Go on, tell me. What got you interested in the pets you keep?

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For me, my longterm love affair with guinea-pigs started at school. I was 8yo. My teacher had a guinea-pig who was alone in the day so she brought the pig and the cage into school.
Then over weekends we were allowed to (with parental input) to ask to take her home.

When we moved from that town to a house with a garden, my first Christmas present was............my guinea-pig (this was 1975)
Quickly followed by my brothers guinea-pig (two girls we were told) followed a few weeks later by an unexpected litter.

Over the years we added as they went to The Bridge.

Then , years later I had my own 9yo DD who wanted a pet.
We got the first of our hogs, lardy rescue boars.

Currantly we have GP4 GP5 GP6 (after GP2 died,we got GP3)

I keep telling myself and DH that these will be The Last......but I said that about the sows then suggested the new boar (who is GP6)

I reckon we'll be mad piggie people when we're 90!

They can thank or blame Snowy, the Classroom Piggie.

I was 6 and was given a rabbit as a pet. It was love at first sight and I've been a bunny person ever since. My final childhood bun died when I was 18. When my DDs friends bun had a litter, we agreed to take on the only one they couldn't find a home for. My DDs were 6 and the bun became our first housebunny and my constant companion (she followed me everywhere and even slept on my bed when allowed).

Guinea pigs were my DDs idea! I was not keen at all, but two pairs of eyes looking abandoned and sad in the P@H rehoming section won me over. They'd been abandoned at the store because one of them was ill and the original owners didn't want to pay vets fees. The constant wheeking, eating, pooping and peeing converted me and now I wouldn't be without my little piggies (and they are my pigs really).

If I had the room and the money, I'd be some mad animal lady with hens, ducks, pigs and sheep outdoors and lots of Guinea pigs and rabbits.

we have
4 dogs

25 snakes of varying species and sizes from 12 feet down to 6 inches (burmese pythons, corn snakes, royal pythons, boa, milk snake, carpet python, king snakes)

14 lizards of varying species and sizes (bearded dragons, iguanas, leopard geckos, crested gecko, blue tongued skink, bosc monitor)

8 tarantulas (curly hairs, chile rose, chaco gold knee, green bottle blue, mexican black, salmon pink)

a baby flat rock scorpion

a greek cheeked conure.

they all have names, and personalities and are in either the living room ormy eldest sons bedroom.

Because I had a niece who had very bad excema the only pet we could have was a fish or something that couldn't come indoors. When my DD started nursery at 3, a friend I made there had 2 rabbits for her DC's and she said the breeder had one left if we wanted it. So we had Snowy and 33 years later we have never been without a rabbit. We have had one's two's three's four's five's and now have SIX. Yes we have them indoors and had one that only lived indoors for five years. One pair we had had 13 babies but we make sure any rabbit we have even the second homers are neutered. We also have 7 chickens. Like FernieB if I had money and land I would have more animals.

Guinea pigs is a recent thing for me.

When I was 4 we went on holiday with extended family. We stopped for lunch at a pub. My Dad and uncle found 2 adorable tiny black kittens (still had blue eyes)abandoned in the car park. They knocked on nearby houses, nobody claimed them. However a vicar said he'd take one as he had 2 daughters and had recently got a kitten that his girls weren't sharing very well, so could do with another.

That was the best holiday ever. I was 4 years old. It was the 1970's, no seat belts, no pet carrier. Just me on the back seat with a lovely kitten to play with on the journey . Luckily we were staying in a self catering bungalow. Mum bought kitten food as soon as we arrived and Fluffy (yes I know, original but I was only 4) ate off a saucer, that would give me a vom face now.

Second cat was an unwanted gift kitten given to my poor elderly Great Grandmother. He was always a little sod but we loved him.

Third cat was another unintentional pet. I was grown up, living on my own but had met DH. Neighbours divorced and the wife left the cats behind. Poor Kitty (another great name ) became very neglected and was spending more and more time at my flat and was even meeting me at the top of the road at the time she knew I'd be coming home. Her condition became so bad from fleas (50p shape open sores) I went to the neighbour and told him I would take her to see a vet. His reply was could I keep her for good and his other cat. I said I would take Kitty on only, as it was obvious to me she wanted to be the only cat) I bought Kitty new 'cat things' and as soon as she saw the food bowl, she knew she never had to go back to the neighbour.

I became a guinea pig owner when DD1 was 8 years old. I decided on guineas because I was done with dealing with dead birds and mice, fleas, cat vomit and litter trays. Nine years on we are on GP4 and GP6

Sorry that was long

My dad wouldn't let us have dogs or cats as pets, and ny mum wouldn't let us have a house without animals. So we started with fish, then had newts, then birds... When two bird owning neighbours passed away the families asked if we'd look after the pets... When they were both gone baxk to their owners we were left with a tank of fish for company...

One day I left the house and a neighbour asked if I still had birds. Told her we hadn't had one for at least three years. Her next question was "would you want one?"

Shed been given a cockatiel as a birthday present. He was a house chewing escape artist with clipped wings and a tendency to steal biscuits.

He still steals biscuits if he gets the chance but he's 18 and now has a cage that resembles Fort Knox.