Pets...And Why We Love Them (Pay Homage Here)

[SFBEER]

SWMBO is deathly allergic to cats and we aren't always around enough to be a good family for dogs (though I almost bought us a Golden Doodle a month ago). We have settled for a very demanding lve bird named Alex. He sits beside most nights on the couch sit on my shoulder while I brew and even tries the product of our labour once it's in a glass. He's about 3 years old now and could be with us for another 20.

 

[Chester]

My new friend Zoe, a mini dachshund. She is about 10 months:

and Ruby, 3 year old chihuahua/fox terrier

I really wanted a border collie. My grandparents bred working dogs and I grew up on a sheep farm so we always had at least one working border collie but these two have really grown on me. The border collie can wait till we have room...

 

[BierMuncher]

My new friend Zoe, a mini dachshund. She is about 10 months:

Looks like the wind was blowing from east to west.

 

[mordantly]

Here's my little baby boy Bentley right after I got him. This was back in May of 2008. He's a pure-bred Cream Tabby Maine Coon. He's about the softest thing ever, and he's all mine.

This is him taking a nap with one of his best friends. They don't live together, but we set up "play-dates"...

i didnt even notice the cat for a minute.

Here's my son:

 

[Myke_J]

My beagle/sheltie Hank at the Seattle International Beerfest

and supervising the transfer of wort into the primary

and SWMBO with the 8 year old Cocker Spaniel, Burt

 

[Hound_Dog]

Ha, my wife made my beagle wear that same costume for halloween this year.

 

[Mustangj]

Some newer pics!!!

 

[scrambledegg81]

*sigh*

Sadly found this thread through the lolcat thread, but thought I'd share my tear-jerker cat story.

So I was probably 11 or 12 at the time, helping my dad bottle a few batches of wine (more specifically a Cuvee Franc) in Morro Bay, CA, when this little ball of fluff comes wandering under the back yard gate and starts meowing his scruffy head off. Nonetheless, I (being the cunning pre-adolescent I was) convinced my dad to let us keep aforementioned ball of fluff and raise it as our own.

Thus, in light of the day's events, he was named...

Frank.


Through a messy divorce, 5 moves between 4 different states, and his endless supply of miscellaneous birds/small mammals he would deposit on our back door each night, Frank was, quite possibly, the world's greatest cat. He would love a ton, because not only was he loved a ton, but he weighed a ton. If memory serves me right (sorry Iron Chef...), he tipped in at a whopping 17 pounds at his heaviest. But it never slowed the scruff-monster down. (Edit: he was a Norwegian forest cat, and they're both massively fluffy and generally weigh 13-15 lbs. It wasn't that we over-fed him...)

Long-story-long, I got a call back in August from my dad saying that, at his guesstimated age of 17, Frank had to be put down because of a tumor that had formed in his esophagus which prevented him from eating. Normally I'm not an emotional guy. I didn't cry at my grandma's funeral for god's sake. But after getting home from work, I cracked a beer, lit a smoke and sobbed a few for my long-lost bud.

I raise another glass to the greatest cat in the world.

 

[Rick500]

Here's to Frank.

I had to have Artoo put to sleep a few years ago after several battles with cancer (which was caused by a vaccination...that was tough to handle).

Always tough to lose a friend, but always worth it to have had their company for the time we do.

 

[mordantly]

scrambledegg81, thats hard man. i dont look forward to the day my Mr. Lucky Paws is not with me... 9 years and counting.

morro bay, huh? thats my stomping ground. born at sierra vista (slo).

 

[Rick500]

scrambledegg81, thats hard man. i dont look forward to the day my Mr. Lucky Paws is not with me... 9 years and counting.

With any luck, you're a loooong way away from having to worry about it. My oldest cat is 18 and still going strong.

 

[UnaBonger]

Always tough to lose a friend, but always worth it to have had their company for the time we do.

Well said sir, well said!

 

[scrambledegg81]

morro bay, huh? thats my stomping ground. born at sierra vista (slo).

Prost to you, good sir...SLO town, born n' raised.

I still get a little misty-eyed at that last pic of him sleeping there...

 

[mr_goodwrench]

Here is my boy Jock who turned 10 on Sunday:

SWMBO & I used to foster for Scottish Terrier Rescue before we had our daughter and he came to us as a puppy. He was absolutely nasty and would terrorize our own dogs. It took me a long time to show him that I was Alpha and get him to toe the line and when it finally came time to adopt him out, there was only one place for him...

 

[HBRunner]

I sadly lost one of my brew partners unexpectedly a couple of days ago.....

Smokey was the collie, and we had him for 7 years.....now my other brew partner Shaker (the lab) has just been moping around with the rest of the family......

So if you get a chance, hoist one in memory of Smokey for me...

Chad

 

[mordantly]

my cat is worth more to me than myself.

 

[red82mtu]

Puppies are exhausting little buggers.

And this was only half the litter.



Just ask mommy (left) and daddy (right) about the little one that never left (top).



By 7 weeks old I was actually glad to see the rest go to their new home, but it wasn't easy to let them go. Luckily three went to family so we keep up with them, and get to see them often.

Breeding dogs is a lot of work and something I'd like to do again down the road when I've got more time. SWMBO and I love our springers!

 

[CDbrews]

My kid has some baby turtles that really grow on you. They have the personalities of dogs but are the size of a silver dollar. My camera is crap and doesnt take a picture that isnt blurry when i zoom in enough to get them in detail though.

 

[tysonj55]

It's been several years and I still miss my lab Lynus. My everyday belt has some of his teeth marks in it from his puppy years and I think of him often.

 

[ytsejam]

Snitchy's birthday today!

Birdie is 22!

 

[rsmith179]

My kid has some baby turtles that really grow on you. They have the personalities of dogs but are the size of a silver dollar. My camera is crap and doesnt take a picture that isnt blurry when i zoom in enough to get them in detail though.

That's hillarious! Turtles with personalities of dogs? I'd have to see that one myself. I have a boxer and he acts nothing like my turtle, and vice versa. My turtle is only interested in trying to bite off my finger when I feed him his goldfish!

 

[jkarp]

That's hillarious! Turtles with personalities of dogs? I'd have to see that one myself.

No, no, that sounds about right, but then, I'm a life-long cat person.

 

[flyerwire]

Spencer - 3.5 years old and lazier then ever, but he loves to clean up any drips or spills

 

[ChshreCat]

Pixel... our newest family member. Rescued last weekend from a stormy night.

 

[Joe C]

New addition to the house. This is Mr Jingles

 

[ChshreCat]

Awww... We're just giving away our house bunny today! Funny you're getting one at the same time we're getting rid of one.

 

[Joe C]

Awww... We're just giving away our house bunny today! Funny you're getting one at the same time we're getting rid of one.

Any reason why?

 

[AubreyR6]

This is Ty, my lazy boy - he's a 7 year old pit.

This is Bruno giving the toy you can't see in my hand the crazy eyes - he is a 4 year old boston terrier.

This is Dozer, big head and all - he's my 3 year old pit.

Love my boys, but wonder every day how I let my husband convince me to get a third dog.

 

[mordantly]

Pixel... our newest family member. Rescued last weekend from a stormy night.

looks like some tabby, and himylayin in there. fine lookin feline!

 

[ChshreCat]

Any reason why?

Well, she lived in a cage (granted, a HUGE one) in the house and we always planned on building her an area outside to play in when we bought a place. But now that we're buying a place they have rules that preclude having any animals outside other than dogs and cats. So, we thought she'd have a better life with some friends of ours that have had house rabbits and will be able to give her more time outside the cage to play and interact. With us, she spent 99% of her time cooped up and it just wasn't fair. Now, she'll get to be a 4-H rabbit!