Animals

Question of the Day: How many pets have you owned in your lifetime? Tell us about them.

I have owned a grand total of 10 pets. Here are the pets, in order and the years are the years I had them, not the years they lived.

#1. "Kitty" (84-88) - an orange and white fluffy cat with more patience than anyone or anything I've ever met. My little brother used to throw this cat around like it was a stuffed animal but she never scratched or bit anyone. She slept in bed with me every night and one day, she just disappeared. We suspected that our neighbor down the street stole her - it was this old woman who would feed Kitty all the time and talk about what a good cat she was.

#2. "Maxwell" (85-88) - a black lab, scared of his own shadow, possibly mildly retarded. Sweetest dog ever. I came home from school one day shortly after my dad had moved out and Maxwell was gone. I asked my mom where he was and she told me this story that I am still mad at her for telling. She STILL claims it's the truth but I KNOW it's a lie. Apparently, the fire department just happened to be cruising our neighborhood that day and saw Maxwell and decided that he would be such a good fire/police dog that they just HAD to have him. My mom just gave him to them. I was 8 and I knew she was lying. I said, "You gave him to the pound, didn't you?!?!? Now they're going to kill him!!!" Anyway, as I said, she still claims it's the truth.

#3. "Sheba" (88-88) - We were so distraught over the loss of Maxwell that we made my mother get us a new dog. It was a little mutt of some kind, brown and black, could fit in a purse. We named her Sheba...and I have NO clue why. Now, if I had picked the name She-RA...well, that I could understand, but Sheba, hm, I don't know. I think we only had her for 2 months before my mom gave her away because she claimed my brother and I did not take care of her like we said we would.

#4. "Lady" (93-98) - BEST DOG EVER. She was a collie/greyhound mix and the prettiest dog I have ever seen. She was grey with black spots, white feet and a white neck/chest like a Collie. She was the friendliest dog ever and so smart and intuitive you'd swear she was human. I miss Lady.

#5+6. "Boris & Natasha" (96-96) - 2 parakeets, impulse buy, had them for a month and decided I couldn't stand the squawking so I gave them away.

#7. "Splinter (96-96) - a rat, impulse buy, let him go under a dumpster in Southbridge after a few weeks because I realized that rats are ugly if you look at their face from underneath. The teeth: nasty.

#8. "Twink" (96-96) - a white bunny, free, boring pet, given away after a few weeks.

#9+10. "unnamed kittens" (99-99) - I was living in Alabama and my ex was working on a dairy farm (which means he smelled like crap all the time). There was a pregnant cat on the farm and when she had the kittens we took two. They were adorable and very well behaved but my ex decided they were a nuisance, so we gave them back to the farm.

That's about it. My favorite pet was Maxwell...maybe because he reminds me of the part of my childhood from 85-89 in Shrewsbury. That was the best time of my life. (Until I met John, of course)

Okay, your turn, tell me about your pets!