Your first pet ever

What was the first pet you ever owned in your life? Was it a dog? Was it a mouse? Mine was a frog. I was about 12 years old. I did not know what to feed him. I asked the person who gave him to me, and they told me to feed him meal worms. I tried that, and my frog would not eat them. I figured he would eat once he got hungry. A few days passed without him eating, and before I could try something else, he passed on. Of course, I was heartbroken.

My first ever pet?

It's a dog. A mixed breed. I got it as a puppy from a litter born at my granduncle's furniture factory. It grew and grew until it was big and strong enough to pull me along on my bicycle when I took it out for exercise. Then, one day while I was away visiting my cousins in another town, it had an accident with the sharp edge of a tin can. My father took it to the vet. Two days later, my father came back with just its collar. The vet had put it down.

That happened when I was a pre-teen. I couldn't bear to get another pet for the next four decades.

Hmm.

I really don't know. I've always had pets as far back as I can remember. I'm guessing it was probably a cat, seeing as how I can remember stories from when I was a toddler and had cats. I had a ton of other pets along the years, though, too, so I don't know if that's for sure the first.

The first pet I ever owned that was specifically for me was my Shih Tzu. I had her when I was eight and up until I finished college. She was always there for me and I was always there for her. She was the bright spot in my life, considering how terrible my childhood was. I will always remember that little girl and shall her and I meet again if there is an afterlife. Oh, all the joys she brought me!

The first pets I have had were two goldfish when I was six. It wasn't such a good idea since aquarium fish are not kids' pets. It did not end well for the fish as I had no idea how to take care of them. I highly recommend everyone who plan to get fish for the first time do some extensive research on the subject before getting into the hobby. Fish keeping is more complex than it look. Majority fish die within weeks after being sold because most people have no idea what they are doing.

My very first pet was a goldfish when I was five. Fortunately, my dad kept aquarium fish at the time, so he taught me how to properly care for the little guy, and helped with everything until I was old enough to do the fish chores myself without making a mess. The fish lived about ten years. My first warm-blooded pet was a guinea pig that I got when I was about seven. I didn't do as well with her - she only lived about two years (she ate some plastic). I did much better with my next piggie, who lived about eight years.

I previously mentioned that my first pet was a frog. However, I was mistaken. My first personal pet was a frog, but my first overall pet was a beautiful dachshund named Cindy.

I have very fond memories of Cindy. I still have dreams about her.

I also remember that when we went to the fire station in Madison, Wisconsin to get her in 1966, she sat in my lap the whole time we were there.

(09-04-2012, 02:29 PM)jenb128 Wrote: My very first pet was a goldfish when I was five. Fortunately, my dad kept aquarium fish at the time, so he taught me how to properly care for the little guy, and helped with everything until I was old enough to do the fish chores myself without making a mess. The fish lived about ten years. My first warm-blooded pet was a guinea pig that I got when I was about seven. I didn't do as well with her - she only lived about two years (she ate some plastic). I did much better with my next piggie, who lived about eight years.

Lucky you to have a dad who know the stuff.
My dad didn't know anything about keeping fish. My uncle who gave me the two goldfish also didn't teach me beyond "use water conditioner to neutralize chlorine in the tap water". He gave me dried fish food which would expand once it's wet. I fed too much, dumped dozens pellets into the tank because I thought the fish couldn't possibility have enough by eating such tiny pellets, and the fish died. Then he told me I should have only fed 1 pellet per fish each day. The next two fish also did not last long, although they lived longer than the first batch.

It is expected because nobody told me I need a filter system and the most important of all - a bigger tank. I was keeping two goldfish in a fishbowl of probably only 3 gallon in size with no filter. I had to change water every day to keep it clean. Nobody told me I wasn't supposed to change 100% the water every day. Since there was no filter, there was always toxic ammonia in the water.

Not much I could do since I was just a little kid.

I had a hamster. She was the most insane thing I ever owned, up until we adopted one of our present dogs. She was nestled down underneath a bunch of male hamsters, and I decided she was the one for me.

Little did I KNOW, she was pregnant when we got her. -_- We discovered this a couple of weeks later, when I came home from school, and I did my usual daily check of her. She was buried in her nest box, amongst a bunch of pink wriggly legs. I was only ten years old. My mother came home from work and all she got was:

MUUUUUUUUM THE HAMSTER'S HAD BAAAAABIIIESSS

She didn't believe me. I had to show her. So not only did have her insanity to deal with, I now had TEN pink wriggly things to deal with.

My parents had a cat from the moment I was born however, the first pet I had that was totally mine was a gold fish which I named Telvet. Telvet didn't last very long for whatever reason and every goldfish thereafter was named Telvet. My very first "real" pet was an orange kitten named Daisy. She wasn't the brightest cat ever and had an affinity for chasing my father's truck down the drive-way (she was an indoor-outdoor cat) but I loved her dearly. Unfortunately she ran away one day and never came back.

We always had animals around the house and yard for pets. There were five of us, so my siblings got them before me.

Thinking back, I would have to say my first pet was a chicken. We used to incubate the eggs each year in school. Then, they would hatch around Spring break. I remember that my parents allowed me to adopt one in third grade.

It turned out to be quite funny. As my little chick grew up, it was very obvious it was not a chicken but a rooster! We had it in a cage in the yard. After a few complaints from neighbors over their new early morning alarm clock, my Dad arranged a trade for a chicken with his buddy who had a small farm in the neighborhood.

I can say it wasn't a very exciting pet. I was happier with the hamster I got the following year for my birthday.

my first pet ever was a black lab my parents had gotten when i was 2 or 3. he was a puppymill puppy from a mall petstore. he was the best dog ever. he was never fixed, only ever bit once in his entire life, and that was because my dad was going to spank me. he slept beside me everynight, never begged, knew tons of tricks, and even when we moved and had to give him to my aunt, he actually ran away by accident by chasing a deer and some old lady found him...she kept him for two weeks before finally calling my aunt and telling her she honestly does not want to give him back because he has been the best dog ever to her. but, my aunt took him back. he has also lived a very happy healthy, long life. he is still alive today at 16 years old O.o

here he is at 13 years old, a black lab gone gray!

My family always had dogs when I was growing up - and cats. My parents ran a fish and chip shop, and a cat was the best way to keep the mouse population down in the 1950s.

My first personal pet was a black rabbit called Sooty. Okay, it's perhaps not a brilliant name for a rabbit, but I was only 7 or 8, so it was pretty good to me. I was so thrilled to have a pet of my own that I wanted to take it everywhere with me. Dad made me a travel box from a large biscuit tin with holes drilled in the lid, and as Sooty was a very small rabbit, he was quite happy in there with plenty of straw.

Unfortunately, on a visit to my grandmother's, her German Shepherd recognised the biscuit tin as something that held treats, and when he smelled Sooty inside, that was the end of a beautiful friendship. He knocked the tin out of my hands, and although Sooty escaped and got as far as the garden, he was the main course on the canine menu that night.

Mum and Dad were horrified that, by finding a way for me to keep Sooty with me, they had effectively signed his death warrant. I think they were more upset than me at the time, because they told me Sooty had escaped through a hole in the fence to save my feelings.

My next pet was a goldfish, and I wasn't allowed to take him around with me! He lived to a ripe old age, with the help of a few drops of brandy in his water on a couple of occasions when he looked to be ready to pass on to goldfish paradise.

I've always had pets as I grew up. I really do not remember the first pet I ever had because I was probably only a toddler. However, I remember getting a cat when I was in 4th grade and I remember I had a bunny when I was really young as well. I am not sure which one came first. I named my cat "Cally" because she was a Calico cat. The bunny I had, his name was Cranberry. I have no idea how I came up with that name! Haha!
After that, I had every pet you can imagine; mice, frogs, lizards, gerbils, dogs, cats, turtle, rabbit, guinea pig.

I had mostly dogs growing up, but I cannot for the life of me remember my first dog.

But the first dog that was my very own was a black miniature poodle named Fella. I found him as a stray when I was around 11 or 12 years old. He was so badly matted and abused that I didn't even know he was a poodle until I shaved off all of his hair. His stupid previous abusive owner missed out on raising the most loving, caring and intelligent dog I have ever personally known. He was so smart that he could learn any trick in a few minutes. He read my feelings and cried when I cried. He was also a gentlemen (okay...gentledog) and always let me enter a door before him.

My only regret is that I don't have too many pictures of him. I wish I had taken more. Here are the only few I have, and they are so old you can barely make Fella out.

These pictures are around 38 years old. The first one is of Fella between my mom and little sister.


This is me at 11 years old holding Fella.


This one cracks me up. It's a bit messed up. But that's me being afraid that Fella was going to jump up on my 8th-grade dinner/dance gown.


I wish I took a couple of close up shots of him once I learned how to groom him. He was so handsome.

My first pet ever was a chicken. I know it sounds weird. We lived in town and no one kept chickens. It was back in the day when they would sell chicks that were dyed different colors for Easter. I believe ours was green. We actually took pretty good care of it and when it got past the chick stage we gave it to my great-grandparents' home. They lived in the country and kept a large chicken coop.

Amanda, that is the sweetest photo of your Black Lab. You can tell he was elderly with the greyness around the muzzle. My Yellow Lab did the same when she reach 10 years old. When she died just short of 14 years old, her face was almost entirely white.

Sandra, don't feel bad about the name. I had two or three hamsters that I named in honor of my sister's boyfriend. Okay, I was only 10 or 11 at the time and obviously had a crush. All the hamsters were named Philbert. (I won't tell you which part was his name...LOL)

Nakash, See my post above. I also had a chicken as my first pet. Well, it was supposed to be a chicken, but grew into a rooster. Who knew? LOL

My first pet is a dachshund name daniel and he's very cute and sweet.

I grew up with a dog and cat. Growing up with animals is probably what helped me to learn how to act with them, and I was lucky to have grown up with extremely patient pets who tolerated me as a little kid.

The first pet that I remember having as a kid, or should I say my family had was a dog. His name was lucky and he had a black coat. I can't remember what breed of dog he actually was, and I don't actually remember much about him other then my father loved him a great deal. He was the first of many dogs that my family had while I was growing up.

My first pet ever was a catfish. My parents bought it. We lived in apartment so we couldn't have any indoor animals other than fish. I can't even remember his name. It was something weird though! He lived pretty long. I think I was 10 when he died.

Catfish? That reminds me of the the catfish that my mother used to buy from the wet market. They were bought alive and were meant to be cooked for food. However, I always asked to keep one, for a few days until it was its turn to occupy the cooking pot.

(09-17-2012, 01:51 AM)amanda509 Wrote: my first pet ever was a black lab my parents had gotten when i was 2 or 3. he was a puppymill puppy from a mall petstore. he was the best dog ever. he was never fixed, only ever bit once in his entire life, and that was because my dad was going to spank me. he slept beside me everynight, never begged, knew tons of tricks, and even when we moved and had to give him to my aunt, he actually ran away by accident by chasing a deer and some old lady found him...she kept him for two weeks before finally calling my aunt and telling her she honestly does not want to give him back because he has been the best dog ever to her. but, my aunt took him back. he has also lived a very happy healthy, long life. he is still alive today at 16 years old O.o

here he is at 13 years old, a black lab gone gray!

heres my boy jake at 16 years old. i think its time to put him down soon. he cant bend his joints at all and has to fall when he sits or lays down. he has also been having alot of accidents in my aunts house. he still has a sound mind, but his body is breaking his heart. <3

Amanda, Jake is a beautiful dog. It's so hard when they get old and their body starts to let them down. 16 years is a long life for a Lab. My Lab lived until she was 14. She enjoyed life even as arthritis made things difficult. All you had to have was food in the room and she was there.

Thanks for sharing those photos of Jake!

My first pet was a mid-sized German Shepherd named Princess. Growing up in central California, we lived on a dairy farm with 200 head of milk cow on 350 acres. Twice a day when we milked the cows, we would open the gates to whichever field that the cows would be grazing in and Princess would go out and bring every single cow up to the milk barn completely on her own. We never had to worry about coyotes, bob-cats or dangerous snakes; Princess was a one man band. She worked harder than any farm hand we ever hired!