine and healthy today.

I got my first cat (Rosalind) when I was in medical school, far from home, overwhelmed, lonely, and having a hard time adjusting. One day, she just appeared in the dumpster. I like to think she was “sent” to me. The same goes for Amelia and Oscar.

I also have a small aquarium full of fresh-water fish. Now that I have a house and plan on staying put for awhile, I’m thinking about setting up a salt-water aquarium.

 

[tcay584]

Hi Sola,
I so understand where you are coming from. My husband and I currently are owned by 48 feral cats who have chosen to make our yard their home. My husband says this is because I keep feeding them…but I can’t stand the thought of them going hungry. We regularly trap newcomers to have them spayed and/or neutered, but they always come back with us. We also have 12 parrots, 2 chickens (3 died in hurricane Jeanne), and 4 dogs. The critters cost more to feed than we do
I know my husband is not particularly pleased about the wild cat situation, but he tolerates them because he loves me quirks and all. I think God created all these beautiful creatures for us, so if you feel a call to help them, do so (hubby’s OK absolutely required). Just be careful not to overwhelm yourself.

 

[Sola]

tcay, that is amazing! 48 cats! What a wonderful heart you have, and a gift to them that you are able to get them spayed and neutered. It makes life so much better for everyone!

And, wow, 12 parrots! How fantastic that all these creatures have a place to live!

Reading everyone’s posts, it’s heart warming to know that there are people in this world who feel compassion and a willingness to help and to open themselves to taking creatures into their lives.

I guess for the time being we’re staying at the 3 dogs and 2 cats.

 

[tcay584]

Hi Sola,

Good for you! And for your critters! Your heart is huge and wonderful. God bless you for being sensitive…and responsible! Best wishes and God bless!

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

Sola:

Other than those things, though, how do you know if the constant (some would say nagging) desire to add another pet in order to give a home to a homeless animal is your own selfishness or the Lord putting it on your heart?

We already have three dogs and two cats, and my husband doesn’t really want another dog, but I just keep thinking about all the dogs in shelters who, through no fault of their own, are desperately seeking homes and love. We aren’t rich, but we do have a lot of love.

Hi Sola.

I think it is very hard to distinguish between selfish desires and what God is calling us to do. In my case, I try very hard to determine what is best for the animal in question, what is best for my hubby and I, and what is best for the pets we already have.

We have a 120lb Bouvier named Bear and a rescue cat named Maggie. Our budget is stretched very tight and we are barely affording to feed them and provide proper vet care, so for us another animal is simply out of the question… no matter how much it needs a home.

Several animals (dogs and cats) have “found” me when they were lost or homeless. It was heartbreaking to have to give them to the shelter, but necessary. I still cry remembering one dog who found us while we were on our evening walk. It was obviously scared and lost. It trusted me and it nearly broke my heart to help shove it into the back of an animal shelter van. I pray that it found a good home with lots of love.

I would also like to speak to the expense of having sick or elderly pets. The costs are enormous. Our Bear has been sick since we got him as a puppy 5 years ago. It is finacially draining.

My parents had three cats and a dog all at one time. Two of the cats were siblings and seniors. We just had to make the tough decision in July to end one’s suffering. Her name was Olly Bella and she was 17. Her brother Tigger is still with us but ill. The dog Buck is also old, almost 14, and just had a severe attack of pancreatitis and seizures. He may need to be put to sleep soon. He was my 15th b-day present. They also have another cat named Stewie. He is middle aged and doing ok.

While I love having all of the joy and love a pet brings to the household, it is so very hard when they all get old and die. It is much harder to know that there are so many ways to help them if money weren’t an issue.

Good luck.

Malia

 

[JCPhoenix]

Sola:

And now we have two Whippets and there is this whole prey drive, chase and kill instinct that sighthounds have and Greyhounds that we have met at the park have been kinda rough with the Whippets, but it’s a whole thing that is long to explain.

I’ve always loved German Shepherds. My sister has two really wonderful ones: laid back, loving, smart, excellent in the house. I hear your girl has some leash aggressiveness. Can she be off-leash more often when she’s meeting other dogs? It’s amazing how much difference a leash makes to some dogs.

.

Sola,

Some Greyhounds are “cat safe”–mine seems to be. He raced for 4 years so has the prey drive, but he seems to reserve it for squirrels and our friendly neighborhood jack rabbit!

Adoption agencies for greyhounds actually recommend AGAINST taking them to off leash areas for many reasons. I’ve got to run so I will get into this later tonight if I can get online.

My Shepherd…she is GREAT off leash. Unfortunately I don’t often have an opportunity to let her be off leash, but she comes to greyhound meet and greets with me which helps me to reinforce good behavior while on the leash.

Gotta run for now, but please anyone feel free to ask questions here or via e mail about greyhounds…they are a wonderful and special breed…with some very special characteristics.

 

[Mamamull]

I am one dog only person. I can’t say why, but little girl and I are just happy enough.

Now I do have about 40 gold fish in the water garden and I can’t quite see where another fish or two would be a problem.

I am very fond of my dog and I love the canine beings greatly, but we can do the vet bills for one.

Besides when we go camping, the little dog can sleep with us. She can be enough of a space hog – I would hate to surrender more of our bunk to another dog

 

[JCPhoenix]

Sola,

Ok…as I was saying, greyhounds really should not be off leash in a dog park, and there are a myriad of reasons; they have very thin skin which can easily tear if they brush against a bush…the nips of another dog…etc. They have blistering speed and both the hound and another dog can be very seriously injured in the event of a collision. If the park is not completely fenced in there is a chance the hound will just continue to run…they’re not bred to look back for instruction. ANd if they go too far they can’t find their way back to you.

As far as being rough…why, of course! They’ve only known dogs of their type and stature. To suddenly be playing with different sized dogs…well, they have no real concept of size. If I do take my dog to the dogpark, I’ll have to keep him leashed…and muzzled just in case someone’s smaller dog does start to look like a lure.

Whippets are great dogs…but of course much more hyper than greyhounds!

MamaMull…I know EXACTLY what you mean about the space hogs! Last night I had my Shepherd stretched across the foot of the bed…and woke up to have the greyhound pressed against my back, sharing my pillow, his rear legs partially hanging off the bed! So much for shifting position!

 

[Grace_and_Glory]

I currently have no pets (I live in a dorm), but I’ve always loved pets, particularly dogs. I had a great dog, Penny, a Shepherd mix, for five years. I got her when she was five, and I actually got her by mistake. I had been calling around different ads in the paper. There were two ads with two dogs. On one ad, I wanted the older dog. On Penny’s ad, I wanted the younger dog, who was 2, rather than the 5 year old Shepherd mix. I left messages on both answering machines, but when Penny’s owner called back, I thought she was the owner of the other dogs and asked for the older dog. Penny turned out to be the sweetest, most intelligent dog I have ever met.

As you can probably tell, I love Shepherds. I liked them even before Penny, but now I love them. I also love greyhounds. Definitely special breeds.

Right now, my family is considering getting another dog, since Penny passed away a few months ago. We are getting to the point where we really want to have a dog around and, as much as we miss Penny, it will be okay that the new dog will not be Penny. Right now, there’s an ad in the paper for a five-year-old shepherd mix. We’ll see what happens. I’m praying about it, because I feel like God definitely knew better than I did which dog would be best for me. Only because I’m not living at home, it won’t really be my dog. I’m still nervous about it though, because Penny was so special, it would be hard to get a dog that wasn’t just as special.

I’ve heard it said that (I think it was) St. Thomas Aquinas who said:

“Love God, then do what you want.”

Actually, St. Augustine said, “Love God and do as you please.”

 

[Sola]

JCPhoenix:

Sola,

Ok…as I was saying, greyhounds really should not be off leash in a dog park, and there are a myriad of reasons; they have very thin skin which can easily tear if they brush against a bush…the nips of another dog…etc. They have blistering speed and both the hound and another dog can be very seriously injured in the event of a collision.

Yes, these things are the same for Whippets. Thin fur, thin skin = lots of scrapes. Incredible speed = potential for injurious collisions, of which we have narrowly avoided a few. The two Whips have run into each other a few times, but thankfully they were not seriously hurt, but the wind was totally taken out of their sails. I think sometimes they run faster than they can analyze what is ahead of them!

JCPhoenix:

If the park is not completely fenced in there is a chance the hound will just continue to run…they’re not bred to look back for instruction. ANd if they go too far they can’t find their way back to you.

At the dog park were we go, there a few greyhounds and they are off leash. Occasionally a greyhound at the park has to remain leashed. Our park is very large and fenced, so it’s a blessing and a luxury. One thing about Whippets is that they tend to obey better than most sighthounds. My dogs are really good at coming back to me, but I only let them run off leash in certain areas.

JCPhoenix:

As far as being rough…why, of course! They’ve only known dogs of their type and stature. To suddenly be playing with different sized dogs…well, they have no real concept of size. If I do take my dog to the dogpark, I’ll have to keep him leashed…and muzzled just in case someone’s smaller dog does start to look like a lure.

Some of the roughness comes from the high prey drive that sighthounds have - any small or fast moving object becomes something to kill!!

Grace and Glory, I understand that Penny was very special to you, and that God had directed you to her. If your family gets another dog, he/she will be special, too. And hopefully you can visit a lot!

 

[pittsburghjeff]

Sola

Your question is first and foremost one of discernment. On that question, I would recommend a short book by Fr. Michael Scanlon, “What does God want?: A practical guide at making decisions.” This may help you to discern if that is God’s voice telling you to get another pet or your own.

We have two dogs. I don’t think there are any moral rules relating to how many pets you have other than the fact that you should not have so many that you neglect your other responsibilities because you are caring for your pets.
Beyond that, it is a prudential decision for you and your husband. Remember people always come before animals. Put the happiness of your marriage first and make a decision together. You may decide that another pet will add a lot of happiness to your life and thereby enhance your life together as a family. Or you may find that the added responsibility puts a stress on everything.

To make a moral issue out of adopting a pet is a mistake, I think. God created pets to make us happy. He didn’t create us to make pets happy. I really don’t think there is a moral duty to go out and adopt unwanted pets. It’s a nice thing to do. I just don’t think there is an affirmative moral duty.

 

[Gerry_Hunter]

My wife and I had no particular interest in having another pet when our older daughter turned 14. But she had. Hence, we acquired a minature poodle. She paid half, we paid half. Her younger sister, then 7, stated that when she was 14, she’d get a dog, too.

We didn’t worry, because a lot can happen over 7 years. What did happen was that when she turned 14, she had all the money needed to get a dog herself. So now we also have a miniature schnauzer.

The best laid plans …

Blessings,

Gerry

 

[masondoggy]

I am currently dogless. We had a German Shepherd (mason) but last spring he attacked our neighbor and he is now being trained to be a police dog. We just couldn’t keep him. It’s been really hard without him and I miss him soooooo much! this is the first time in my life that I have not had a dog. We are planning to get another dog but are waiting for financial issues to be resolved due to DH’s unemployment. I would love to adopt/rescue an older dog from the pound but since we have little kids I’m afraid to take in a dog without knowing their history. So we’re probably going to get a mini-schnauzer or lab puppy. Just can’t decide.

We also have a cat. She was an abused kitten from a neighbors litter. Those people just let those kittens fend for themselves and their kids would bring them down to our yard to play with our kids and they we’re downright abusive toward them right in front of me. I had enough of that and took them in. I found a home for one of them and little Jewels stayed with us. She is now a spoiled housecat. I’ve almost got DH talked into letting me have a new kitten. I’d say by Christmas I should have one.

 

[JCPhoenix]

A few posts here just jogged my memory of a fairly recent occurrance relative to the roots of this thread.

Last winter I became aware of a sweet little bay Arabian at a pasture where I used to ride with friends. He let me approach him, and I discovered how terribly thin and neglected he was. This poor little guy (yes, I’m talking about an adult horse) was really in need of someone to love him…and he really ate up the attention I gave him! He needed veterinary care…had several signs of worms, very poor nutrition stemming from several different problems, needed his teeth floated and hoof care in a bad way.

He had bite and kick marks all over him, callused areas that were devoid of the wooly fuzz that covered him otherwise…and his coat, although wooly for the winter was actually uneven and unhealthy looking (big surprise).

My friend told me she’d told the ranch owner, so I went away thinking that he would be all right. Over time nothing changed…he actually got worse! I actually went on a campaign to find someone to adopt the little guy! No luck. Finally a co worker slapped me with the reality that it was appropriate to call the humane society.

So I armed myself with my digital camera from work and took a bunch of photos…and submitted them to law enforcement when I made my complaint.

I prayed and prayed that I’d be able to adopt this horse. I’ve always loved horses, and I have to say that I had a connection with this horse I’ve never had with ANY animal. Here I was, for all practical purposes a predator, a stranger, and everyone else said the horse was skittish…yet he followed me around the pasture, nickered at me every time I acknowledged him…we actually “communicated” to some degree. I absolutely BEGGED God to grant me stewardship of this sweet little equine soul.

I still have a photo of him at my desk at work.

God said “No”, and in my current circumstances I thank him for his wisdom…but just the same, I think of my sweet “Nickers” (that’s what I named him–I didn’t know his name) and I have learned that the ranch owner was charged with fattening him up.

Of course he found out I was the one who made the report and I got banned…but it was worth it. Had I stood by and let that horse waste away I would have likely been present for his death. ((It had happened before there–in spite of the other boarders trying to save him)). So I used the gifts God gave me, limited as they were, and turned it all over.

I dont’ know where he is now, or what will become of him, but although he may not be mine in reality, he’s mine in spirit…and maybe this experience can be used to God’s purpose in some other way for the benefit of His creation.

Pray, Hope, Don’t worry (Padre Pio)

 

[Edwin1961]

(how could I have missed this thread)

I have one 16 1/2 year old female, long haired, tuxedo (black and white) cat.

She is just starting to show her age but she can still run around the apartment quite well.

 

[davy39]

At the present time, we have 2 cocker spaniels, Ernie and Lucas. On halloween eve, I had the garage door open to let my stepson and his kids in for trick or treeting. We they got ready to leave, he said there was a cat in our garage. Sure enough, she was cold black, and in sort of bad shape, evidently had been dumped by somebody. Now we are dog people never having much use for a cat. But my wife brought her in the house, and she sort of took over. She’s been here 6 weeks, and her name is Sabrina, and she’s looking much, much better. She sort of stole our hearts, and gets along just fine with the dogs. I have heard since about some of the things people do to black cats around halloween, and it’s really sick. So she really appreciates her new home.

 

[BlessedBe13]

I would say that you should be able to adopt as many pets as you want as long as you are able to donate the time, attention, and financial resources necessary to take care of them, while not neglecting yourself, your family, or your life. I love cats. Everytime I go to the shelter, I’d just love to take them all home with me - they’re all so cute. However, realisticly, that would be doing more harm than good because I cannot afford to take care of that many animals in addition to paying my bills, etc.

Currently my boyfriend and I own 4 cats and 2 snakes. We used to have a German Shepard, but had to get rid of them because our apartment complex does not allow big dogs. Right now, the number of pets we own is probably our limit. If in the future we are able to afford more, we may or may not get another cat or dog.

In summary, adopting pets is good, as long as you can afford (financially, emotionally, timewise, etc.) to take care of both them and yourself.

 

[Ana]

I didn’t read all the posts, so forgive me if I repeat anything.

Even if your husbands no is halfhearted because he wants you to be happy, his first inclination is still no, or he wouldn’t say no.
Don’t you want him to be happy?

Have you thought about volunteering at a shelter? This way your concern for the homeless animals would not be limited to just one more. Think of all the animals you could help!

God bless!