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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what is the worst pet you have ever had?

164 replies

TomLee475 · 12/08/2019 19:26

I had a cat for 3 weeks , first cat , didn't realise it scratched I was 16 at the time , quickly sent the cat back.

OP posts:
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Oysterbabe · 12/08/2019 20:12

My mum had a parrot that use to screech all day long. It flew free in the house so would often land on and attack you. You could tell a lot about its personality by the words it could say:
"shut up"
"get off"
"ouch"

Atlasta · 12/08/2019 20:13

Dwarf hamsters- made noise on night and the smell was horrendous.
A cat, well kitten. Lasted a few weeks and tried to claw my eyes out one day. It was rehomed at a proper rehoming centre the next.
Worst ever were some stick insects I got as a child. Two turned into about thirty and they escaped. I was terrified to even sit down in case they crawled on me or I sat or stood on one. I ended up terrified and had to stay with extended family to escape the situation. My mum was still finding the odd one stuck to the back of the tv and in other warm areas weeks later.

pelirocco123 · 12/08/2019 20:18

Horses ..cost a fortune
Hamsters ..one was nice , one bit and escaped never to be seen again
Snakes ...escaped
Stick insects , escape artists used to find them everywhere
Fish used to jump out of tank
Bit of a theme here
Rabbit's ..destroy garden
Chickens ...destroy garden
Cats fine
Dogs fine

Skittlenommer · 12/08/2019 20:21

Hamsters are an absolute delight if looked after properly (huge home, tons of toys and opportunities to explore). Smart, wonderful little creatures each with their own little personalities!

I think the worst pets are probably children! Grin

To ask what is the worst pet you have ever had?
Casander · 12/08/2019 20:23

(May very well be outing for all that know my in RL) but I have horses and worked and competed at a reasonably decent level. Obviously this is an industry where horses get sold for house prices but because I'm poor I couldn't/can't afford second-hand-car-price horses to ride at the level I wanted to be at so I end up with the bastards that nobody else can ride. I've broken both my legs on 3 separate occasions, the last time was in 4 places and they've since told me that if I break it again it'll be a "life changing injury" as they can't put any more metal in it.

I still have a small collection of them, but no longer compete myself, much to my families relief!

Ellmau · 12/08/2019 20:24

A rabbit that bit people, quite unprovoked. He led a life of luxury, too ;(

krustykittens · 12/08/2019 20:31

A love bird that an indiot boyfriend gave to me, without me asking, all on her lonesome. She outlasted him and I couldn't bear to keep her in a cage so she had free rein of my living room with her cage door left permanently open and I was constantly cleaning up shit. She was very sweet but very young when she was given to me and once she reached sexual maturity, she was desperate for a mate. She basically screamed her head off and bent all the bars back on her cage in pure frustration. Luckily, I found an aviary that gave her a good home. People really should do some bloody research before they buy pets and NEVER buy a pet for someone as a surprise!

Oysterbabe · 12/08/2019 20:51

I had a bad tempered pony as a child. It was forever trying to throw me off. If we passed close enough to a hedge or tree it would rub against it and try and get me off that way.

Hoppinggreen · 12/08/2019 21:02

We used to have a goat named Satan, it was appropriately named
It had to go when it trapped me and my Mum in the house free attacking her and she managed to run in and shut the door.
It was pre mobile phones so we could t contact my Dad to come and rescue us so we had to wait and even then he had to get my Grandad to come and help draw Satan off so we could escape
We got rid of him not long after that, no idea where he went

HearMeSnore · 12/08/2019 21:02

Not my pet, this was DH's when he was a boy. His dad bought a baby "dwarf lop-eared rabbit" from a bloke down the pub.

It turned out to be a hare.

Biscusting · 12/08/2019 21:05

We’ve had the pleasure of two pets that hadn’t got the memo about the two-way companionship that was hoped for.

The first was a rather feral rabbit. Given to us from a colleague who could no longer look after it. Well I don’t know what happened to that poor animal in it’s current life or past, but it used to hiss and squawk if it even thought you were going near it’s hutch. It lived out its life at the end of our garden in a giant run with its hutch plonked in the middle. We used to take turns with welding gloves on to clean the hutch and feed it. Completely avoiding half the garden so as not to distress it. Confused miserable bastard lived 5 years. No idea how old it was to start with.

The second was a cockatoo, again inherited from another colleague. Couldn’t go near it, and we let the buggar have full rein of our house. Used to periodically just fly at you and attack you. It had to be closed into a room when guests were coming. Of course it lived a long and wonderful life, whilst we cowered in fear.

Needless to say we no longer accept pets from people.

GettickledGETTICKLEDbyspiders · 12/08/2019 21:14

Stick insect. You wouldn’t think an insect that resembles a stick could be so fucking miserable and grumpy but he was.
Then he killed himself and I had to console my daughter. We had to have a funeral and then a chippy tea to cheer her up.
Never again.

Sarahlou63 · 12/08/2019 21:17

Four ducks. In a year they never laid a bastard egg and they shit copiously everywhere. Last straw was when they started beating the hens up Angry Released them into a local river and they never looked back as them swam off.

LakieLady · 12/08/2019 21:18

The cat that was such a good hunter, she brought in a bird on average every other day all through the spring and summer months. Her worst effort was the day she brought in 4 live starlings at intervals throughout the day.

I'm bird phobic, so this was a major trauma for me. If I couldn't get hold of a neighbour, friend or colleague to come and deal with them for me, I just had to stay out. On one occasion I asked a couple of coppers, who happened to be visiting a house along the road to help me, and they were very sweet about it.

She was a lovely cat in every other respect, pretty, affectionate, scrupulously clean, didn't claw furniture and used to "talk" to me.

All my dogs and all the other cats have been lovely.

healthylifestylee · 12/08/2019 21:22

Have loved all the pets I've had - I was uneducated when I got my goldfish at 8, as where the pet shop staff who sold them to us. Which is a shame so they didn't live long which was probably my fault I just didn't realise. Since I have educated myself and the only fish since have been pond fish and are well looked after.
I had a hamster, who was full of character and loving.
My guinea pigs were great fun
I've loved having cats and would love one again In my life.
My dog is loving and funny and smart and so intelligent.

I would never say any of them were the worst, I was the worst with the fish as I didn't do the research but learnt from my mistakes and now I'm able to inform others when they are unsure

yearinyearout · 12/08/2019 21:23

Had a dog when I was growing up that was a right twat. It was my parents fault, they didn't train it and let it rule the household, we couldn't take anything off it (eg. Our shoe that it had stolen) otherwise it would bite us. If we looked at it funny, it would growl, it was a nightmare but could be very loving if in the right mood!

jakesmommy · 12/08/2019 21:23

A hamster called Hannibal, it would gnaw on the bars of its cage whilst looking at me, it would also run up the bars of its cage, dangle for a second and let go, after she died I bought another hamster called Harry, he was the sweetest little thing, in fact he lived until he was 5, I held him when he died and he went to sleep peacefully, loved that little guy.

Muddledupme · 12/08/2019 21:23

Hamster that used to wee through the bars of the cage and down the back of the chest of drawers until I realised. It also crashed about all night until it had trashed the joint and broken the "silent" wheel we bought for it. The noisy one however it loved and would do the marathon every night while it squeaked. It also bit through finger nails for fun. Fucking psycho.

LucheroTena · 12/08/2019 21:26

I love hamsters. They are very bonded to their owners (plus adorable faces) once they stop being jumpy. Only issue is being nocturnal.

I have to say I struggle to understand the appeal of pet snakes.

I’ve had lovely pets over the years but the best has been my cats. Such an easy pet, smell delicious, and I have real lap cats. I loved my dog (RIP) to bits but dogs are much harder work.

ChesterDrawsDoesntExist · 12/08/2019 21:34

Hamsters. And mice. And Terrapins. All very smelly, all boring AF.
I had an Alexandrine Ringneck parakeet too. He was both the worst and the absolute best. Best because he was just so much fun, could talk, play, kiss, cuddle and of course fly. Worst because he SQUAWKED and SQUAWKED. An awful high pitched ear drum bursting squawk that annoyed everyone for miles. He also destroyed anything he bit. He could bend metal and snap straight through most things. He'd instantly pop holes in your clothes, bedding or curtains. He once walked along the curtain pole going 'snip snip snip' as he bit straight through the wooden rings in a single bite.
And even though he was my boy, the moment he met my DH he fell in love with him and preferred him to me Sad

familycourtq · 12/08/2019 21:35

Cats. Fuckers.

Nirvana1979 · 12/08/2019 21:35

Ah wee had a vicious little hamster called Honey, she bit from the day we picked her up but we all loved her. She went into hibernation once and we thought she was dead but after a few hours sitting on a hot water bottle she was back with us. Me and dd were in tears when she had to be put to sleep 😭 She was a funny wee thing but totally off her head. 🌷

ImposterSyndrome101 · 12/08/2019 21:38

An angry golden syrian hamster that bit everyone, peed everywhere and triggered more asthma attacks than enough. Rehomed him with a friend of my cousins who wasn't bothered by his biting and had experience working with animals. Apparently he lived a healthy and happy hamster life after that.

Fred578 · 12/08/2019 21:40

@GettickledGETTICKLEDbyspiders it killed itself???

GettickledGETTICKLEDbyspiders · 12/08/2019 21:49

Yeah we think it did.