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Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice

156 replies

TinaMumsnet · 15/02/2016 10:10

Should we get a pet? What pet should we get?! Is your family desperate for a pet? Or do you already have one?

Choosing a pet can be exciting, impossible, heart-warming and heart-breaking – sometimes all at once!

We'd love to hear your stories about choosing a pet so share them with us (with photos if you can) for a chance to win a copy of What Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss plus a £100 voucher from a pet shop of your choice.

It's the literary equivalent of buried treasure: a brand new, never-before-seen rhyming romp of a picture book from the legendary Dr.Seuss! It's the story of a classic childhood moment: a brother and sister visiting a pet shop to pick a pet, but neither being able to decide which one to go for. Every pet looks like fun, so how in the world do you just pick one?!


'There are moments of genius on every page' - The Telegraph

This discussion is sponsored by Harper Collins Children's Books and will close on 14 March.

Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice
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LeighAO · 15/02/2016 16:34

Having wanted a dog for some time, I got made redundant which gave me the chance to be a stay at home Mum to our new baby daughter and a puppy. So we begun the hunt and came across a litter of lovely little black cockapoos. There were eight in the litter and by the time we went to see them just one little girl remained unreserved. No-one wanted her because where the others were all sleek and jet black head to toe, ours was a proper little scruff pot with a white beard and cute white socks on her back paws. We couldn't resist and figured she'd fit in just perfectly to our messy little family.

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lexy444 · 15/02/2016 16:43

When my son was 7 he asked for a cat. We said he had to wait until he was 11. We imagined it would be a passing whim. He waited patiently, reminding us each year until his 11th birthday. That milestone came and went and after looking for ages we still hadn't found a rescue cat that could live with primary aged kids (his siblings), but his desire for a cat did not waver and he waited and waited and finally got a kitten last weekend at age 12...!

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katiewalters · 15/02/2016 17:07

My son is 6 and my daughter 2 and they both love animals and have wanted something for a long time. I thought it would be nice to get them something for Christmas that wasn't too big so decided on guinea pigs. My partner wasnt keen at all, so had to bribe him and use guilt, your poor children will be so disappointed on Christmas Day as they are hoping for a pet and eventually he backed down. We took the children to the pet shop on Christmas Eve so they could pick their own guinea pigs out of the bunch, and let them name them. Straight away they knew which ones they wanted, and they chose very different ones. My son chose Sam for his guinea pigs name and my daughter called hers justin Bieber! They are lovely pets, have their own little personalities and the children love them to bits......best Christmas present they have Ever had.

Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice
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nerysw · 15/02/2016 17:56

A friend at work rescued a cat and four kittens and I chose my cat from the litter. He was sulky, miserable and disliked his brothers and sisters. Nobody else would have wanted him but I love him and have had him ten years. For the first few years he wouldn't let anyone but me stroke him and was very antisocial. Then I had kids and he is now a far more sociable animal who lets the children fuss him and speak 'catish' to him. As I work a cat was the best option and I love having a pet in the house to teach my kids about how to treat animals and be responsible.

Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice
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CMOTDibbler · 15/02/2016 18:04

Ds really, really, really wanted a dog. We all did. Eventually the rescue told us they had a dog coming in who would work in our household, and we went to see him that evening.
Ds sank down on the floor, called ddogs name, and he ran over to him and they fussed each other for the next hour till we had to go. A week later ddog1 came home to us, and they've been so bonded ever since. Right now, ddog1 is lying upside down on the sofa alongside ds with an expression of bliss.

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BlackSusie2004 · 15/02/2016 18:22

A good few years ago now, my partner took me to look at a French Lop breeder's rabbits with a view to getting a houserabbit, since my previous one had died some years earlier. The first ones we saw included a very shy agouti coloured boy who I held after being shown his brother who was harlequin coloured and full of himself.
I wore (and still do) mainly black or very dark clothes so really wanted a black rabbit so that the hair wouldn't show so much. There were some black rabbits there, but were not yet ready for sale so I said I would come back. It was at that point that my partner pointed out to me that I was still cuddling the agouti coloured boy from the start of our visit at least 45 minutes ago, he had cuddled into my neck and I was stroking him but hadn't even realised as so were so comfortable together.
Needless to say, he came home with me, and we had 4 very happy years together.

Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice
Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice
Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice
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sjonlegs · 15/02/2016 20:31

Last year we lost our gorgeous dog at nearly 19 years. Whilst we're desperate for another furry pal - the jury is currently out as the children weigh up the pros and cons of all pets. There's not much that they haven't mentioned and we're open to all suggestions! Maybe you could help us decide? Wink

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Greensmurf1 · 15/02/2016 22:32

We don't have any pets, but we are very friendly with our neighbour's cats. She is getting quite elderly, so she might appreciate some extra treats for her feline companions and DD age 3 would be so happy to give sandy cat and sooty cat some presents.

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barricade · 15/02/2016 22:49

A goldfish is the best option when going for the easy choice, definitely. And it teaches kids how even something supposedly so easy to look after can prove to be a challenge (never forgetting to feed them, having to regularly clean out the fish-tank, etc.). At least that was the case for us. We've moved up to a little black-and-white kitten since - a gorgeous bundle of fur-covered joy. (We'll work our way up to an alligator eventually, I expect)

Smile

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thesoupdragon44 · 16/02/2016 12:04

I dreamt of having a pet as a child, but my dad always said no! My mum wouldn't let him have a dag so there was no way he would let us have anything else, not even a fish! So imagine our surprise when he came home with a cat!
I was about 10 years old, and I loved her from first sight, as far as I was concerned she was mine, not my brothers and loved me the best. She was a beautiful and loyal friend till she passed away aged 16, and had a great and happy life with us. Now we have cats, fish and even a pet hedgehog in the garden. Animals are my sons friends now too.

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Emrob86 · 16/02/2016 16:05

I never got the chance to choose a pet due to allergies in my family but I always dreamed of having more exotic animals like a white baby tiger or a baby monkey! :) When I got older I kept seeing a man with two grey great danes and they were so beautiful they made me want them too and I'm really scared of dogs!

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Kelfitz · 16/02/2016 17:10

Well my story is not so much about us choosing a pet, but a pet choosing us. My Granny had a little white kitten with a black mohawk and she called him Barney. He was a little terror, jumping in the windowsill and clawing up her net curtains (which were ruined in no time). Sadly Granny had a massive heart attack and passed away and at the wake, it suddenly dawned on everyone "what will we do with Barney?". As soon as it was out of someone's mouth he ran over to me - decision made!! OK, I gave in so easily. My husband was not keen on the idea at all, knowing the terror Barney was, but in my grief I had agreed and wanted to keep him, so my husband went along with it! Two children later and Barney is still a big part of our family. He is a placid big cat now and the children love him! My husband keeps joking that he wishes Barney would run away, but I know he'll miss him if anything happens him. As will I cos it feels like a wee part of Granny is still here in Barney too :)

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mum2eci · 16/02/2016 19:53

My daughter has just turned 9 from being quite small she has loved all animals, in particular dogs! Although in laws have dogs, Isla has been desperate for us to have our own! A puppy has been on her Christmas list for the past few years. Her birthday is February. This year she didn't seem too bothered when Santa didn't bring a pup but once her birthday drew to a close with no pup her face crumpled and her heart broke.
Little notes on my bed side table from her begging for a dog, any dog! I have finally given in and we have reserved a pup from a friends Bedlington Terrier litter (currently 2 weeks old) we have to wait another 6/8 weeks which seems like a lifetime to Isla but I know this little puppy will be well loved and can't wait to welcome her into our home x

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SuzCG · 17/02/2016 09:17

We always said we didn't have time for a dog, although having both grown up with dogs, we would have loved one. I had the opportunity to give up work after my second child and once she turned two we decided that maybe we had capacity for a new baby of the furry canine variety. Someone my DH knew from work had a litter of 6 labradors and we went to see them. Despite their best efforts at steering us towards one of the more lively puppies we all fell for the prettiest, quietest, cutest, runt of the litter. Much family deliberation followed as we decided on a name. Tilly came to live with us nearly 5 years ago now - she really has been the sweetest natured dog and loves everyone in her family. Her favourite game is the kids playing hide and seek and her being let off the lead to go and find them, when we're out on family walks. Pets are so good for children!

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Jodunne · 17/02/2016 12:19

Our three daughters had pestered us for a dog for ages and we finally took the decision to get one. We researched the breeds and came up with a Japanese Spitz as the best match for our busy family. We travelled 3.5 hours to see his mum before he was born, when he was 5 weeks old and finally to collect him at 9 weeks old. He is a wonderful dog and loved by everyone he meets. The biggest surprise was how he changed the opinion of my mother and father in law who were adamant that they wanted nothing to do with 'our dog'. He has now totally won them round and he spends 3 days a week with them whilst I am at work. He is a credit to our family and is our treasure.

Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice
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hutchy73 · 19/02/2016 00:02

When I was 3 I went to the zoo and had a huge tantrum because my parents wouldn't let me bring a giraffe home ! - I have been obsessed ever since . I then had an imaginary wolf for a while .
Eventually we had some lovely cats , our last one was picked by my dad who said she was beautiful- in reality she was scrawny with a rat type tail as long as her body and a piercing part Siamese crybut he was right she was beautiful until she died at 17 .

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gemmie797 · 19/02/2016 23:21

We decided to get a dog when my sons were 4 & 5. We saw two puppies, mini labradoodles, who were both lovely, but one wouldn't leave us alone so we chose him. We collected him on my youngest son's 5th birthday and the boys named him Buddy after Buddy the Elf. He spent the first few months believing the boys were puppies too and has well & truly become part of our family. The boys love nothing more than a long, muddy walk with him

Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice
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LucyBo17 · 21/02/2016 06:46

We have two cats and a guinea pig and my son is really good with all of them, he had learnt to be gentle and not chase them, he is only two. We have had other kids here who have chased them around the house and scared them. Having a pet helps teach children how to respect animals.

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libra101 · 21/02/2016 07:10

Our little dog Barney chose us, rather than us choosing him.

We went to see a litter of Yorkie/Pomeranians, and the little fella just followed us everywhere.

He definitely knew he was on to a good thing and rules the roost!

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glenka · 21/02/2016 07:39

We could never have any cats or dogs because my mum was allergic to them but I would have loved to have had a dog.

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TracyKNixon · 21/02/2016 07:50

we went down to Yorkshire to choose our pup - she was the first pup that ran up to us so she chose us!

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compy99 · 21/02/2016 08:09

we have had lots of pets over the years, we have 2 dogs and a cat at the moment. choosing the right pet is vital, unless you can give 100% commitment do not get any pet. The best places are rescue centres, they have many many animals that will have been health checked and temperament checked etc. if you are going to a breeder ALWAYS insist on visiting them and seeing both parents of the animal and do your checks on the breeder. do not on any account deal with someone who agrees to meet you somewhere with a pet or will not let you visit them. as for the selection of a pet, they usually pick you!

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happysouls · 21/02/2016 08:10

Our cat chose us, she was a neglected cat belonging to a neighbour and lived outdoors. She pinched food from our BBQ! She was in such a bad state that in the end we catnapped her and contacted him and asked if we could keep her and take her to the vets and get her patched up. He agreed. She was very very lovely but needed vet care for the rest of her life!

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Lovelydiscusfish · 21/02/2016 08:12

When we sadly lost one of our cats the Christmas before last (she was semi- feral, but was dd's favourite!) we told dd she could pick the next cat, and the name! She picked the name straight away (it is a very unusual name, which us actually neither a name nor a real word), and then looked round all the rescues we went to hoping to find a cat who already had this (made up) name.
Of course we didn't. But we did find a lovely, tiny little black cat, who should have been fluffy except that she had licked much of her fur off due to stress - she looked like a poodle with a lion cut!
Now, a year on, she is back to full fluff, and the most lovely, friendly little cat you could ever meet - and dd loves her!

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maryandbuzz1 · 21/02/2016 08:23

We were interested in getting a dog but wanted something medium sized. However my husband heard of someone who had Labrdoodle puppies. One had his paws up on the small pen watching us and he was the only one who hadn't been sold as someone else had backed out. Fatal ... He has been with us for 6 and a half years and is very strong and BIG but he keeps us fit with 3 walks a day and we love him.

Tell us your stories about choosing a pet for a chance to win a £100 voucher for a pet shop of your choice
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