What kind of companion animals do you have? Do you feel sorry for people that

I have always loved animals and grew up in a family with many pets. From my childhood I remember the cats, especially Esther and Tucker, the rabbits, especially Miffy and later Sally. I had some gerbils and my sister had some ducks. My mum's American friend gave my mum her parrot because she was going home. He is now more than twenty years old and he lives with me.

I always wanted a dog and now I am lucky enough to have two dogs, Secret and Magic. They are miniature poodles, one is white with black patches and the other is black. They are so affectionate and loving. I took Magic to the groomers today and right now she is sitting by my side. Secret is playful and loves running around fields. Being a responsible owner is important. I think some people don't like animals so it is fine that they are not pet owners. Some people love animals but can't keep pets because of their circumstances. I feel sorry for that type of person. In my home country many homeless people have a dog. A dog is known as 'mans best friend' so that it lovely. I feel sorry for dogs, cats and other pets that are homeless and hope that they will all find a loving owner.

I currently have four pets at home: a dog, a cat, and two chinchillas. The one I believe I'm closest to is my dog. I was the one who picked him from the litter, who named him, and who took care of him for the first week or two (even though I live with my parents, no one else was at home when it came time to bring him home). I helped train him, I feed him one of his two meals a day, and play with him. He, in turn, knows when I'm feeling down; he won't let me leave the house upset, at least not without making me pet or hug him for a few minutes. He's protective; he insists on sleeping with me in my room every night, and will be on guard if I am home alone with him. It's a wonderful thing to have him so close with me. I was raised with a German Shepherd as my guardian, so it doesn't feel quite right if I don't have a dog with me.

Four cats live with me: Josie and Paisley, the calicoes; Peaches, the champagne tabby; and Arthur, the white Turkish Angora. These cats are my dearest companions. Josie is my alarm clock -- tells me when to go to bed and when to wake up. She is always in my lap, purring like a motor. Peaches is our problem child. She had a difficult early life and is still leary of being petted. Paisley is our mischief-maker, always getting into trouble. Arthur is our boy; we call him Prince Arthur.

Right now this family is made up of three dogs, 1 bird, and a fish. And we are extreme dog lovers here. I guess some people just aren't into animals, nothing wrong with that. I don't feel sorry for them because they are interested in other things. I do get upset when I hear about someone leaving their animals outside, so they are basically living in the wild. I don't know if I think that animals are disposable. However, we had time to grieve our older pets before we got our new ones.

People that think of companions/pets as disposable also think that people are also disposable and have not found love in anyone.

A pet/companion is like your child who you would do anything and everything for. You have taken on the responsiblity of caring for and protecting a living thing just like you would a baby. In return you will receive unconditional love.

I never understood why people leave animals outside in a pen and just do nothing with them. These animals I feel sorry for so much.

I love my dogs. They are my kids.