We
asked the experts, the introverts themselves, how they felt
about their pets in childhood. Here are some of the answers.
Please let your introverted child have a pet. [I don't correct
email grammar or spelling because being relaxed is what
the internet is all about.]
NEW
Anonymous, nearly 19
"I've always had cats, and I've always felt like they understand me. I played with the first cat I had like she was a doll, and she cooperated. As I got older, I quit dressing them up and just sat together with them--they were calming. ."
NEW
Marti S. , age 40
"Yes, a siamese cat named Maggie. I loved her more than anything, and fortunately my room was one of her favorite hangouts. When no one else understood, when I felt lonely or frightened, Maggie was always there for me. No one on this earth ever had a more beloved pet. "
DEB,
age 51
"Yes
- we had various cats (from 1 to 4 at any one time) and
I was very attached to them. I wrote poems and stories about
them and how I felt about them. We lived in the country
on an acreage, and there were neighbor dogs who came to
visit. I used to confide in my cat all the time--I often
felt as if the cat loved me even if no one else did. Today
I am married with two kids, and we all love pets. We currently
have a cat and a dog."
ANONYMOUS
"We
had a white, deaf cat that was wonderful to play dress up
with when I was little. She lived to be 21 years old. Then
this cat came by one day and she was pregnant and she had
8 kittens. That was great, I loved it! We could only keep
one kitten (he lived to 21) and gave the rest to my cousins
on the farm. I felt really sad because none of them made
it! Eventually we got another cat and as a teenager a dog.
I had various turtles and fish too. At the lake I would
catch snakes and frogs. "
SHAWN
"Fish are the ultimate pets. They are beautiful and
you can eat them."
EVONNA,
age 13
"i had plenty of pets like my horse, dog ,cats, and
fish the sad part was that i was more attached to my pets
then most people even in my family."
CHRISTINE,
age 54
"Yes - a budgerigar called Tony that my aunt gave me
and our family dog. I used to take the dog for long, long
walks - he was the ideal companion, because I didn't have
to talk to him but didn't feel as silly as I would have
done, just walking on my own.."
ANONYMOUS,
almost 40
"Yes, many kitties throughout the years! Helped ease
my existence when having to spend time with my birth family
(one of the few sources of unconditional love I had then)."
AMY,
age 16
"My first dog was named Nikki. She was a month older
than me and she basicall mothered me. She alway look out
for me and never let anyboddy (including my parents) do
any thing that might romotley be violent tword me. That
included chaseing my while playing tag."
MICHELLE
"We had a white, deaf cat that was wonderful to play
dress up with when I was little. She lived to be 21 years
old. Then this cat came by one day and she was pregnant
and she had 8 kittens. That was great, I loved it! We could
only keep one kitten (he lived to 21) and gave the rest
to my cousins on the farm. I felt really sad because none
of them made it! Eventually we got another cat and as a
teenager a dog. I had various turtles and fish too. At the
lake I would catch snakes and frogs."
TERRY
"I can name every dog I ever owned. The first dog I
personally owned (as opposed to family or huntiing dogs)
was Pal. There was a series of flood control canals by our
house and I used to play in them a lot. One day I found
this - creature. The dog had no hair on his body and was
covered with open sores. Naturally, this was a problem my
mother would fix in short order. So I dragged this starving,
pus covered, hideous dog home and proceeded to bath him
in the bathtub. My mother was not amused. She came around,
however, and several expensive vet bills later the dog Pal
became my best pal until the day he died. (His hair did
grow back but he was still kind of hideous.)"
SARA-ANN
"I always loved animals. When I was 4, my sister found
the nicest little dog on the street, and when she asked
the local pound if the initial "owners" had reported
the dog missing, the pound said yes, but that they were
going to leave it at the pound.
So,
since my sister couldn't keep it, she called up our mother
and said that she had a late birthday present for me - a
very friendly but very timid dog! My parents went and got
the dog and she was with us for 17 years!
I
also had tons of fish, a few hamsters, and when I was 9
I got my dream of having cats! I picked two kittens from
an animal shelter. One died 4 years later (poisoned from
roaming yards, we think), and right after that I got a new
kitten from some friends who was the cutest, friendliest
cat! She and my older cat became best friends in two weeks.
She had congenital hepatitis, though, and we kept her healthly
for about 9 years, when she died from complications. The
surviving cat from 14 years before died of complications
from a stroke a few months later.
We
were there with all our animals (except the first cat who
died) at the times they died (we had to have vets kill them),
and they are all buried in the backyard.
Shortly
before the last cat died, I found a hamster outside the
front door! We ended up keeping her for over two years and
she was the friendliest hamster ever! (for the last year,
after I moved out of my parent's house, they kept her)"
PATRICIA
"By the time I found my dog, I was so fed up with people,
I could hardly stand it but now my dog is the perfect companion.
We do everywhere together. I talk to her all the time and
am never lonely. Unlike people (extroverts!), dogs don't
lie to you. They are authentic. They don't pretend to be
something they're not and they don't pretend to like you
and not even know the meaning of the word. With a dog, you
know where you stand. I'm not the only one I know who has
a dog as a life companion. More and more places let you
bring your pet with you when you travel and I love that.
We take our vacation together now, too."
LAURA
"We usually had two cats and two dogs. The cats were
Siamese. Sam, is the pet I loved the most. He was a cat
we got when I was 2 or 3 and he lived until I was in my
20's. I moved away from the home I grew up in to live with
my dad in another city when I was 15. I missed that cat
more than any of my friends and felt so guilty that I left
him and couldn't explain I was moving and why. My cousin
told me he'd died when I was about 22, and I cried so much
even though I had assumed he was dead by then. I used to
sit with him on my lap in the sun and read to him. And I'd
walk out in the orchard and he'd follow along with me. Our
pets weren't allowed in the house, but sometimes my brother
and I would sneak the cat in through the window at night."
MICHELLE
"I at one time raised and bred Siberian Huskies. I
loved the nights sitting outside in the dark and hearing
their wolf songs."
ANN
"[We had] cats, dogs, fish, gerbils, hamsters and one
rabbit. All mine. I loved them more than people sometimes."
LESLIE
"Over the years, my family had three Great Danes, two
cats (very long-lived cats, who to ages 17 and 23), guinea
pigs, and a Welsh Pony. There were a couple other dogs and
at least three other cats that I only remember vaguely.
Also, we had a couple of kennels and we boarded dogs occasionally,
so we got to play with those. Right now, I own one very,
very spoiled cat."
WHAT
OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THIS ARTICLE:
4.28.2004
How wonderful to read of other people who could talk to
pets easier than people!! I am so glad you collected these!!
-- Antoinette
