After 3 years online, we’re finally turning over a new leaf and starting our own meme. Please make it fun and play along!

The Pet Meme

1. What is the first pet you remember? Meesha, a female Doberman mix.  When I was 5 she was picked up by the dog catcher and adopted out before we could get her back.
2. How many different kinds of pets have you owned? Dogs, a coyote/dog cross, cats, rabbits, cockatiels, finches, guinea pigs (briefly), possums, a smallish horse (a family pet, but I rode her the most; her name was The Horse), tons of fish, tarantula (my own, briefly), garter snakes, several orphaned baby birds over the years…my family had a couple of sheep and goats, but we didn’t consider them pets.  They smelled too bad to be lovable.
3. What was your strangest pet? Our Rottweiler once caught a possum and shaken her like a rat, breaking her neck.  As he did it, we saw little things fly off of her in all directions.  We tracked down the strange quiet noises they made and found 5 baby possums.  We kept them until they were half-grown and it became apparent that there was no spark of intelligence or petliness in them, then dumped them in a nearby neighborhood.
4. What is your dream pet? Probably our cat, Tim.  He’s friendly, independent, and clean.  He has been with us for nearly 9 years.  His requests are clear and reasonable, and he never bears a grudge when we go away without him.
5. What is your nightmare pet? An un-housebroken dog in a carpeted house.  Ugh.
6. Tell your best/funniest pet story. When I was 11, I had a pair of rabbits in a double cage.  I cut a small doorway between their two cages so that they could visit each other.  One day I came home to find the neighbor’s Doberman crammed  entirely inside the rabbit cage.  She had managed to open the door and climbed in trying to catch my rabbits.  The ridiculous creature was wedged so firmly that she couldn’t turn around to get back out.  The rabbits had taken refuge in the other side, safe and sound.
7. Tell your worst/saddest pet story. Orphaned baby birds usually die within a few days, but I once raised one for several weeks.  His feathers came in and he was learning to fly, and I had high hopes of releasing him soon.  Then one day he just died.  I didn’t care much because he was becoming a nuisance to feed, but I suddenly remember that I had gone the better part of the day w/o feeding him.  I was consumed not with grief, but guilt: did I kill him???
8. Did you ever have a scary animal experience? I once fell off a horse when my dog grabbed her shoulder through the fence.  I got a huge hematoma on my hip.  That hip still bothers me.
9. What was your favorite pet? The enormous Doberman-Great Dane cross that was my trusty sidekick for about 6 years.  He was mean and drooly and stood as high as my shoulders, but was utterly devoted to me.  I once teased the school bully and ran all the way home with him hot on my heels.  I reached our yard and Sam met us at the property line, where he stood between us doing his best Rabid Dog impression. It was a glorious moment.
10. What did you really want to tell us about your pets that didn’t fit in the other questions? One time my pastor put a snake up his brother’s nose.  It’s true.  He told us right from the pulpit.

The tags: 8, in honor of my tarantula’s 8 legs

1. My children, individually and collectively.  I’m counting them all as one.
2. Mother Hen, who has tagged me twice in two days.  Gotcha back.  I know you’ll have some good pet stories.  How will you choose?
3. Homemakerang, who just sent me a lovely package of goodies.  Note to self: post about the goodies.
4. KimC (too), who has a houseful of boys.  Pets should be interesting there.
5. Cindee
6. Karen
7. Petersonclan
8. Paulette

The rules. Don’t worry.  They’re easy.

1. Copy the questions to your blog.  Answer them.  This is the fun part.
2. Feel free to grab the adorable button.  If you don’t see it, it’s here: Pet Meme button
3. Tag as many people as the legs on your leggiest pet.  Probably 4, but if a fish or snake was your only pet then you’re off the hook.  If you ever had a centipede, you have my sympathy.
4. Copy the rules to your blog.  You’re done.  Wasn’t that fun?

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Filed under: blogging, pets