What’s your Pethood Story?
You never forget your first pet. They say a dog is a man’s best friend, but for me, for the majority of my childhood at least, my tortoise shell cat Sindy was mine. When I was 6 years old, my Mum realised that the repeated begs for a pet from my sister I weren’t going to be passified for much longer with Pound Puppies or a Kitty Surprise – we were desperate for a cat of our own. Despite my Dad being a little tentative to say the least, with three strong minded females in his house he was fairly outnumbered and didn’t stand a chance – our wishes soon came true.
A rescue cat from a shelter, Sindy had a very rough start in life. She was found in a bin bag with a number of other kittens that had been thrown into a river, and luckily for her, a kind passer by was able to rescue them before it was too late. Named after my favourite doll at the time (it was the 80’s after all), Sindy came to live with us instead, and although she never got over her fear of water (and her strong dislike for men in general) she became a very loving, loyal and committed friend, being there for me through thick and thin as I grew from infant to teenager.
Sindy was the most beautiful cat, and we always joked that had she been human, she would have been a VERY attractive, elegant and sophisticated woman. She walked almost strut like; each foot very carefully placed in front of the other, even when she was running, and due to her markings, she even looked like she had a dab of blusher on both of her cheeks.
Sindy loved nothing more than to be warm, spending the majority of her days on the rug in front of the fire, spread out on the radiator shelf or curled up in a ball on my bed. As with most cats, Sindy also had the innate ability to get right into the middle of the bed, no matter where she may have been at the start. I’d often find myself lying with my legs barely on the edge of the mattress, whilst she lay stretched out and snuggly in the middle, having gradually worked her way, unnoticed to the centre.
Life with Sindy was very much on her terms, in that she was a very strong willed individual. If ever we went on holiday, she would get a bit moody as soon as the suitcases appeared in the spare bedroom, becoming aloof and stand offish as if she was deeply offended that we wouldn’t be taking her with us. Mum would spend hours lovingly folding and packing our clothes, only to find Sindy fast asleep in the suitcase the morning that we were due to leave. Despite this, she always had a ball when we were gone. Our next door neighbours looked after her whilst we were away, and even wrote us a little diary of what she’d been up to!
By far the fondest memory I have of Sindy was that she used to meet me from school. A rather strange concept I appreciate, but living on the corner of a busy road not far from the school, Sindy would spot the first children walking home along the school route, and head straight to the road sign to wait for me. Walking back with my friends I’d often hear yells of “Luce! Your cat’s waiting for you!” and see her sat patiently on the corner looking for my familiar face amongst the crowds. As soon as she saw me she would come running down the pavement to meet me, where I would scoop her up and carry her the rest of the way back. It was such a lovely feeling to know that she was looking forward to seeing me (even if the reality was that she just fancied a snack!)
As with many pets, Sindy became my best friend, and was there for me as a confident and agony aunt, starring back at me with her big eyes whilst I poured my heart out in teenage angst. She was a great listener, she didn’t judge, and lying with her there with her on my bed always made me feel so much better. I wish now that we had grown up with her in a more digital era, as I would love to have more photos to look back on.
Now my girls are getting older, they too are asking for a pet of their own. Mike and I are currently in debate about a cat or a dog, but one thing is for certain – I can’t wait for my girls to have the same friendship that I had with Sindy, For me, a pet really completes a family home, and I can’t wait to meet ours when the day arrives.
What’s your Pethood Story?
Petplan, the UK’s most trusted provider of pet insurance for dogs, cats and rabbits wants to hear YOUR #pethood stories. What memories do you have of your first pet? What injuries or challenges did they overcome? Did they have a mischievous side? Whatever your pet story – we’d love to hear it!
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I remember my first dog running up to me when she was scared and putting her arms around me like she was hugging me #pethoodstories
Ahhh how adorable is that?!
Ah that’s adorable!
I grew up with labourers and a cat called Whiskas – Whiskas was my best friend he used to sleep under the duvet at night with me. #pethoodstories
Ah that’s so sweet
My first pet was a collie cross mongrel. She ate absolutely anything… except sprouts! Once she had a leftover one from Sunday lunch in her dinner bowl and I can remember seeing her curling her lips up so they didn’t touch it and using her front teeth to pick it out and drop it on the floor next to her bowl before she carried on eating. It was so funny and my family still laughs about it now! #PethoodStories
My cat Rambo was a big furry boy with a hugeee appetite and a reputation for ruling the neighbourhood but at home he was a silly old softie and would often lay beside me when I slept as a child. Have many great memories of him. #pethoodstories
Ah how lovely
#PethoodStories On the morning of a friend’s wedding, thought I would just quickly walk our dog, which is a german shepherd. He gets quite boisterous so I have to wrap the leash around my wrist. I was walking him across the local fields, when he spotted a rabbit and he was off like a shot and pulled me over into the mud, my suit was ruined. When I got back the kids were laughing their socks off (as one of them had seen it happen through the bedroom window)
Ha ha oops!
My first two dogs were rescue dogs – puppies from the pound. Anyway the first was very wilful and high spirited and next door’s Rottweiler took her in hand and adopted her, as they shared a garden. When puppy did something that she shouldn’t, like jumping up onto the roof of the Rottweiler’s kennel, she made her disapproval known in no uncertain terms – very loudly and seemingly frighteningly but without ever hurting her at all. This meant that Puppy quickly learnt her place in the pecking order/pack and was good with other dogs. The funniest memory I have though, was when I was looking after an absolutely huge, jet black Great Dane. Puppy was curious and a bit scared when I walked him into the yard, but when Rottweiler saw him the look of surprise on her face was unmistakeable and indeed priceless, as for years she had been the biggest thing on the block and here was a dog that she could actually walk upright underneath. It was love at first sight or lust at least! #pethoodstories
Ha ha brilliant!!!
Our little dog got run over the first week we got her, we were all devastated but she was okay in the end & a part of the family thereafter, instant love from all the family #PethoodStories
Oh gosh what a traumatic start though!
Our first pet was a tabby cat , named Fluffy , bought from a nearby farm . When arriving home from school , looking to find him , he was found peering out from under the settee .#pethoodstories
Ah bless him!
You have one?
We got gerbils after seeing them on Blue Peter! #Pethoodstories
#PethoodStories My first ever pet was a goldfish from the fair. I named it Prancer and it lived for ages! We then moved onto dogs, we had 4 altogether over the years. Can’t have one now unfortunately as two of my sons are allergic to them.
Ah that’s a shame!
We “adopted” a stray Airedale many years ago when I was a kid. Bella was a true character and absolutely loved being in the back of the car when my dad drove anywhere. One day she went missing and we searched frantically for her. I suddenly spotted her from my bedroom window – she was sitting in the back of a Mini at the garage opposite while the driver went to pay for his petrol, waiting expectantly for him to return and drive off! It was an hilarious sight and we had such a laugh with the driver. Although we lost her so many years ago (which devastated us all), I still often tell this story, together with many others … #Pethoodstories
My first pet was a black labrador called Alfie, he was such a loving dog and came everywhere with me as a child. We used to go to the beach and swim in the sea together and go for “adventures” in the wood. It broke my heart when he died at 13 from kidney cancer but it started my passion for black labs and as an adult, I’ve always had one. #pethoodstories
Ah how lovely that you’ve had the same breed as an adult too!
My first pet was a stray cat that used to sit in the garage next to the house, it wasn’t a locked garage, there was no door. It was just like an alcove to park the car under. I used to steal ham out the fridge to go and feed it and my mum caught me. She decided instead of wasting the good ham, she’d buy proper cat food so I could feed it. After a few weeks it just followed us into the house and never left haha. We had it for 8 years after that 🙂 #PethoodStories
Ah that’s so lovely!!
Always wanted a loveable dog but parents would only have a budgie.#pethoodstories
My first pet was a Golden Retriever called Ben. He was only a few months younger than me so we grew up together and had lots of fun times. I have loads of happy memories of walks on the beach, round the park and summer camping trips. He was a huge part of the family and we still miss him dearly #pethoodstories
#PethoodStories One of the first dogs we rescued was a dingo cross, the pups had been found a few days previously on the school playing fields and they had been taken to the dog pound. We found Casey on her own and decided to keep her, she was a great dog although very independent she got along real well with the other dogs.
Our pet cat when I was a child worked out that whenever there were cases in the hall that meant that she was going to the cattery, and she didn’t like that at all. So one time she spotted the cases and left home for about 5 days when we were due to leave. Luckily my aunt lived nearby and she was able to come round and feed her. #pethoodstories
My Very first pet was a Rescue Dalmatian (Zeus). Nicknamed because he was lightning fast and would run with me for hours in my youth. He would play hide and seek whenever we went out and id have to pretend that i could`nt find him in order for him to come out. Luckily he escaped injury all his life and saw a very long and fruitful one x Very very many years of happy memories and will never ever be forgotten both in my head and my heart x #pethoodstories
I only got my first dog when i was 28 years old. When I come home from town he jumps on me and it melts my heart so much. He loves curling up by the fire and waking me up at 6am for a walk. #PethoodStories
I remember when my first dog was a puppy and we thought she was well trained and didn’t need to be on a lead. On that Christmas Day morning we took her for a walk and let her off the lead. We ended up spending a big part of Christmas morning chasing after her and calling her name (in a freezing cold weather) because she suddenly refused to come home with us. Not the way you want to spend Christmas… #pethoodstories
My cat Chewie ,he was Siamese, i would never go to bed without him, he was old & blind, but loyal as they came! #pethoodstories
When I was 6 or 7 we had a grey tabby kitten, I wouldn’t leave the poor thing alone, constantly fussing her, picking her up all the time, my mum and dad kept telling me not to and in the end she ran off #pethoodstories
My first pet was a retriever. She was very gentle and sweet, and especially loved curling up to sleep with any cats who were around; she preferred them to other dogs! #pethoodstories
we always had animals as children, hamster, budgies, cats and dogs. As an adult I have always had dogs and cats #PethoodStories at present we have 2 Border Collies which were both rescued from terrible conditions as tiny pups, a bit of TLC and within days they got back into tip-top condition. our cat is approaching 21, she looks a bit tatty and is stone deaf now, but she is very happy and still keeps the dogs in their place and can smell a can of tuna at 60 paces!
Our first dog was a beautiful Collie X named Snoopy. She was the sweetest dog in the world, and very protective of me and my siblings. My brother was roughousing with our neighbour once, and she chased him down our drive until he jumped on his parents car to hide! #pethoodstories
#pethoodstories let me tell you the story of Tabby, She was just a tiny kitten when I homed her, in fact I’d actually bought her for my mother on mother’s day after her cat sadly passed away a few months before.
She was a short haired domestic, stunning colours, was a tortishell.
From the moment I picked her up she literally followed me everywhere! She soon became my family member as she unfortunately didn’t like to go to my mum much.
She was my love, every morning I got up she would jump on top of my shoulder from her high perch that was the wardrobe for a cuddle and scare the life out of me!.
Everytime I left the house to walk to the shop she legged it out of the cat flap just to follow me, all the way there she travelled with me, once I got to the shop she patiently waited outside the door for me to come out then she would follow me all the way home. Obviously tempted by treats I would usually buy for her too of course.
Once I moved out of my mum’s at 20 I took her with me as she had always been more my baby mum didn’t want to keep her.
Not a moment went by that you could sit in peace without her climbing on me, cuddling me, She would be on your lap all day!
Then one day I noticed she had lost a little weight and was drinking bit more so took her to the vets, they couldn’t find much wrong and she had only lost 0.5kg in weight but decided to do a full blood profile just in case. Unfortunately for Tabby she had diabetes, this meant I now had to inject insulin into her twice a day for rest of her life, I was told most cats and dogs with diabetes still live a complete full life with insulin so my hopes were high.
She was a real trouper, took her injections without even a meow or grumble, every blood test she went for she was the perfect patient according to the vet as she just sat there.
I bought a glucose reader for cats and having to prick her tiny ears to draw blood daily to check her readings was a pain but she just leg me do it. She was my brave girl.
She had so many glucose curves in hospital as the insulin wasn’t working very well for her.
Unfortunately one morning I came downstairs and she was so lethargic, didn’t want to eat or move. I rushed her to the vet hospital and was told was just her diabetes playing up they was hopeful she will make a full recovery, She was very dehydrated so put on fluids and monitored. She was in hospital for a while week, still flat and lethargic and still dehydrated to the point giving fluids wasn’t working anymore her organs were failing.
We unfortunately had to come to the decision advised by the vet to put her kindly to sleep.
She was only 9, had half her life still on front of her and only was diabetic for 5 short months but my baby just was up and down with illness since she was diagnosed. It was the best derision for her.
She was my brave flower, my 1st pet and I loved her with my whole heart and miss her every day!
Make every moment with them count as you never know when there time will come 🙁
That’s my story of Tabby
#PethoodStories My first pet was a goldfish which was won at our local fair ground and I used to keep it at my grandparents house in a small bowl, one day when I visited them it was floating on the top of the bowl and I thought it had died but my granddad took it out of the bowl and placed it in another bowl and added a tiny bit of whisky, after a while the fish came back to life so he placed it back in its bowl, this happened a few times over the years and the fish went on to live a long life, I never found out if it died of old age or liver failure lol
My first pet was a Tabby cat called Tabby, l had her at 8 weeks old and my partner took me after my dad’s funeral to pick her before the wake so she was like a little part of my dad too. She was amazing such a lovely and soft cat you could hug and cuddle her till the cows come home. Sadly when she was nine she got a growth on her face which they then found was cancer and was inoperable. She lasted 6 months after that and the day l had to have her put to sleep was horrendous. l cried so much even the veternary nurse was in tears. My cat l have now is Smudge she was a rescue cat and when she came wanted nothing to do with me, shes softened so much over they years and she is so quirky and funny were are always laughing at the mad things she does. i love my cats and l will probably me that old mad cat lady that everyone knows! 😀
#PethoodStories When I was little our labrador, Prince, devoured the rest of our turkey whilst we enjoyed our Christmas dinner. My dad thought he had shut him in the utility room, but he had managed to jump up at the door handle to enter the kitchen – where he ate all the left over turkey while we we eating in the dining room! We were devastated but at least he enjoyed a turkey Christmas dinner too!
#pethoodstories When i was a teenager i used to walk our dog around the block when i’d get home from school.Our cat always came with me as she started to follow me and then always loved to come on our walks with our dog.It must have looked strange me walking a dog with a cat by my side as well.The cats we have now love to play fetch just like a dog.They run and fetch their ball and then run back and drop it at my feet ready for me to throw it again.
My gorgeous German Shepherd looked like a bunny when she was a puppy – she had the most GIANT ears I’ve ever seen! She’s suffering hip dysplasia now in her old age (common for that breed) but we seem to have found the right medication that keeps her comfortable and no longer limping or in pain, she just can’t jump up at the gate to greet us when we come home like she used to! #pethoodstories
Our first pet was an alsatian called Mandy, one year she had puppies, and 5 of them were little alsatians just like her but one looked like a little golden labrador! #PethoodStories
#PethoodStories I think my first dog thought she was a cat; she loved curling up by the open fire, sleeping on a bed (under the covers for preference) and hated getting her paws wet-she would jump over puddles and streams to stay dry!
My dog once cocked his leg on an electric fence!! I’ve never seen him run so fast in his life. Poor thing! #pethoodstories
#pethoodstories she was called Tigger and followed my brother home one day, adopting him! Then proceeded to have kittens and get pregnant before we could get her neutered four times! When my parents finally got her to the vet in time, once she recovered she decided to go live back in the wild as she was a ferel cat and didn’t need a home anymore lol!! My parents did keep her kittens though, one of which lasted til she was 15 when she had to be put to sleep due to complications including being unable to lift her back legs. She was the runt of her litter, and very loving, and I now have two kitties of my own, one of which was also the runt but is now very much queen bee!!
I remember our dog Sally ripping up my moms new kitchen one night, she was allowed to sleep on the sofa after that…#pethoodstories
#PethoodStories My ginger fur baby (a cat) is nearly 15 years old, deaf and a little unstable on his pins following a bad reaction to a general anesthetic 18 months ago, we were convinced we were going to lose him the first weekend after the operation but he was still with us on Monday morning. We cherish every day with him even if he is very demanding and noisy.
My parents had a cat called Tim, then I as born and that cat was not at all happy about it. Such a character, he did not forgive mum for bringing a crying package home that seemed to take so much attention. Tim would sit with his back to her until one day he accepted me being there #pethoodstories
I remember having rescued pigeons at home. We used to let them. Free during the day they would fly outside and in the evening we would leave our varanasi door open for them to come back. They were messager pigeons #pethoodstories
#pethoodstories well i got 2 pets- a goldfish which died the first night, and a rabbit called snowy. The rabbit lived somewhat longer but it did escape a few times. On one occasion i had gone to his cage and he was missing, i was devastated, and i remember just about stopping crying, when an advert came on TV with the song…run rabbit run rabbit -started me crying again. My mum put an advert in the local supermarket, and the person who contacted and had found the bunny in their garden was actually my fathers work colleague who lived 10 minute walk away- about 3 roads away. The next time he escaped was whilst my grandparents were looking after him- they had put him in his run, he had ran off, they apparently spent all day searching for him, and then that evening he just hopped back down their driveway!
#PethoodStories i had 2 pets as a kid, a goldfish which died the same evening purchased, and a rabbit called snowy who lived a lot longer. Snowy escaped a couple of times. The first time i had gone to his cage in the morning, and he was missing. I was devastated, crying my eyes out, i just calmed down when an advert came on TV with the song “run rabbit, run rabbit….” i started crying again. My mum put an advert in the local supermarket, and the person who contacted us having found snowy in their garden happened to be my fathers work colleague who lived about 10 minute walk away. The next time Snowy went on an adventure was whilst my grandparents were looking after him at their house whilst we were on holiday. They had apparently put him in his run in the morning, and they later noticed he was missing. Frantically searched for hours, eventually gave up when they saw him hopping back down their driveway. They then just had to catch him
#PethoodStories My first pet was a ginger cat called Tigger who we’d had from before I was born. Apparently he adopted himself at my mum and dad’s previous house, so they took him with them when they moved!
Tigger was a lovely cat, soft and gentle, and looked after me when I was little and poorly. It’s given me a love for cats to this day.
My first pet wasn’t until I was 44. A rescue cat we named Sox. She was left to starve under industrial palettes with her kittens. She was brought to us by cat protection and the instant I saw her she melted my heart. She has been my constant companion ever since but has now got heart failure and never leaves my side. She never gave us any grief or damaged anything and was such a playful cat chasing and catching rolled up pieces of paper. She loved to pull a sheet of paper apart and through the bits in the air. My heart is also breaking at the sight of her now. I’m trying my best to keep her comfortable and the vet says she isn’t in any pain. We love her to bits. #pethoodstories
As a child we had a dalmation called Critter. He was big and soft and daft. He once ran enthusiastically the full length of my Dads greenhouse (commercial size) and straight through the glass door at the end. He just stood there licking the blood off his nose and wasn’t bothered! #pethoodstories
Our first dog somehow managed to eat some wire which got stuck in her stomach. The vet operated to get it out but it took what seemed like age before we could get her to eat. Thankfully she did get better and was with us for a lovely 12 years. #pethoodstories
#PethoodStories ourold lady our first cat we had her for 22 years she was amazing and she sadly passed away on Christmas day morning 3 years ago
we had a Jack Russell puppy when we were one year old and she grew up along side us as one of the family, she had so many scrapes it was a miracle she survived until a grand age of 13.5. miss that dog so much #pethoodstories
i never had any pets because my mum is allergic to lots of animals #pethoodstories
Our #pethoodstories was we have just bought our first dog 18 months ago as a puppy and she (Lady) has brought calmness to our home as our daughter was diagnosed with autism 2 years ago.
My first pet was a goldfish I won at a school fete, my mum went ballistic when as a 6 year old I bought it back in a bag, she thought the school was very irresponsible, well it lived in a bowl fro a week, we got a second hand tank it moved into that 3 years later we moved to a house where my dad built a fish pond it moved into that, and she lived for 20 more years and even bred…so I ended up with a pond full of fish. #pethoodstories
My first pet was a tabby and white cat called Bugsy, I used to push him around in my dolls pram #PethoodStories
My first pet was my cross border collie called Maisy. She spent 15 years with us before passing awaym she was part of our family and still is! In a little box above our fire 🙂 #pethoodstories
#Pethoodstories My Dad went to the dog rescue place without my Mum knowing and came back with a dog, we later named Belle, she was still a young pup (A big puppy!!) with no skills on how to interact with humans, my Mum was furious!!!! Belle turned out to be the best dog in the world, she would forget that she was a big dog and try and climb on your lap for cuddles, would jump into bed with you, and literally take up the whole bed. We lost her a few years ago to old age, but I think my Mum especially is so thankful that my Dad took a risk and got a dog. 🙂
When I was a baby we had a greyhound, it was my best friend. I would crawl to its basket and hide with it and she would always sniff me when mum brought me home to check mum brought the right baby home #pethoodstories
I was raised on a small holding so we had lots of pets – 4 legged and 2-legged. However, despite a fondness for pigeons and poultry, cats were my thing then and still are today. My favourite was a big fat black roly poly boy called Mittens. My sisters and I used to squabble over who would take him to bed as he was like a fluffy hot water bottle. #pethoodstories
My cat Pickle was really untrusting, when he got ill we took him to the vets and he was there for ages. A huge vet bill and lots of fish and treats later, he slowly got better. Once he was better, he expected the fish and treats everyday and it took us a while to snap him out of that. #pethoodstories
My first cat William soon became Willamina when she had kittens lol She went on to have 12 litters, everytime my Mum went to the vet she was pregnant again #PethoodStories
Our cat was A dream – called BUDGIE ( We inherited him from an old lady who couldn’t take him to her residential home ) he would only eat dog food and was partial to blueballs and lemonade – wouldn’t drink from a bowl either- we had to turn the cold water tap on
He was our first pet – he probably thought we where strange too #pethoodstories
I remember being a teenager and coming home from school, tired, bored and completely fed up. I sat down on a bean bag, just as my sister opened the living room door. I was then mobbed by our dog, and her 8 puppies! In my high dudgeon i had forgotten all about them. In a matter of seconds they had snapped me out of my funk, and put a huge smile on my face. #pethoodstories
When I was 10 my mum owned her own business with these toning tables. A lady who came in had found some kittens in London and had bought one back to Bath with her but her landlord said she couldn’t keep him so we adopted him. He was a tabby cat with white feet so we called him Sox. He was great. At first my sister and I was a bit scared because he was playful and liked to chase our feet but as he settled down we loved him more and more. He once bought a whole huge pigeon home and left it on the doorstep!
I think it’s great to have pets as children because I think it helps you not to be so frightened of animals. #PethoodStories
My very first pet was a cat when I was about 6 or 7 I think. She was tortoiseshell and a really cute kitty. We rescued her from RSPCA. I’m not sure about her background because of how young I was. We had her for a short while, a couple of months maybe. I loved her so much she was an amazing cat and always slept on this pastel pink blanket. After a couple of months we found out she had something wrong with her which meant we had to have her put down (I’m not too sure what was wrong, I was too young to understand). Her name was Mewow because in the car on the way home it sounded like she was saying ‘mewow’ so that’s what we named her #pethoodstories
#PethoodStories Our first dog Mandy would welcome my friends by savaging their shoes as they came in the house
We were walking our family dog and he spotted a family having a picnic. Before we even realised what he was up to, he’d rampaged onto their blanket, stolen the sandwich from their toddler’s hand and was merrily devouring whatever was in their hamper by the time we even reached him. Luckily, the family were dog lovers and we all had a good laugh about it. #PethoodStories
My first dog I had from age 2 to age 18! he lived to be 16! towards the end he was blind and deaf but he still loved his snuggles! #pethoodstories
#Pethoodstories my first pet was a cat called Patch. He was a homeboy meaning that he liked to snuggle up inside keeping warm and would only go outside to do his business. He was such a lovely cat. So loving! He didn’t really get into mischief unless anither cat came into our garden then he would get teritorial. He did one time come back with a bit of his ear missing ao assumed he had had a fight ir had go stuck somewhere. He died of old age a few years ago but memories of him make me smile.
My first pet was a rabbit who lived in a hutch at the bottom of our garden. #pethoodstories
#PethoodStories when i was little i used to take my pet hamster out in my toy buggy, without my parents knowing! i thought i was being good and taking it for a walk! x
#PethoodStories I remember our first (& only) dog. She was a golden Labrador called Kally. My dad used to get up in the mornings & find me curled up with her in her dog bed!
I don’t remember my first pet myself, as I was a baby, but my mum tells me our first dog Bessie used to watch over me, and fetch my mum whenever I cried. I also learned to walk by holding onto her. #PethoodStories
I used to have hamsters as a child #PethoodStories wasn’t until I was an adult I found out they hibernate ! Dread to think how many “dead” hamsters were not actually dead 🙁 I now have a shih tzu, cat, rabbit and my daughter has a snake ! Adore my animals and they are very much spoilt xx
This happened to my friend too!! She came to school telling me her hamster had died only to come in the next working to say he’d woken up when her dad was about to bury him!
I really miss my old cat Gemma, who I acquired as a kitten. My girlfriend at the time decided we should have a kitten, but the kitten disliked my girlfriend and always kept running to me! So 18 years later, Gemma the soft gentle lap cat sadly passed away after a life of Riley… #pethoodstories
I’ll never forget my first pet! I don’t think I’d ever even asked for a pet before but we arrived home from a family trip to the seaside to find a beautiful earthy brown rabbit in a cage on our driveway. There was the rabbit, hutch, run, food, everything you’d need to keep the rabbit. I remember being so confused, where had she come from?! It turns out my Dad’s friend who was a tree surgeon had rescued the bunny from a garden he worked in. His daughter was two at the time and kept eating the rabbit droppings so kindly donated her to us. And there started a life long affinity for bunny rabbits. We named her Roberta and she lived happily with us for years ❤️ #pethoodstories
Our first dog had to be put down because he bit a friend on the cheek. The friend had been told not to touch the dog because he was very snappy. Luckily the friend didn’t have a scar. One day we came home from school to find Mum and Dad had gone and gotten another dog without telling us. We were so excited about having a puppy. #pethoodstories
#PethoodStories my cat dennis was a nutter he used to sleep under my duvet on my feet at the bottom of the bed
The story of how we got our dog is very special to me. My great aunty lived in Wales and died when I was a child. We all travelled from the North of England to her funeral, and when we got there found that no one wanted to take her dog, Evie. I persuaded my Mum and we got to take her home! Before my aunty had her she was a breeding dog and wasn’t treated very well. The longer we had her the more it was like she got younger and learned how to play #PethoodStories
My first and only cat was a homeless stray. I saw a poster with him on it when I was 10 or 11 and tugged my parents arm to call the numbers on it. #pethoodstories
Our dog Henry, a beagle, once got too excited being chased around the house and got caught short on the stairs, so Dad had to step in quickly with his hands to catch the poop! #PethoodStories
Our first dog was called Butch he was a Mongral but we were inseparable. On Christmas morning when l was 5 l burst into mom and dads bedroom declaring that Butch had eaten all the chocolates off our Christmas tree with my face full of chocolate oops! Foiled again lol x
I grew up with GSD, I can remember curling up if front of the fire with my first Dog Zak and falling asleep
I remember my first dog, she was a Alsatian and was the biggest softy dog I have ever known! I still miss her!! #pethoodstories
I had a little parrot who was really attached to me. I used even sleep with his cage by my bed. Sadly
He died only after several months of living and I cried for several days after #pethoodstories
We had to say goodbye to our wonderful family dog in the summer of 2017 – he was the best and most loving dog I could ever have asked for. My partner and I now have a very shy black rescue cat who is the perfect addition to our family in a completely different way. Both have been incredible companions over the years and I am ever grateful for the inclusion of pets in my life.
#PethoodStories
I always had myriad of pets growing up however my first proper pet was Felix. A scruffy male black and white kitten with cat flu who we found in the woods along with his brother gizmo when I was 10. Felix an gizmo both survived and we rehomed gizmo with a friend and kept felix.
I had just moved house and changed schools so it was a very unsettling period for me – felix was my constant and got me through it all. He remained my cat, sleeping on my bed and giving me headbumps until he was 14 when I noticed a sore on his mouth. The sore turned out to be cancer and unfortunately he had to be given a helping handover the rainbow bridge to stop his suffering. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do and 13 years later despite now having 4 cats, 3 snakes and a dog I still missmy felix kitty #PethoodStories
My first pet was a rabbit called Oscar. I loved him so much. I remember making a 100 mile trip to see a rabbit specialist in Harrogate when he was poorly. I miss that bunny so much.
I always asked for a ‘real’ pet who you can cuddle but my mum didn’t allow me to have one #Pethoodstories… I had a gold fish instead and it’s not the same 🙁
#pethoodstories my first pet was a beautiful ginger crossbreed dog that we called Deyna. We got her for my 7th birthday and had her right through to my early 20’s she was a beautiful dog and was loved by all the family. My favourite memory is that when she got wet her ears used to look like I’d been at them with the crimpers
My dog as a child was a gorgeous border collie and I remember that when my Sister and I took her for walks she was always up to mischief. Once she stopped all the cars from passing on this small lane by finding the longest stick she could and holding it in her mouth to block the road. She was so funny.