h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As I´ve said somethread else, I chew almond from time to time for my canary, and just now I´ve left a tiny thread of water falling on his cage so that he can have a shower the way he likes.
He gives me little "peakisses" on my fingers, it is his way of saying thank you María, I love you.


what do you do with yours?

I don't like kisses from pets - they clean their bottoms with their mouth! But my previous cat - she loved eggs, and the juices from thawed chicken and fish, so those she got. And of course, I let cats sleep on my bed. Often they choose to sleep between my knees, so turning around is a bit tricky

"I don't like kisses from pets - they clean their bottoms with their mouth!"

You say that like it's a *weird* thing.

I don't think that canaries do. They don't bend that much do they?

PP.

They don't? Oh. Maybe that's why mine didn't last very long...

My dog gives me kisses by bumping his nose against mine. But he also licks - he often catches the back of my calf as I walk past him to the bathroom first thing in the morning for some reason.

I have a half-landing on my stairs and if I'm heading up or down he always stops and sits there, knowing I'll sit down too and give him a fuss.

And if I'm doing fresh salmon for tea I always give him a bit as he really seems to love it.

And of course I also show my love for him by paying a fortune in insurance, boosters, worm & flea treatments, food & toys, not to mention getting up super-early to give him a decent walk before work and cleaning up in the garden after him.

Deb

"I also show my love for him by paying a fortune in insurance, boosters, worm & flea treatments, food & toys, not to mention getting up super-early to give him a decent walk before work and cleaning up in the garden after him."

Some of the reasons I don't have dogs of my own - the main reason being that I'd be unconsolable when they die . I love other people's pets, though - does that count?

But you can get over their death and go on loving new pets.

I don´t have any dog now because my husband doesn´t want any bicho at home. I tell him that a small one, a kind of indoors dog, but he insists that no, no.
I still remember my dogs. There used to be lots of them at home, but it was a country house, so plenty of space for them. We never had them inside the house, nor I let them lick my face, I´d watched them eating all kind of nasty things... but my brothers and me would play with them all the time.
and I loved also my little goats, they are so funny, jumping and doing piruettes in the air.

I would never had those animals with which you can´t interact, like iguanas, stick insects, tarantulas...

however, many times I love to have a kind of David Attenborough moment , observing animals´ behaviour...

You can* interact with a terrantular... well the one I had used to like biting people... mainly me
Our family pet dog is fussed to excess... She's so neurotic... my FAther dances with her; she has first dibs on positioning in the bed and she eats better than any human I know... phesant specially cooked for her a few weeks back, she had fresh roast chicken last night... etc.,etc.,
and then the dog has to put up with me tredding on her because she sleeps half way down the staircase
Last night I sat on the floor.... the dog had the sofa and didn't lok like she wanted to move

I think there's a difference between loving your pet and spoiling your pet... Have a word, 2legs!

Well, with my 2 dogs I'm trying to keep a pack order, so I don't get overly affectionate with them. No licking of faces, certainly. A tummy tickle maybe. And they are not allowed on the bed.

The tropical fish, now that's a different story.

I had to sit on the floor again last night... watching the TV... whilst the dog took the hole of the sofa hmmm.... maybe she is a bit spoilt

I love Irish wolfhounds. Everything about them. Their stature, their vaguely scruffy appearance, but most of all their temperament and demeanour. But when I found out they have a life expectancy of six or seven years, and nearly always die of bone cancer, I decided that they are far too inbred for their own good, and that I couldn't encourage that kind of thing by getting one.

So in short, you could say that I love my pet so much that I refuse to have it as a pet. If you see what I mean.

We have 2 poodles (both rescues) with completely different "dogonalities". One's real timid, only edging up for a little attention occasionally, lingering just at the limit of an arms reach so the fussing is sort of remote - but no face licking threat there.

The other, completely different: she's an absolute attention-hound & wants to be in on absolutely everything. Although we avoid face licking, she still uses her mouth for everything & will grab a hand whenever it's near her face (poodles do have real soft mouths so no biting involved). She sort of climbs on the sofa but actually leaves one foot on the ground so she's not "ON" the sofa (sort of like the old days with the rules in the college dorm)!

Guess you could say they get constant loving. Our dogs aren't spoiled at all

We spoil our guinea pigs something rotten. Happy, healthy bouncing little critters that they are.

It's not excusable to spoil a dog (it's not excusable to OWN a cat, let alone spoil it), but it's not as if guineas have got anything useful to do but trough and sleep.

B

Aw! Guinies.

Mine used to LOVE pear.

PP

Aye, our boiler-fitter said the same about his.

Ours go mad for a grape or small bunch of parsley. But freshly-picked grass is still favourite.

B

KB, I applaud your decision! You've no idea how much!

Sometimes what *I* want is not as important as what *they* need. A simple truth that almost everyone I come across at work has no concept of...

Mind you, I get to cuddle their poor inbred puppies, so I'm a teeny bit hypocritical I suppose, because they are cute... But I wouldn't buy one.