What are your pet peeves about pet ownership?

**Crestielovely** · 03-14-2012, 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by sericinda

Flexi-Leashes. Seriously, thats my biggest pet peeve on the planet. If you own a dog and take it to the vet or groomer on a flexi-leash, I GUARANTEE YOU your groomer and vet think you are an idiot.

THIS! A million times, this. Chances are, even the employees at your local petsmart thinks you're an idiot if you use them.

**hypnotoad** · 03-15-2012, 01:09 AM

Originally Posted by sericinda

Flexi-Leashes. Seriously, thats my biggest pet peeve on the planet. If you own a dog and take it to the vet or groomer on a flexi-leash, I GUARANTEE YOU your groomer and vet think you are an idiot.

Oh god yes! The worst was when people would bring in their dogs on broken flexi leashes with a thousand knots tied in the rope, making it like a billion feet long and the dog nearly impossible to catch without "reeling it in".

**StellarAwesome** · 03-15-2012, 02:07 AM

I second the whole Mommy / Daddy pet thing. It always felt super creepy when someone would say that my cat was missing his Mommy & Daddy.

It made it really difficult when Jeff and I broke up because we had to explain it to the cat.
Nothing was ever as hard as explaining to Bookshelf that even though we didn't love each other any more, we both still loved him. And that none of it was his fault at all.

He's coming around.

**KolbyCrest** · 03-15-2012, 03:34 AM

Research Research Research!!!!!

Whether it be reptiles, fish, cats or dogs! No one should ever just walk into a store or shelter and just willy-nilly walk out with a new pet just because they can.
Owning a pet is not just a luxury (even though there are plenty of people that have more pets than they need/can care for) it's a responsibility.

"Oh hey I have a random glass tank and this gecko looks cute, I'm gonna get it! I have no idea what it eats, but I'll just ask the pet store worker, I'm sure they know everything I need to know about this particular sepcies despite the fact that there are 20 other types of reptiles here and fish and rodents and they're convieniently standing by the register ringing people up so they should know everything because they work here. I'll just throw some dirt in the tank and chuck some big ol' crickets in there too, it should be fine for a month."

Seriously...

I admit I enjoy going to the stores and seeing what's available, but hell if I come out with a new pet everytime I go. I'm not going to get a snake just because I have the exact amount of money in my pocket that it costs.
I was at a reptile show this past weekend and came suuuuper close to getting a leopard tortoise, but I'm retarded when it comes to buying anything and take 30 minutes to make a decision. I left without any animals because first of all there weren't any geckos that fit my projects and 2nd of all I had no idea what went into keeping a tortoise (other than it probably eats veggies and needs a basking lamp and lives forever). Now that I have done some research, I realize the one I was looking at get humongous and that would have been a huge mistake. I walked out of the show with a bunch of CGD and feeder insects, and very happy with my choices.
I'd much rather pass up the opportunity of getting a new pet sooner because I haven't done any research and waiting much later after knowing full and well how to properly care for the animal.

I'm constantly having to control my friend from snatching up new pets. I'm even still regularly giving her crap about her 20 gallon fish tank because she got it on sale and "needed" it... and still wants more fish not even thinking that it's already over crowded with multiple aggressive fish and the water is always cloudy. And of course she was eyeballing the savannah monitors at the reptile show.

Even Dogs or cats, just because you're in college and are living on your own for the first time doesn't mean you need to go and get any pets right away. Sure it'd be nice to have a dog or cat to come home to, but you still need to give it attention, walk the dog, have the money to feed it and pay for vet costs. When you're working, going to class, and socializing with friends the last thing you're wanting to think about is that thing you're supposed to be responsible for.
But it's just too cool to not have a thing to call your own.

Because you Can doesn't mean you Should.

Okay I'm done with my rant.

**beyondanytherapy** · 03-15-2012, 07:28 AM

The assumption from others that just because you own more than one of any species that you are breeding. Back when I was heavily into bettas, when I told people what fish I kept and how many I had, I ALWAYS got the question "Oh, do you breed?" Not every animal on this earth needs to reproduce, ESPECIALLY a species that is so overproduced and miskept by so many people.

I second the flexi-leash thing. I can't STAND the damn things, and I don't even have a dog! I think they are a cop-out for people who don't want to train their dog how to properly walk on a leash. And really, an adequately motivated dog could probably snap one of those damn things if he really wanted to...

**MissScully&Velvet** · 03-15-2012, 01:20 PM

-Flexi-Leashes.
-People who do not do research.
-People who come into the shelter saying they need to donate their dog or cat. Oh, thanks we certainly needed more.

I could go on...

**rmarkham** · 03-15-2012, 10:14 PM

I can't stand having everyone judge or thing I'm a freaking weirdo because I have geckos! I don't say that you're weird for having a bunch of kids, or a bunch of dogs or cats! Everyone always has the assumption that people that keep reptiles are creepy, and it' irks me to no tomorrow. I feel like all of my co-workers think I'm a freak because I keep geckos.

People can be so vocal about thinking that geckos are gross, and scary and dirty. (Kind of rude, right?) I mean, I would never say.. "Ew your cat is disgusting" Maybe I'm just polite..? Well...actually this one time I did snap at an annoying coworker once who had said something along the lines of "I could never keep those in MY house they are creepy etc" in a condescending tone..I came back with: I "Well I think kids are disgusting" But that was only once, I swear!

**doodlebug86** · 03-15-2012, 10:43 PM

To be fair to the Flexi-leash, it has its uses. No, its no good for somewhere in public where you need to control the dog, but its great for me when i take my dog to a local nature walk. Our previous dog would come back if called and could go off leash. This one, no way. She follows her nose everywhere and is super independent. The flexi-leash works great for this, means she gets to sniff off trail at things and i can stay on the trail, also means i can keep walking a bit while she sniffs.
Otherwise, that leash collects dust cuz there's no way i'd use it any other way. Frankly on those walks, i don't care if it looks dumb, she enjoys the walk and so do I. Going out to Petsmart or the vet where I need to make sure she isn't going to eat anything she can find? i'll stick to my normal lead.

**rizaroo** · 03-15-2012, 10:47 PM

When people don't listen that your dog isn't friendly and stick their dog in your's face. I used to have a german shepherd that didn't like other dogs and they would say don't worry my dog is friendly. What don't you get about mine is not! That's why I have goldens now.