What is your favorite pet? This is a... - Positive Wellbein...
Positive Wellbeing During Self-Isolation
What is your favorite pet? This is a multiple choice poll.
Please select all that apply:
Unconditional love from "woman's" best friend.
That's fantastic to hear! What breed of dog is your favorite? 
My favorite dogs are golden retriever we have 2 cocker spaniel we have one I love flat cost retriever we lost our last one in 2016 during this pandemic they have kept us sane and we have spent many happy hours walking them in the forest near us
How old are the Golden Retrievers? Before I had adopted Bunny, I had thought about getting a Golden Retriever for becoming a service dog, but it wasn’t possible, unfortunately.
Do you have disability in the family, dear Activity2004?
I have Type 1 Diabetes along with a few other health issues.
My favourite breed is a Rescue Dog. I've had 2 and they have both been mongrels. Suzie was a greyhound/collie cross and was with me for 15 years. Deefs is a Border/Yorkshire Terrier cross and came to me aged 13 last August.
I chose other Leah because if it was possible I'd have a horse. Actually I'd adopt farm animals as well if I could.
That goes for me, too. I love horses and I own a cat. I can't own a dog or horse in the house, so I have Bunny, my cat.
I 'adopted' a donkey in 2018, for which I pay for his upkeep at a sanctuary. He works, when it is not lockdown, helping children with ADHD overcome some of their nervousness. Ripple being so far away, and lockdown having intruded, I have not met him. I look forward to doing so.
We are like minded Brent. I adopted a donkey last year from a sanctuary, they are such lovely creatures, I can't wait to meet Ruby.
How lovely that he helps people with ADHD. Animals really are calming.
I hope you meet him maybe later this year.🙏🌈😊
Animals help the elderly in nursing homes which is just so heartwarming to see. Lots of love and hugs Lynne xxxx ❤️🤗💜🤗🌈🌹
They really do Lynne and I love seeing animals helping people xxxx🌈💜💜💞💞💕💞
At a nursing home I worked at years ago they had a black cat called Mabel!
There’s a Pets On Wheels program that is done with the Nursing Homes near my house. Very helpful for the Residents with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of Dementia.
In a U3A talk by Dogs For Good, we were surprised & moved to learn that the greatest need now is for autistic children. Whereas normally you would never place a dog in a chaotic household, these dogs are trained to lie close to the child and in a meltdown even lie across them. Even writing this I am moved to imagine how comforting & calming this would be...
Oh that is amazing. Dogs are such compassionate animals and so soothing. Autism is a difficult condition and it's amazing what difs do
I support the Guide Dogs for the Blind in the UK, they are amazing dogs. Animals are so soothing and can help you so much with stress.
Thank you for sharing.🙏🥰🌹
I hope you will get the chance to meet your donkey soon after the virus is either gone or lockdown is stopped for good.😀👍🌈
I used to look after a small herd of donkeys. They are v endearing. When I was cleaning out their field troughs, they used to all gather round to watch!
I have a cat as well and he's soppy.
That’s a cute name for a cat. Do you have a picture of Soppy?😀👍🌈😻
Oh I love the name of your cat.🌈😊
She came with that name (and with good reason)!
Bless her, aren't animals wonderful 🙏😊🤗
My lovely little 🐈
Nice! How old is he/she?
He is 7 years old but still looks like a kitty. Has the sweetest temperament but can be quite naughty-still very playful 😊
That’s great! All my cats were/are playful.😀👍🌈😻
I think cats are so cute and freaking adorable 🥰
I totally agree with you on the cuteness of cats, but it depends on which breed they are and how their tempers are sometimes. When I was looking to adopt a few years ago, Bunny was the only nice and loving cat that I was able to bring home with me. The others were trying to scratch and bite people. Plus, those same cats tried to steal her food from her cage. We didn't want them after that.
I used to have a 3 month old orange tabby Female cat named willow 🥰 my brother was scared of her so we returned her to her kind owner
Why did he get scared of Willow?😻
She was walking towards him and he felt scared 🙁 .
Awe. I’m sorry to hear that you had to give back your tabby.
It’s ok i was sad but I understood why
That’s good to know.😀
What a pity... Tabbies are beautiful, and uncommon...
Lop eared rabbit....
What color of rabbit?
A light brown. He used to follow me like a puppy 😊💞
That sounds cute. How old was he?😀👍🌈🐇
He was about 3
When my children were growing up we had every one on that list apart from the Guinea Pig! As they became adults and fledged I would still have the cats and dogs and as life changed and I was working more hours I never replaced the dogs but became “cat lady”! I am still and always will be that “Cat Lay”Another good Poll Activity 2004🙏
Stay safe
Deborah
Thank you for saying that about the poll. I love animals. I had two other cats before Bunny was adopted and she is the only one who was a mother. The others were kittens when I brought them home.
Thank you for telling the story about your pets. Very sweet. We're the dogs different breeds?
Over the years we had Daisy a Cairn terrier, Lucy a Heinz57 (cross breed) Jenny a Bichon Frisée and Jerry a rescue greyhound and the most loving, docile lady dog who had been dumped as soon as her racing days were over. Happy memories and I would love dogs in the house but I couldn’t give them the outdoor walks and runs they need. However I will always have cats as I couldn’t live in my home with no cat hair and finding cat puke first thing in the mornings lol Then, as I sit in the cosy living room on the sofa Tilly, my old feline boy of 15years is fast asleep along the back with one paw on my shoulder...just checking I’m still here!!
Awe! That's very sweet to hear about your rescue dog. Bunny put a paw on my forehead a few times when I was sitting on a couch or at the kitchen table and she was on my lap. She is very gentle and must know that she has to be careful with me. When I do certain medical things during the day, she sits near my side of the table, but on the floor watching me. Between her and my Nephew and Niece, I have 3 little helpers to make sure I'm okay. Your rescue dog sounds like he's a big help!
Love cats for their individual independent nature. I always had cats. But sadly I am to old now. As they can live for many years, my first three cats lived until they were 19 years.
My first cat lived until 12 years old. My second cat was 12.5 after a surgery.
Wow!!! What a good age!! What's your favourite type of cat? Xxxx❤️💜❤️💜
Used to have pet rats, which make great pets, but now have six gorgeous cats, all rescues.
How old are the cats? How many?😀👍🌈😻
We have six, all rescues: Lucy - 11 - tortie
Lexie - 10 - tabby and white
Pickles - 8 - black
Suzy - 7 - black and white
Ruby - 6 - black and white
Smokey - 8 months - grey and white
They sound sweet and close in age from each other. Do they all play together?
Smokey loves everyone and wants to play with them, but Lucy, Lexie and Ruby aren’t so keen. Pickles adores her little brother and have great fun playing tag and he and Suzy do the same upstairs (and up and down the stairs), but none f the girls play together.
Smokey is just a little kitten then!
Yes, he’s 8 months old. We lost our little boy, Leo, suddenly in October. We think it was a heart attack. We weren’t going to get another cat but the girls missed him as much as we did. Our friend who runs the cat charity we get them from had recently trapped a mum and two sets of kittens and convinced us to take Smokey. Was the best thing we did, he’s helped all of us get over the loss of Leo and has settled in so quickly.
I'm sorry to hear about the loss of Leo.
Cat, dog and horse.
What breed are they?😀👍🌈😻🦄🐶
I have had cats all through my childhood and then we had two Burmese cats for a wedding present. When they died we had a ginger bottle who was gorgeous, but sadly he died of cancer when he was eight. 😥We have not had another cat yet, but maybe one day. Our dogs have been spaniels mostly and we currently have two, a liver and white springer and a chocolate sprocker. We have no horses left now, but for many years we did. I had thoroughbreds and Welsh ponies.
I have five aged Springer Spaniels.
Are they all from the same family?😀👍🌈🐶
All apart from one. Plus one was my fathers dog. They range in age from 11-14. They all have their own characteristics.
Do they play together?
Oh yes, in fields they will chase a ball and also track smells. As three are getting older 13/14 they do suffer with their joints so tend to take out in two different groups.
owls, dogs, horses, and more I want a farm with all kinds of animals tbh but the 3 I mentioned are my fave
That sounds great! Do you live near a farm?😀👍🌈
lol no
We have a farm near my house, but that was turned into a townhouse area of my City.
That's a shame. Hope you have a tree & shrubs in the garden.
We have a lot of trees and a fence in the backyard. The farm that is down the street that now has townhouses had cows/horses years ago, but some neighborhood children years ago would destroy the hay barrels and make more work for the farmer that had lived there back then.
We have an orchard of about thirty six fruit trees, We also grow soft fruits, Figs, nectarines and Apricots. Most our trees are old English Apple trees, Pears, Plums and Gages. I have several trees to put in when the weather turns a little warmer, at the moment they are waiting in flower pots. We also grow Quince and Medlar.
BOB
I’ve voted cat as I live with two of them 🐈🐈
All our cats have been rescues.
That’s fantastic! Bunny came from a no kill shelter.😀👍🌈😻
I love cats I have 3 cats and 1 small dog. I'm more of a cat person though.
How does the dog deal with the cats?😀👍🌈😻🐶
Lost my rescue dog Christmas Eve, aged 15. Being in my 70s, I was looking for a medium-sized older dog say, 7 years up. I now have a 2-year-old black greyhound and we are both sooooooo happy!
Sorry for your loss. I still miss my other cats, but I love having Bunny with us, too.
I'm so sorry you lost your rescue dog on Christmas Eve but I'm happy that you have a 2 year old black greyhound and it's lovely you are both so happy.Lots of love and hugs Lynne xxxx ❤️🤗💜🤗🌈🌹
Hermes123. I love dogs they are so intelligence unfortunately I cannot own one, due to an experience my wife had as a youngster. Hermes
Do you have any cats?😀👍🌈
Poor girl... I hope you find another suitable pet - &/or enjoy the chat of all these others 💗☺️🍀
Hermes 123 We had a Rosella Parrot for quiet a few years, but he did not like going in his cage at night. He was called Oz. Hermes.
I've looked them up - beautiful! Do you know the classification? And, more importantly, what are their characteristics esp temperament. Or rather, your parrot's!
Hermes123.Hobbledehoy Hello I think if you get young from an approved Supplier you should be alright, no wooden curtain poles ours thought they were long perches, that was a mistake, apart from that he was a lovely friend. Sorry about time to answer but I am a carer for my stroke victim wife, so replies are as and when I can. Hermes.
There would be the Devil to pay if I said any difference. We have a Border Collie X called Pax and He sees and watches me tapping on my Computer.He is more intelligent than His Mam and Dad, so saying any different We would never be able to Live It Down, He would really go into a Huff and our Lives would not be worth Living
BOB
How old are the dogs?😀👍🌈🐶
Pax is nine years old, a Rescue dog left on the Irish Ferries in Scotland, He was five days old when found. They took him in at Dogs Trust and shipped Him down to Darlington where we advised they had a dog for us, He was named Jax, He has been back to Ireland several times on Holiday and has travelled all over the British Isles.
He is at this time having a snooze after His Breakfast.
We had a terrier before Pax called Pip, He was a Pat dog in a Mental Health Day Centre, He suffered a cancer and died at thirteen
BOB
Both of my first two cats had cancer, too. Samantha had stomach cancer and Stacey had shoulder cancer. Stacey had surgery and got 1.5 years before she passed away. She was 12.5 at the time.
Sorry regards your loss, yes it is always bad when we loose our Pets, they are parts of our family and the hole left in our lives takes a great deal of filling. I had Pip Cremated and His Ashes have been placed in a heart shaped container that will go with me on my Death. The people at the Mental Health Day Centre took His loss really bad and it took them many months to get over the death.
One good this just before we moved we took Pax in to see everyone. We are now too far to the centre, although I did visited when I had time. The Centre members had begun taking their dogs into the centre and the dynamic of the Centre had become more homely with all the pets and their reaction to all members. Many members seemed to happier and everyone had a more positive mood. So Pip had done so much good, by just being there in the past
BOB
Thank you for saying that. There have been some people that don't get it when they hear pets have passed. Someone actually told me that I should get a new one when it hadn't been even that long at the time. I was surprised when that was told to me back then. Bunny has been with us for 10.5 years.
That's great to hear about the pets being at the center. I would think they had a good time when they got there. New place to look around and explore!
Always had a mixture of animals for the children when they were growing up, cat, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, endless amounts of hamsters & gerbils! Birds,goldfish!once they had grown & left home had just dogs, always Labrador’s, all colours but the one that stole our hearts the most was the chocolate Labrador, love their temperament, so gentle, easy to train, always bitches not males, no room to have one now I’ve downsized, but really enjoyed having them 😊
How many dogs did you have? 😀👍🌈🐶
We had 4 altogether, always been a dog lover, we had a cat when he was only 5 weeks old, the lady was going to drown him because nobody wanted him, never really been a cat person, my daughter was very young at the time & came home distraught, obviously said I’d have it when he was ready to leave mum, woman sent her back with him! He grew to a monster of a size! Lived till he was 20, dear old chap, got on so well with the chocolate Labrador, great pals 😊
horses & any animal that comes into the category of equine
That’s fantastic to hear. Really like horses.😀👍🌈🐴
Rats. I have two and they are the most affectionate and intelligent pets I’ve ever had ☺️
How many do you have?😀👍🌈
My husband Pete is my pet..and he can take himself out! My daughter once had a goldfish that lived 7 years.
That’s nice! My brother and his family have fish and two cats.😀👍🌈😻🐟
My cat was called marmalade, he was a sleek ginger tom. He ruled my world.rip my furniture destroyer, top predeture, fly eater, and owner of me. He once peed on my puffer jacket because he didn't like the builders. He was an out door cat but still came in to show his ownership of me. I accepted all about him. Had pet insurance, nuterd and all up to date jabsI loved him dearly.
How old was he?😀👍🌈😻
I had him for 4 years. When I moved I wasn't allowed to keep him. It broke. My heart. So I never spoke of it. Untill recently. My favourite memory. Was marmie cat sat on top my neighbours bird table. It was some over hang that he achieved. Go d I laughed . My neighbour was just horrible about him and to him. So she was away and that's my boy.
I picked cat even though I have a dog. I think I would love them just as much
Would you want a girl cat?😀👍🌈😻
Yeah boy or girl is fine. Just a companion for my dog Stella
Would Stella be okay with a cat? 😀👍🌈😻
oh I don't know about that lol. She is very dominant and gets jealous easily. Probably wouldn't be okay with another dog lol😆😆
My Aunt had a cat and 2 dogs. One of the dogs and the cat passed a few years ago. There’s one dog now and before the other dog passed, both dogs and the cat would fight with each other because they wanted to be in charge. But, they also loved each other.
But the cat probably won't take her sh*t, so it might get interesting lol
Please think about keeping a cat litter box in a separate room away from Stella so the cat will have no issues for privacy.😀👍🌈😻🐶
good advice. I know for certain that they like their independence
You’re welcome! Please let me know what you decide to do soon.😀👍🌈😻🐶
yep will do. Been thinking about it for some time
Good to know that!😀👍🌈
Our cat & the daschund used to play together when he was young, rolling over each other too. When he became too strong they went amicably about their own lives. The bull-mastiff never worked out quite what the dacsie was (she was the sweetest creature, but not awfully bright)! The Westie used to go absolutely bonkers when the cat teased her. They had to be strictly separated at feedtime to allow peaceful digestion!
Without a doubt dogs have had them all my life and miss my big Beardie passed a year still grieving for him as he was my comfort when my life went through trauma bless him hope he is running free 😥
I’m sorry for your loss. How old was he? I know it’s not easy when a person looses a pet. I still miss my 2 cats I had before adopting Bunny.
Thank you he was 15 years and was such a character on we miss him but he is in a better place ,maybe one day when this has left us we may get another but won't be the same ,animals of all sorts are a comfort i think 😟
That’s true, but there’s no reason to rush into getting another dog. It took me a while to decide about adopting a new cat after my second cat’s passing.
I'm a cat person for sure,I started fostering cats last year and that's me looking after my second one for a few months now,a black cat with lovely golden green eyes,it's been lovely during these times,a reason to get up in the morning,when he goes back to his real mum I will be sad but I'm sure I wouldn't wait for long till I had another friend visiting for a while I would definitely recommend fostering:)))
Have fun with the fostering. My mom has a friend who had done that for a while before she moved to where she is now.😀👍🌈😻
I know these aren't a pet but I absolutely love Sloths, I haven't got a clue why🤣😂 Also cats and dogs. Hope you are ok Lots of love and hugs Lynne xxxx ❤️🤗💜🤗🌈🌹
Doing great, Lynne and watching the snow fall today. We have been getting snow since last night and it's still coming this morning. It's hopefully going to stop by 3 or 4 pm.
We have Buddy the hamster and a cat who has been visiting for about 5 years. We have no idea where she lives, but she seems to like it here. 😻
What did you name the cat and hamster?
I voted for dog and cat. I love having a cat 😽 or cats as pets because they are independent and don't require a lot of my time. I voted for dog 🐶 because i also love them as pets and they are very human like companion.
That's very true about both. Cats need food and combing. They also can stay indoors 24/7 if they are trained to be indoor cats. All my cats were/are indoors.
Rabbits, birds and fish!!! 🐇🐦🐠
I love some types of birds and a few dogs. Fish are nice to look at, too. How many do you have of each?
I have had three wonderful rabbits and also some wonderful gold fish that all had their own, unique personalities! I haven’t had any birds, yet, as an adult, but had some zebra finches, as a kid and they were adorable. I’m thinking about getting some doves, as they are sweet and gentle and I have always loved them! 🕊🌿💗
Rabbit
How old is the rabbit?
Had rabbits for many years. The last one lived to be 7/8. My sister had a chicken in the other hutch (don't ask) which lived to a simar age.
That’s interesting about the rabbits and chickens. I like chicks.😀👍🌈🐣
None.
I miss my parrot so much that I was blessed to have with me for almost 33 years. He was just the sweetest boy.
Sorry to hear about the passing of your parrot. How old was he when you brought him home?
He was just a chick, not flying yet. He grew up to be a great flyer.
I love seeing chicks when I was able to go to the County/State fairs before COVID started. We hadn't been able to the fairs since then and I wanted to see the new chicks for this year. Maybe, next Summer we can do that, hopefully.
We don't have dogs now but bred, showed and loved our Cavalier King Charles Spaniels for nearly 36 years. We miss them so much but decided when we lost our last two that we would take time to travel more .... then look what happened!!!
We'd be lost without Rhodie, our Jack Russell Cross.
When did you get your dog?
We've had Rhodie since he was a puppy - 2008... He's almost 13!
That's great to hear! Does he still act like a puppy?
He's full of fun and spoilt rotten! He's practically my husband's shadow! Love him to bits and always will!
I love when pets act like humans. That means that they really love us. My cat Bunny sits on me sometimes and waits for us to get food on the table. One night, my parents and I had hot tea to drink and she sat on me watching everything being put on the table. I kept my eye on her so she wouldn't try to accidently burn herself when the cups came out of the microwave.
Too cute!
She really is funny! Today, I was doing a mini class on Zoom with my boss and Bunny sat on my lap looking at the phone/out the window while I was on the couch talking about different poems.
🐕 man's best friend.
That's fantastic! What breed of dog do you have, Clive?
We have a dog which we got from a local rescue organisation about 3 years ago. He is a Lab x Staff apparently known as a Staffador. He is a reasonable size at about 40kg and looks very much like a black Lab but a bit more muscular.It is always a bit of a lottery when you take on a rescue dog even if like me you have many years experience with various breed of dog. I can honestly say though that I have never known a dog with such a lovely temperament and nature. He is extremely friendly to people and other animals. If I were ever looking for another dog I would definitely seek out another Staffador.
He sounds fantastic! How old is he?
From what we can work out he is about 5 years old despite acting more like 5 months most of the time. We know he was neglected as a pup and the charity ended up with him at a few months old then the prison service took him to train as a sniffer dog. They had him for several months but he didn’t pass their tests for one reason or another so ended up back with the rescue charity again. That when we got him.He is tennis ball mad which is a result of his prison training as all of the service trainers ball train instead of treats as it is obviously a non fattening reward. Their loss is our gain in my opinion.
Looking forward to be able to get touring in our self build camper again soon with him hopefully although he will now need god knows what paperwork to go across to Ireland this year.
That's very interesting to hear about being a sniffer dog. Does he also find other things for you at home?
We buy used tennis balls on eBay 30 at a time for him to chase at the park as he tends to puncture them regularly. He can always sniff out where they are hidden around the house.I would imagine he was trained to find contraband in prison probably drugs and although there are plenty of prescription ones to treat my GPA, we have none of the type he would be trained to look for.
Funnily enough though, my wife sometimes uses Hemp hand cream and when she does he gets very excited and keeps sniffing her hands and sitting in front of her. When you look at what is in Hemp hand cream, it contains cannabis leaf so it just shows how they remember their training even years later.
This is very interesting to hear about the cream. I never knew that Hemp cream had cannabis leaf in it. That's good to know.
Sadly, don't have a pet except a neighbours cat who scrounges for food occasionally!!
It's okay. You get to see your neighbor's cat during the week and weekends when it comes to visit for food. Is the cat usually outside?
Only the two, Potato and Chip
In a past life I was heavily involved with horses & ponies. The children had a cat (I'm not particularly a cat person, but she was a sweetie), a hamster, several dogs, and a few hens which were loved by us & the binman! They were free range & there's just nothing so homely as hens clucking round the door, and they are so amusing to watch. Nothing tills the soil so fine either (indiscriminate of what's planted there)! Tip: if you plan to eat them, don't name them, or you'll never be able to! I had to draw the line about more animals - although they drew the line on me for wanting them to take a proposed pig for walks! I always wanted to rear one, for a pig is said to be more intelligent than a dog - & will house-train itself! A goat I thought would be too much work, for although it could be tethered on the green, they are not waterproof & would have had to be brought in with the washing! Our old coal-shed did sterling duty, but really I yearned for a small-holding... In later life I longed for guinea-pigs (please don't keep them alone, they're social creatures), but it didn't happen. Now I'm old & lazy!
SUGAR GLIDER
I love my dogs (pomeranians). One is golden Hugo and one is black Evee. I wouldn't be without them as they give you unconditional love. I love brushing them as I find it very theraputic. I like lying with them in the afternoon stroking them and giving them a belly rub.They are my best friend.
That's fantastic to hear. How old are they?
Hugo is 8 and Evee is 7. My mum wants me to add they got married in Gretna Green.
Awe! That's fantastic!
Have had, tropical fish, gerbils, budgies, mice, cats [even had the family cat deliver on me, whilst I was sick lying on the sofa]. But I still don't like dogs, and dogs do not like me!😗👍
Can you please let me know what a budgie is? I never heard of that before. We don't have them out here.
I really like Gecko lizards, and dragon lizards 
. I have had Gecko lizards in the past, but I would like to have a Dragon lizard. I fell in love with my little cousins Dragon lizard.
Did you get one?😀👍🌈
Should have known when you said "favorite pet" not favourite! A budgie is what people in the UK term a budgerigar ' a small Australian parakeet which is green with a yellow head in the wild. ORIGIN Aboriginal" Brought back from Australia, during the 18th-19th century, it has been domesticised for inside public amusement, in this adaptation it is caged, and has now adapted through interbreeding, to having many singular colours. I feel very sorry in remembering the poor bird enclosed in a small cage for many years, twittering away [probably bored senseless?]😗😗😤
Thank you for the information. Very helpful.😀👍🌈
Hi hon, hamster is Buddy and because the cat isn't ours, we call her/him the cat 🐈 xxx
That's fantastic! What does Buddy look like? Do you have some pictures?
I don't have pictures. He keeps me company when I wake up at silly o' clock. Then the cat comes in. She is so lovely, I just wish I knew where she lives and why she chooses to spend time here 🐱 Hope your day goes well honey 💖
Thank you! I just got done with breakfast today now.
That’s very sweet to hear about Buddy and the cat. The cat must have adopted you. My cat Bunny saw us years ago and she was rubbing her cheeks on my dad’s hand when we were thinking of adopting her in 2012.😀👍🌈😻