Pets & Plants

[2 Spirit Cherokee Princess]

I grew up in the Alaska wilderness.  We were far from people but some animals would eat out of my hand, & my best friend was a wolf.  Since then I've lived in towns & now a city; I've taken care of dogs, cats, rabbits, goldfish, parakeets, cockatiels, & chickens.  I also remember the forget-me-nots & sitka spruces in Alaska & have had various houseplants, particularly aloes.

Which non-humans have been important to you?

 

[Rainy Robin]

That's so cool about your wolf friend!

I'm a huge cat person (I've had three cats so far) and also love betta fish. Cacti, sunflowers, and zinnias have always been important to my gardening habits as well. 

[roboticanary]

two cats, one amusingly lazy and one full of mischief, mainly he would open doors by jumping on them, I still remember seeing him hanging forlornly from the handle of a locked window and slowly falling off. Lazy cat once tried to convince me he had caught a sparrowhawk which had clearly just crashed into a house. I went outside and he was sitting there all proud like 'look human, behold my amazing hunting skills'

I also had one rabbit who was so calm back when i was a crazy toddler, and my little brother had a pet hamster who managed to escape into the cavity walls of the house for about a week, we had to catch him when he snuck out to nab some chocolate from the kitchen.

As for plants, my nan was a keen gardener and I have a few plants around that she gave me over the years. I keep a money plant on my desk which she gave me when I started uni. Lots of food plants as well. when i was very young my grandad put two small planters in his garden and set them as mine and my brothers, every time we went round we would check on the plants, water them and take care of them. we would grow some strawberries and a few vegetables, usually carrots and beetroot.

 

[2 Spirit Cherokee Princess]

https://www.prevention.com/health/g27586276/benefits-of-indoor-plants/

[Ch0c0]

I live in the city so I feel pretty far from nature right now. It was better when I had a cat, rodents and turtles. It's not the same than contact with wildlife but it was great nevertheless.

Hopefully I can afford to adopt animals again in the future. In the meantime I make do with houseplants like aloes and other succulent plants.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Ch0c0

[Ace Bookdragon]

My dog and my horse are both very important to me. My dog is really comforting to be around and she provides a lot of comic relief. My horse is more of a challenge to work with, but he's also quite sweet and he has a special place in my heart.

[AroaceParrot]

I have 6 parrots and a snake. I have a special connection with all of them and absolutely adore each and every one of them. I always call them my "children". They bring me a lot of comfort and have helped me get through a lot of difficult things.

I also love plants and hope to have a sunroom someday so I can fill it with plants. I currently only have a few aloe plants, however, this spring I am hoping to plant a small butterfly garden next to my home.

[Rolo]

I have a cat and chickens, and lots of house plants.

[Kit]

I would literally die for my cats. They're really important to me and cheered me up lots of times.

[Apathetic Echidna]

I spent a lot of my childhood in 2 different country areas, one area was mostly wilderness where I would interact with wild animals like kangaroos and echidnas. Which gave me a sense of stewardship for the environment, especially in the drought times where the water bowls we put out was the only water available to the animals. 

The other was country filled with small dairy and beef cattle farms, which quickly led to me no longer eating beef. I still have a photo in my room of the steer who was my friend which led to me no longer being able to bring myself to eat beef. Everyone back then did lots of handling so the cattle were quiet, to the point that I climbed all over and rode a massive bull when I was 10. Then government policy changed and most farms went under or were bought out, which gave me a simmering hatred of big agribusiness and (not all, but most) property developers which has influenced my food choices, education choices, housing choices and probably even my friend choices for the past 20 years.

Ultimately I have had pets, my rabbit that got me through my teen years was very important, but those two areas and their countless unnamed animals are what have really meant the most in shaping my life.    

[cassssssss]

I’ve had multiple cats, hamsters, and a rabbit. I currently only have one cat though, but in the future I’d like to try taking care of a dog. I do like plants and really love nature, but I have no skill in gardening (I don’t know where to start oof). I’m also planning to live somewhere more natural or at least have a big garden.

[Blake]

Dogs, cats, a hamster and snakes. But I love that your bestie was a wolf,that is a goal for me cuz I want to be a environmental ecologist with wolves as main goal.

[Erederyn]

Like many others, I love cats. I had a cat for 14 years, but she passed 3 years ago. I still miss her alot. When I'm in a more stable living situation, I want to get another cat. For now, I have some plants, which makes me happy as well. I made a terrarium a couple of weeks ago, it's like having a mini forest in a jar! 

[alto]

Of all the animals I own, I absolutely love my dog.  She is an enormous jerk, but I still love her to death.  She sleeps with me every night :)