Pets Forum Discussion
so the vote ended with each topic had 1 vote so to choose fairly I put the names of topics in a random selection generator and out came pets at the end of this discussion ill put those topics in for another vote so welcome to this Forum discussion on Pets I received a feedback from last one i do get how it could be seen as too slow however made sense to post every few days or so to allow others chance to respond
let's begin with the icebreaker giving 2 days at least for each question
Icebreaker : What is your favorite aquatic animal?
tagging those who did the first one if you dont wish to participate please pm me and ill remove you from the taglist just giving you the oppurtunity :)
@TheLifeOfKelli @richyShiny39 @IluvBiscuits @mariesd123 @Emily619 @KindSoul10 @PinkFloyd65 @caringShoulder14@forcefulStrawberries4435 @aliebn70 @CasenoDeclan @creativeOak9590 @FallenStar1977 @Positron2
our next question then everyone and new participants are welcome to answer previous questions
question 2 : For those who dont have pets, how are some ways you could be around pets regularly? those that have pets can answer too
taglist : @TheLifeOfKelli @mariesd123 @greenNectarine3734 @Positron2 @creativeOak9590 @forcefulStrawberries4435 @IluvBiscuits @wishfulSummer32 @RaspberryCup8692
@CaringBrit
go to the zoo 🙂
@greenNectarine3734 yes we can go to the zoo certainly
@CaringBrit
Visit friends/family who have pets.
@creativeOak9590 yes indeed
@CaringBrit I live in a condo complex and a lot of my neighbours have dogs, so I get the pet them occasionally :) one of the best parts of my day
@IluvBiscuits yayyy awesome
Go out in the woods and find the animals who will never be pets.
@Positron2 Ha, Ive done that. 🙂
@Positron2 sure go out into the woods
Some other ways to be around animal companions if you don't have any pets could include:
- Volunteering with your local animal shelter.
- If you don't own a pet due to cost, fostering might be an option through a local rescue. Rescues generally cover the cost of vet bills and some supplies, although you are generally required to pay for food. I have done rabbit and cat rescue and found both to be extremely rewarding :)
- Become a dog walker, or assist a friend or neighbour with their pet.
@RaspberryCup8692 all those are fantastic ways to be around animals if we dont have a pet
volunteer for a shelter
dog walk or help neighbours with their pets
fostering yes this one is fantastic im planning to do this
@CaringBrit
go to people houses to see their animals
@mariesd123 yes go to peoples houses indeed
@CaringBrit I'm sure you won't regret it if you do...rescue animals have been the most endearing and appreciative of the pets I've had :)
@RaspberryCup8692 yeah im ready for a new dog
1. We have fish and snails although they are more my husband's than mine.
2. I find it's actually best to avoid most pets. Very few are not triggers. I will play with dogs sometimes, but I do have to limit myself and I have to consider other factors when choosing to do so. Being around them regularly is the opposite of what's best. Videos are probably the safest thing. There are some pets I can be around without worry about triggers from the pets (most reptiles are fairly safe, the food is something I have to consider though too) but then there's also the triggers of other environmental factors/effort of getting there, etc.
@AffyAvo awww certainly
our next question sorry for delay welcome to join in from the beginning if you choose just tag me in the post :)
question 3 : Pets are often used for therapy in different forms, and are seen as very healing. Have you noticed any positive effects of having a pet? if you dont have a pet but go to see pets in places have you noticed positive effects for doing so?
Taglist : @TheLifeOfKelli @mariesd123 @greenNectarine3734 @Positron2 @creativeOak9590 @forcefulStrawberries4435 @IluvBiscuits @wishfulSummer32 @RaspberryCup8692 @Brittanny17 @vivelespatates
@CaringBrit
The last time I went to the psych hospital my pet suffered severe separation anxiety because I have no one to take care of him.
I just dumped his bag of food on the floor and made him drink from the toilet.
The whole time I was in-patient, I worried he would be dead when I got home.
Now I will never go to the psychiatric hospital again.
I deal with it alone. I tough it out.
@Positron2 awww sorry to hear you worried thats natural , how was he when you got home and ty for sharing
@Positron2 What a rough time for both of you...I am glad you have your pet to see you through.
@CaringBrit not exactly therapy but we think Sid can sense some illnesses in people
@lavenderMaple4852 awww most pets can sense something
I am very close to one of the two cats that I have now...he seems to know when my illnesses are flaring and will come and lay across me like a seatbelt. He's very giving with his affection and I would feel very alone without him. There have been times when I would say I have only felt motivated to keep going because I have to look after my pets. Generally things aren't that bad anymore but even if I feel that way for a few moments, thinking of them helps.
@RaspberryCup8692 aww thats adorable and sweet of him ty for sharing
@CaringBrit
When I am sad I can pet my cat and he would make me feel better
@wishfulSummer32 pets are awesome for that :) especially the cuddly ones
@CaringBrit
playing with my cat
@mariesd123 awesome Marie
Next Question then everyone. All new participants can go back to old questions if you want to.
Question 4: Pets do take some work to care for. What challenges, if any, do you notice when taking care of your pet? How do you deal with those?
Taglist : @TheLifeOfKelli @mariesd123 @greenNectarine3734 @Positron2 @creativeOak9590 @forcefulStrawberries4435 @IluvBiscuits @wishfulSummer32 @RaspberryCup8692 @Brittanny17 @vivelespatates @IluvBiscuits
@CaringBrit What challenges, if any, do you notice when taking care of your pet?
The smell of pee.
My cat was injured and I kept him inside for a few months.
He sprayed a few times so I started letting him out to mark his territory.
The apartment is still stinky.
@CaringBrit What challenges, if any, do I notice when taking care of my pets?
My cats are both older, but one is probably close to 16 years old, and the other is around 9 or 10. So they have different needs based on their ages. Bruce is the elder of the two and has gotten skinny through the hips, as older cats do at a certain point. Last year he lost 10% of his body weight! Thankfully he doesn't have cancer, but he does have some gut issues that he eats special food to cope with. My other cat Trease is at the other end of the spectrum...she came from a hoarding situation where I think she decided to eat as much food as she could to make sure she got enough. So she has an obesity issue that I have to work on...this is difficult because Bruce is a grazer - he won't just eat a bowl of food when it's put down. And he pretty much needs to eat as much as he can. So I haven't been able to stop free-feeding them...Trease isn't getting any fatter and Bruce isn't getting any heavier, for now. Lol.
@CaringBrit For me it's the trigger aspect. I can't go into an average petstore without it having a negative effect on my health, so buying things like food for pets can be difficult.
I do not have the strength to move around the big fish tank water in sufficient quantities where it would not give me a HAE attack.
I am allergic to the fish food, and I find just feeding the fish can cause an asthma attack. Out of everything this is the least serious. Usually my husband is in charge of the pet care, but if he's away I do it. I just keep my arm as extended as possible when doing so and wash my hands really well after.
@AffyAvo oh dear thats alot of triggers for pets there affy
@CaringBrit nudibranch
@lavenderMaple4852 oh whats that ?
@CaringBrit they're really weird colourful se slug type things google them
@lavenderMaple4852 ah cool
so what about any the questions in this discussion ?
@CaringBrit I think that's an answer to the icebreaker :)
They do look cool!
@AffyAvo ah was confused when it was on current q lol and they do
our next question everyone new participants welcome to join if theirs any q you want to answer hit reply on that post with that question so im not confused why your answering the current q :)
question 5: Even though pets do take effort, do you feel it has been worth it, that its been beneficial to have the pet in your life?
taglist : @TheLifeOfKelli @mariesd123 @greenNectarine3734 @Positron2 @creativeOak9590 @forcefulStrawberries4435 @IluvBiscuits @wishfulSummer32 @RaspberryCup8692 @Brittanny17 @vivelespatates @IluvBiscuits @lavenderMaple4852 @AffyAvo
@CaringBrit Even though there are some difficulties/challenges in having pets, I do feel that it has been worth it. I think I would feel very alone if I didn't have at least one pet. I have actually been on sick leave from work since last Fall and for the first several months I was stuck in bed most of the time. If I hadn't had my two cats to keep me company I think I would have felt terrible. My cat Bruce seems to know when I am really not feeling well and will lay across me. I used to get fevers a lot and would wake up with a cat on each side of me. My cat Trease has come to see me if she hears me crying. They are good companions.
I have had to stop fostering/adopting rabbits due to my health issues (and finances). The amount of work I put into their upkeep was similar to having a dog. Sometimes I am not able to move around too much (I have Lupus and several other autoimmune problems), otherwise I think I would at least still try to foster. I miss the bunnies - I really feel like I am more of a "Rabbit Lady" than a "Cat Lady," lol. But I am happy with the two pets that I have and hope they are healthy for a long time. :)
@RaspberryCup8692 aww pets are awesome at noting when they are needed for comfort ty for sharin
@CaringBrit yeso because he can tell when I'm sad and comes over to be with me
@lavenderMaple4852 aww thats cute
Yes, they are relaxing to watch and it's also nice for my husband to have something that he wanted. If I had to take care of them alone though, they wouldn't be the effort I would have to put in.
@AffyAvo awww they can be alot of hard work alone so its good youve got the shared responsibility affy