how did you end up with your pet?

[cuddlepop]

Teenybash got me thinking why not start a thread about how you ended up with your pet?

Connie was initially called Skye,which I hated.
The Cat Protection lady was notified of her excistence and she went over to collect her from the telegraph pole she was tied to.
My friend initially had her but as I seemed to have such a connection with her my friend gave her to me.
"cat lady" had tried to home her before but Connie wouldnt settle so you could say she found me.:D

Connie was a charactor who had human eyes,it was if in a previous life she had been human and still had some of our quirks and viobles.

[luskentyre]

Connie was tied to a telegraph pole? That's awful....

My cat (Howard) was a feral kitten found at Dounreay. He'd wandered into the canteen in search of food and one lady shut herself in a cupboard upon seeing him! A site-wide email went out, saying "home urgently wanted for small black kitten". Having a soft spot of small, black kittens, I responded and took him home that night.

That was nearly 14 years ago.

[lynne duncan]

hepzie our cocker was quickly bought to fill the space after our westie passed away, and then within a month was told my gran was dying and that very afternoon my hubby's workmate arrived at the door with a box with 3 kittens wondering if we would like one as they were feral farm kitts and he was afraid that the farm dog would catch them, so that was how smokey arrived.

[Margaret M.]

My wee Shih Tzu died of cancer when he was 8. I missed having a dog so much. I started looking at photos on a rescue website and I wanted them all. The rescue organization emailed me pictures of a bonded pair of Shih Tzus and I fell in love with them. They were in a foster home in upstate New York, near the Canadian border -- more than a seven hour drive from where I live. They offered to relay them to where I lived but I could not wait. The minute I was approved to adopt, off I went. Had to spend a night in a hotel and I picked them up the next day. They are lovely doggies and I dread the day when something happens to one of them and I wonder how one will be without the other. It is hard not knowing what they went through before I got them. Berkley, the one in my avatar has what is either a spinal birth defect or his tail may have been broken at one time. Chessie gets very afraid anytime she hears children's voices on the street. They are wonderful wee doggies though and I don't know how anyone could have given them up.

[kriklah]

Bingbing was aquired when hubby went to the local petshop for a scratch post for our other cat, spotted the "last kitten in the shop " (mug!!) and never did get the scratchpost! Shes 12 years old now, and hasnt been home for months, lives in the garages near us and one of the neighbours who feeds the local wood cats makes sure she gets somthing.

Lurch the lurcher came from ballmore, one of 2 day old pups abandoned by the roadside, before the owners were caught wiht mum and other pup. 6 rs old now

Tarmac played chicken in the road with sisters car and almost lost!(hence the name). having seen the kitten in the road and unable to stop intime, she got out and found him huddled between the wheels with his paws over his head!, took him to vets then phoned me to ask if i wanted a kitten(at 5 weeks old he obviously wasnt a pet, no houses near where he was found, most likely a ferel/barn cat)now 4 yrs

Mistoffelees(Toffee) was found by my stepdaughter in wick, litter of kittens in a bag by a burn, the rest escaped into the bushes but she caught one, called and asked if i wanted a kitten! Toffee is now 2 yrs and has had 2 litters, of which i kept 2 kittens from first lot. have just rehomed 2nd litter and am thinking the tramp is expecting litter number 3!! (she will be heading for the vets at the earliest oppotunity!!!!)

we also have budgies from a neighbour how moved, chinchillas and hamster and fish

[cuddlepop]

There's some lovely storys here.
I love the way we've all be "adopted" by our pets.:lol:

[carasmam]

I got Cara nearly 13 years ago from a couple whose JR had an unplanned litter of pups. When I went to see the pups she was the one climbing on top of the rest of them and then came to me all waggy tail and bum and I fell for her straight away. She had a feisty look in her eye and has been a total rascal since day one :)

(recall? - whats that ??:roll:) Some people thought she was deaf when she was little as she wouldn't answer, but yet she could hear a car door shutting 300 yards away, so it is selective hearing she has !!
She is mellowing a bit in her old age now but still acts like a daft pup now and then.

She has been by my side through thick and thin and although she is a brat I cant imagine life without her. She's been through a lot too, had 8 unplanned pups, like mother like daughter !, post eclampsia - we nearly lost her that time, a cruciate ligament operation, a budgie's seed husk stuck in her eye which had to be removed and last year a new baby, which she has taken all in her stride.
She is my 'once in a lifetime dog' there will never be another quite like her.

[NLP]

Our cat moved in after her owner went to a nursing home, she didn't get on with the son's cats so was left at her old house ( family was feeding her every day) she's been here 9 yrs now.

[teenybash]

Went to a local man who had a load of old scrap lying around looking for a bit for the old banger we had at the time....It was snowing heavily and we had just driven about 8 miles in our Fordson Dexta tractor..... car was broken. I stood shivering when I felt something warm lean against me .....a white lurcher.
She was skinny, stinking and had red inflamed eyes...next thing a gruff voice called, 'If ye want it take it.'
Lots of TLC she blossomed and has been with us for 7 years... she is now 13 yrs old and coincidentally is the half sister to our other big lady........:Razz

[cuddlepop]

Went to a local man who had a load of old scrap lying around looking for a bit for the old banger we had at the time....It was snowing heavily and we had just driven about 8 miles in our Fordson Dexta tractor..... car was broken. I stood shivering when I felt something warm lean against me .....a white lurcher.
She was skinny, stinking and had red inflamed eyes...next thing a gruff voice called, 'If ye want it take it.'
Lots of TLC she blossomed and has been with us for 7 years... she is now 13 yrs old and coincidentally is the half sister to our other big lady........:Razz


Connie was filthy when we got her and so skinny she looked like a lurcher.
"cat lady" said she'd never seen such a transformation in an animal once we had established we "were home".

It still amazes me what loads of tlc can do for an animal.:D

[MGM]

I have always loved cats and i had just moved into my own house when i heard there were kittens free to a good home, i didnt even see him untill my friend took him home to me but i fell in love straight away! He used to lie at the back of the door when he knew i was going out and he wouldnt budge untill he got a bit of attention, then he would let me go. He is 8 now and a big softie and always makes me laugh with some of the things he does!

[mrsmo]

We had a springer spaniel for nearly 14 years until we had to have him put to sleep, he was a 2nd hand pup! After breaking our hearts at losing him we said no more dogs! As you do! And you pet folk know what I mean?
Then 3 years later went out to Balmore pet day fell for some sad brown eyes and went out the next weekend and came home with our latest addition to the family, she has been with us now for 5 years and she is a real sweetie(well most of the time - typical crabby collie) But we wouldnt change her for the world! :D

[porshiepoo]

My first Dane (Porsha - Porshiepoo) was the runt of the litter and kept in diabolical conditions by a guy who was once a caring breeder with foundation stock that can be found somewhere in most Danes. He went downhill though and then died of a brain tumour. The first time I saw Porsha she was so scared she crawled to me on her belly! Obviously there was no way we were leaving her there.

Had another Dane (Sadie) from similar circumstances, only the breeder was this guys son!

Went to buy a GSD pup but ended up buying the last 2 as we couldn't bear to separate them - Buick is still alive and well!

We also have a Yorkie that I saw as a pup 12 years ago and really wanted one but couldn't afford one so we swapped our car for him. lol. We got the better deal though cos the car was a bright orange Austin Allegro Estate. lol.

Had a GSD bitch rescue who went to Rainbow Bridge at the grand old age of 14.

A GSD boy (Cash) that was my husbands pride and joy that was PTS at 11.

Our first ever GSD (Satan) was the best dog ever but was killed by a car at the age of 6. :(

My main Dane boy that I lost this year (Baileywaileywoowoo) was actually a breed swap. I bred a litter of Danes and the stud dog owner wanted one so we swapped with a litter she was having.

That is just some of the dogs we have or had, at the moment we just have Buick, Atlas, Gizmo (the yorkie) and Casa, a Shih Tzu we rehomed from this very site.

[jings00]

Dughall (the westie) was the runt of the litter and nicknamed "little orphan dog".. i was living with my mum at the time to help look after her, and after much pleading and begging, Dughall arrived home!! He's just the bestest wee dug!!!

[cuddlepop]

Dughall (the westie) was the runt of the litter and nicknamed "little orphan dog".. i was living with my mum at the time to help look after her, and after much pleading and begging, Dughall arrived home!! He's just the bestest wee dug!!!

Must admit i too have a soft spot for the runt of the litter.
Nine times out of ten they end up the best.:D

[twiglet]

My cat Whisky was a feral cat born in a pile of bricks in my dad's garden. His brothers picked on him and he was the runt of the litter but I fell in love with him and 11 years later we still have him.

Dave (cat) was origionaly called Shelly by his previous owner as they thought he was a girl until the vet enlightened them. Hastlily renamed Smudge, he came to us when I saw an email at work. His previous owner's daughter was allergic to his long fur. The 1st time I let him out, after having kept him in for a few weeks, he wouldn't come back. He sat on the fence ignoring me and tail flicking. In pure frustration I yelled 'Dave' and he came in straight away. One of my friends says I found his secret name.

Poppy the dog came to us in April and fitted right in. Her previous owners both worked full time and felt it wasn't fair on her to be in all day on her own. They did a great job of training her and we love her to bits. We got her through Lab Rescue, she's one of Caroline's imposters.

If anyone is interested in having a kitten, a friend of mine has a litter of feral farm kittens who urgently need homes. They are ready to leave their mum anytime as are weaned and about 9/10 weeks old.

[Kenn]

When we got married we agreed no pets whilst we were both working full time. well that did n't last long!
Spratt arrived as a wee scrap that could curl up in the palm of my hand having been rescued from under the floor boards of a construction site. Spent the next weeks riding in my pocket and curled up in the office desk being drip fid from an eyedropper. He was with us for 12 years.
Mitten Da was given to me on keep or return by a friend who had gone to get a new cat and brought the whole litter of kittens home, oddly this arrangement happened just a few weeks before Spratt had to be put to sleep. Mitty was with us for 14yrs and was the gentlest of classic tabbies.
NO more cats, huh by this time son and daughter were in their teens,we were badgered so off to the CPL...I fell in love with 2 tabbies, mother and daughter but they were just being fostered meanwhile a large white cat with a few creamy brown patches had attached itself to son. Fudge later to be known as Pudge saddly died last year aged about 23.
Meanwhile we had a visiting cat at our shop , a very large long haired red tabby, he would see his owner off to work each morning and then wait for us to arrive, spend the day usually snoring in the back store and then disapear when Amy came home from work.Saddly Amy had to move from the area and she ended up with a 2nd floor flat so not wishing to turn Tiny into a house cat she asked if I would take him for her, needless to say he now rules the roost!

To all you cat lovers "Some where a cat is waiting," is a book by Derek Tangye that you should be able to equate to.

[dellwak]

When we went to visit my wifes aunt on her farm, she showed us some week old kittens that she had in a back room.
We fell for a little black and white bundle of energy called Moritz and asked if we could have him. 3 months later, when we went back to pick him up, Moritz had done a runner and was hiding out in the farmyard somewhere. His brother Max followed us around the whole day long, looking up at us with big liquid eyes and sitting on my shoulder when we sat down to dinner. So we took him home instead.
That was in 1993.
Maxie still follows us around everywhere and looks at us with big soft eyes, but he has long been too big to sit on my shoulder.

[Phoenix200416]

I got Brae, my ferret from my Aunt. She had a male and female at the time that she would breed. Brae was from a huge litter of 14! His mum had cleverly split the babies into two groups of 7 in two seperate nests so that she could feed them all :D Brae was the only one that came to the front of the cage when I spoke to them. I stuck a piece of blue plaster on the back of his head so that I could recognise him again, though I didn't need it because he was always the first to the front of the cage when I opened it and spoke to them!

I got Comfort through this forum actually! :D And a year later I got Lenor (my two rabbits)

[Liz]

All my dogs were from reputable breeders but my cats have all been waifs and strays. The most recent :-
Moggy was an elderly stray who was in a terrible state with broken teeth and brown paws from raking in dustbins. He was the most adorable cat who you could do anything with.
Rusty was a kitten in a feral colony living in the old mart which was due to be demolished. So we trapped them all to be rehomed and we took Rusty home to be fostered and he lived with us for 11 years until his death two years ago. Suzy was found as a kitten hiding under a shed (we think someone had tried to put her in a plastic bag as she is terrified of them!)and after a couple of unsuitable homes we 'fostered' her and she is still here 8 years later!
Tiggy was wandering around our area when he was only about 8 weeks old. We put a trap into our garden and managed to catch him. He was a hissy, spitty wee thing but I hand fed him and he came round.
Charly appeared at our kitchen window one night and we thought he had followed someone to Keep Fit which was in the hall. He kept appearing though and it was soon apparent he was a stray so we fed him and eventually made a home for him in our shed. We would often be sitting in the shed well past midnight by candlelight and a gas fire trying to coax him into his bed for the night. This went on for some time and, although he was friendly, if you bent down in front of him he would practically scalp you! He wouldn't come into the house unless the door was open so he could escape! We tried homing with one of our neighbours but when he heard my voice he came 'home'. One night we were watching the Northern Lights and Margaret, my sister, had Charly in her arms. He decided that instead of going to his bed in the shed he was going to come into the house that night! He went straight to my bed and slept there all night. He has been with us for about 10 years and is the most beautiful cat you could ever wish for.
Every cat we have ever had has 'come to us' and we have never had to 'choose' one.