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Ditty | | Ditty was a brown and white tabby. She appeared at our house one day. I was only learning to talk then, so the best I could do saying "kitty" was "Ditty." The name stuck. She was a wonderful cat, and she and I used to take naps in the sun together when I was a baby. She ate broccoli and took to yowling in her old age. She was hit by a car several years ago. We haven't gotten a cat since. |
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Betsy | | Betsy was my first pet, a peach and white teddy bear hamster. I picked her out at the pet store and named her after a cartoon mother bear named Betsy. She did not like being touched, and she thorougly enjoyed gnawing on stuffed animals. Not the friendliest pet, but a good pet nonetheless. |
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Chibi | | Chibi is our cute dog. He is a terrier mutt and is from the pound and is peach-colored. He is named the Japanese word for "little boy." Chibi is the best dog. He is incredibly smart and a good watchdog, (sometimes too good.) He loves his family, but he isn't as fond of strangers. He has a very endearing way of sitting in front of the grass door with his frnt paw held up as if he is waiting for someone to go shake it. Unfortunately, Chibi is getting on in years. |
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Darter | | My first experience with a fish, Darter was from the elementary school science teacher. He was a dark orange and very fast, hence his name. He had two tank-mates, Samantha and Goldie. They were wonderful pets, and suffered a tragic death when the water company started adding a new chemical, unbeknowst to us. Turns out a nearbly restaurant's koi died the same way at the same time. |
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Hamsters | | Best clumped together, since we have had so many. Hammy was our next hamster, a reddish brown rodent. She was large and lived to a ripe old age. Cotton had soft, white fur, and he used to fall asleep in my shirt pocket. Mouse had a long tail for a hamster; Peachy was peach colored; Peachette was named after Peachy and had babies; Junior was the runt of that litter; Crazy Lady Hammy was Junior's sister and was nuts; and Creamy was from a friend's cousin. |
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Roadkill | | Roadkill was an alligator lizard. He ate live mealworms, hissed and bit at people, and lived a solitary life in a bucket for months. We finally let him go in our yard. was my mom ever pleased she no longer had to buy mealworms. |
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Fish | | We have had hundreds of fish, all passed away by now. This is actually our first month without having a fish. We have had lots of goldfish and guppies, a few corydoras, algae eaters, and several zebra danios. The bulk of our fish number were from my sister's guppy tank, (who would've known guppies reproduce that quickly?) They all died from a mysterious ailment. |
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Guinea Pigs | | Harry was our first; he is a brown, gray, and white abyssinian. Harry is odd. He enjoys eating and sleeping and looking for food. He is definitely a character. Fresna was next. She was a sweet guinea pig. Her coat was smooth and black and orange. She had a very pitiful cry. Fresna recently was put to sleep. Baby is black and very hairy. She is extremely timid. Her ears are also fully erect. |
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Insects | | I had a praying mantis for awhile that I kept in a mayonaise jar and fed butterflies that I had caught. (I could never do that now, though.) We also took care of three monarch butterfly caterpillars and watche dthem grow up. We released the butterflies when they emerged. |
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Others | | Pets we had for a day or so: Banana was an opossum we caught in our garage and released in the nearby canyon, Towee was a baby starling I rescued from my dog who escaped the next day, and an unnamed snake that my sister caught. Unfortunately, my dad wasn't as fond of him as we were, and we were forced to release him. Yes, I know you should never keep a wild animal for a pet, but we were young. |
I have two younger sisters, Pamela and Emily, and a wonderful father, Takao, and a loving mother, Kathy. I am forever grateful to these four people for supporting me, shaping my character, and for just being all-around great.