ever had a pet die when you were a kid? how did that affect you?

Question

I had peking ducks, slaughtered by german shephards from up the road, those same dogs killed spring lambs that I'd bottle fed.
We had an airedale that was hit by a car... died on the road. I was not there to actually see it [phew]
I had those little green turtles... they'd crawl under my brothers' bed and die in the dust.

I had one small mutt girl who got hit by a car when I was a young teen. She was a 9 month old schnauzer/poodle mix; she still had her stitches from her spaying; she followed my older bro's friends down the street, and I'd asked him to tie her up. I had no shoes on and was helping grandma fix his bleedin dinner. His response after it happened? "not my dog"
And I guess he was right. It was my dog, my responsibility! Which is why I watch over my dog now like a true safety hound!

Nae, nawh, no pet cemetery... I have always believed [and you may hate me for this] that animals are not worthy of too much grief. Perhaps it's because I've seen so many die. But, I love my current dog so much... I mean LOVE him. I would cry me a river if death became him!

arcept, excellent point. my daughter, just turned 5...she was 4 a few weeks ago, we were at the park and she came across a dead squirrel. She wanted to take it home, and freaked like mad, she cried for an hour over it. I played it down, but was a tad frustrated, not very experienced at this stuff.

p.s. I think my mom got so much more upset with me when I took the airedale pup up the dirt road to the farm with me, and he'd come back all muddy... she's rather have him clean than alive! hahaha.. love ya mom!

Answer 1

Yes it was Huey my pet green dye, he was so cute and I kept him in a little jar and I took him everywhere with me and then one day I left the lid untightened and he ran out into my pocket and ruined my pants. Wait a minute do you mean?...

Yes I had a pair of die as a pet and I played craps with them in Vegas... still not right?...

I had a cat named Joe Pastafazooka that crashed into a car at high speed in front of our house. He was never the same since but then again he only lived about 3 minutes longer.

REALLY TRAUMATIC TRUE STORY:
My hamster Kelly and I were like that (I'm holding two fingers right next to each other) we ate the same meals (baby carrots and sunflower seeds was all we could agree on) but she used to escape from her elaborate habitrail which encircled the room, regularly and go get lost in the adjacent storage warehouse next door. She would be gone for sometimes weeks and when I would find her she would have reverted back to her natural feral Hamster state, hair all spiked, wild look in her eyes Cheek pouches stuffed to max capacity. It would take several days to re-domesticate her each time. When her three and a half years of life expectancy were up, she died in my arms... er hands.

I went to the pet store to try to replace her before I noticed, but I knew.

Answer 2

My when son was born I had a 14 year old dog and a 1 year old puppy. The dog sniffed him when we brought him home and then pretty much ignored him. The puppy sniffed him and fell in love! They cuddle and play together! They are best friends. It's really sweet too, because you can see how gentle the puppy is when they're playing together. And the puppy gets all worried whenever the baby cries. One way to get pets used to a baby is to get a doll and start carrying that around the house. That way they'll be used to seeing you holding something like that all the time. You can also get a tape of a baby crying and play it. And if you can, have someone bring home a blanket from the the hospital that your baby has been wrapped in. That way they know the scent when you bring the baby home.

Answer 3

I've always had pets as a kid and my parents would get each of us kids a special pet that belonged to each kid personally and each kid was responsible. Each time I lost a pet I'd sob for days. I'd put on little funerals in the lot next to our house and I'd make little memorials with pictures and their toys. I'd usually miss school for a day or so because I was so heartbroken.

I think in a way it was a good lesson because I learned to appreciate what little time animals are on earth with us. Sort of a here today but could be gone tomorrow so give them the best you can while you can lesson. Not to mention all the happy memories I have of my 'babies'.

Answer 4

My parents did a real good job of not getting emotional when a pet died and teaching me that death was part of life. Ive had tons of animals die. I miss them all. But thats what animals do. They die, usually much faster than any people i know. If you realize that death is a part of having the pet, treat it right every day while its with you, and try your best to keep them safe from "accidents" then their passing isnt always a super bad event.... it just is, you miss them, you remember them, and you start the whole cycle over again.

Answer 5

I grew up in the country and we had several dogs over the years. Nearly all of them were hit by cars and killed because we always let our dogs run loose. I'm very paranoid now about having my dogs run loose. I'm careful to make sure they stay in their dog run and don't get out where they can get hurt.

However, I think loosing my dogs over the years helped my deal with losing people I loved later on when I was an adult.

Answer 6

Yes, we lost beloved pets over the years
and it was always like losing a best friend.
It would just tear our family's heart out,
when a cat or other pet would die.
Our entire yard, in Mississippi
is one huge animal graveyard.
We would bury them
in their favorite places to sleep in the yard.
There are no headstones,
my brother said our yard was our,
"Valley of the Kings & Queens"
&
if /& when they sell that property;
if it's ever excavated,
they will find mummified
remains of all the pets
that we've lost in our family
for the past six generations.

Answer 7

I've always cryed harder when a pet dies than a human and I know I always will.
I over heard my mother talking to someone when I was little after her father died, she told them "ya know, I cryed more over our cats death then my fathers!"
I dont know what I will do if one or both of my little noodles dies before I do (my dogs). probably die a bit myself!
Now I'm gonna go give them big hugs and eskimo kisses with their little black button noses, heehee, they need it and I do to!

Answer 8

I had a cat die once - no I tell a lie, it was my younger sisters cat.

It came in quite handy as I used the carcass for bait in my lobster pot. Did you know cats make real good lobster pot bait? One of the best things out as bait, is dead cat. The skin is tough & it lasts for ages.

While on the subject of dead cats.......I had a cadet working under me some time back & we used to call him "Deadcat". ....Get it? eh?

Deadcat is sorta cadet in reverse! Soooo funny, doncha think?

Answer 9

so did you have your own pet cemetery? It sounds like you have A LOT of history with this question.

I did have a few pets that died. I had nightmares afterwards; I guess that means it effected me badly.

Answer 10

Badly. We had two identical parakeets, and one died at about a year old. My brother said it was my bird that died, and I said it was his. No one knew whose bird died, we were kids. We had a burial in a shoe box, and then our dad took us to get 3 more parakeets.