to still occasionally get choked up when I think about my guinea pigs who died in 2011 and 2012?

[Mintyy]

I've just seen a picture from an Animal Rescue place I Like on fb.

3 guinea pigs of different hues, grazing on a lovely carpet of fresh green grass.

It makes me think of my lovely trio when we first had them.

Sadly, we now only have Peggy left (interestingly, the most obese of the 3).

And when I think of my lovely 13 year old cat leaving us at some indeterminate point in the future I can cry actual proper tears too.

Am too soft, yes?

No, guinea pigs are very special and guinea pig owners are lovely people, well the ones that look after them properly are!

I'm horrendous too, it is decades since my piggies died so I can cope now but talk to me about when I had to have my first cat put down 7 years ago...

YANBU. I have 2 sows and I will be in bits when they go. They are 4yrs old... I'm hoping to have them for a while yet.

Not too soft at all. My old dog was put down about 10 years ago and every now and then I get a little sniffy and have a little cry. My cat died 6 weeks ago and am a messy wreck at the moment. I don't think it makes you soft at all, think it shows how loving you are.

I still well up when I think of dds hamster...feels silly but pets have a place in your heart. Yanbu.

DGCs' guinea pig had to be put down on Saturday. Heartbreak, beautiful cards made - "I love you so much " , ceremonial burial in other Granny's garden. So hard for children to deal with loss. Bad enough for us oldies. Sorry to hear about your cat, Lurked and the hamster, Saul and everyone's piggies. Grief is the price you pay for love as someone wisely said.

Yanbu. Pets are special. And you never forget them. Ever. It's impossible to think of them without feeling tearful about the ones you sadly lost.

There is a corner of the garden where Nibbles is buried, I can't see it without thinking of her and her round white bottom.

Yadnbu!

I have 2 boars and live them to bits!

I will admit though that no guinea pig will ever be as special as my first, a beautiful roan sow called Lolly.

I loved her to bits and was gutted when she died

Where's 70isalimit :-p

Love guinea pigs. We've had so many. Each very different. There's something about their little heads raised up, they seem so expressive even when they're so furry, they're not mysterious little beings, but not just benign little affection-machines either. One of the best pets IMO!

I still sometimes think about my gorgeous rabbit who died in 1998. Had him from the ages of 10-19. Animals are special and I don't think you ever really forget them.

They are wonderful with their squeaks and their cute little mouths and chubby bodies. I was totally smitten with all mine. Can see myself still keeping them when the children have flown the nest.

Oh, you're allowed to be soft!

I love piggies. We had them all through my childhood and you're quite right, I could get a bit soft too about them. They're the nicest pets, I love the sociable little squeaks.

I admit I'm still slightly fed up with my parents that when I went off for a week they had my (very poorly) pig put down and didn't tell me when I asked how she was. I was 18. But you do get fond of them.

I'm always a bit mesmerised when they yawn and you see their little tongues Mintyy

My boyfriend and I are all excited about getting our own pair of boars (one of them a Teddy with a gorgeous coat!) in September and have spent ages sorting out names (we have a very long shortlist....) and planning their cage etc. Special animals! My mum refuses to believe that they're not as clever as dogs- says they're as clever as human toddlers well, we've had sharp ones and not so sharp ones! and plain rebellious ones....what's your Peggy like?

I feel the same about my lovely budgie who died 2 years ago. We had her for 12 years. Could never have another one, just wouldn't be the same

No YANBU. I had a lovely/naughty dwarf lop eared, black and white rabbit called Rolf. He had a tumour and was PTS nearly 10 years ago. For a long time I could not look at photos of him and I welled up a few times when I saw black and white rabbits in Pets at Home.

YANBU - I still miss my old greyhound terribly, and have been known to well up thinking about him, or when doing the ridiculous, slightly Eeyore-ish and put-upon voice that we used to animate what we assumed his thoughts were (still do the voice regularly, as does DH - we are tragic).

YANBU I have tears in my eyes thinking of my Guinea pigs and its been years...almost a decade.

Same for my dogs and cat. They are a part of the family. It's horrible to lose a pet.