Have you ever had a pet?

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Jo: These are my pets. Erm, this one's Chloe and this one's Autumn, and they're guinea pigs. They live here, they live here in this cage. They've got upstairs, downstairs, and they spend most of their day eating and running round the garden eating my flowers. But they're quite good pets. They're really friendly. And my daughters really wanted to get some pets during lockdown. I know lots of people bought pets in lockdown. But these guinea pigs are perfect for our, for our family. They're quite cute. Look, cuties!

Kirk: When I was a kid, I sometimes took care of the neighbour's cats and dog when they went away, and I once took care of an owl for a few months when I worked in a nature centre. But I've never had a pet of my own, um, never really wanted one, to be honest. I do like dogs, but I think if you have a pet, it puts limitations on what you can do on travel and things like that and, uh, and I wouldn't want that.

Jo: So, these cows … well, they're not my pets. They're not my cows, actually, but they live here, just on the other side of my garden fence. Look, and they're ever so friendly. They've come to say hello. They live really near me and I like looking at them out of the window.

Jo: Now, this is Fosca, and she's not my dog but she's a dog that … she's my friend's dog and we go running together, so this is Fosca who's a beautiful dog that I borrow sometimes. Hey, Fosqui!

Jonathan: Erm, I don't have a pet at the moment, but I would like to one day, er, yes. But actually I do have a bird that I'm taking care of right now. Er, you can have a look in this box. Er, I found this little bird in the street just now, and it was all alone and a bit scared, so I'm just about to drop it off at the government so they can take care of it properly. That nice little bird.

 

In this video, the LearnEnglish team talk about pets and other animals around them. Here are some of the things they said.

  • These are my pets. This one's (Chloe) and this one's (Autumn).
  • They live here, (in this cage / on the other side of the fence).
  • They're really (friendly/cute/playful … ).
  • She's not my (dog). She's (my friend's dog).
  • When I was a kid, I sometimes took care of (the neighbour's cats and dog).
  • I've never had a pet of my own.
  • If you have a pet, it puts limitations on (travel and things like that).
  • I don't have a pet at the moment, but I would like to one day.

Now it's your turn

  • Have you ever had a pet? Tell us about it!
  • If you haven't had a pet, would you like to have one?
  • Are there any animals around where you live?

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Average: 5 (3 votes)

Submitted by Cayong03 on Tue, 05/09/2023 - 06:55

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When I was younger, I used to had two dogs; Kelly and Pusi. They both were adorable. Kelly was a little girl; she used to accompany me sleeping when my parents weren't at home. Pusi was such a loyal and caring boy; he would accompany me going to church for choir practice even though I would end up carrying him since he was quite small compared to other dogs in my neigborhood. They both died when I was in college and I hadn't had another dogs ever since.

Earlier this year, there was a stray cat looming around my house, so I just sort of adopted her (Chimmy). She's a little cutie.

Submitted by HadeelKR99 on Wed, 30/08/2023 - 09:15

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When I was a child my brother bring his friend's cat , it was young and small in size ,it was so cute and friendly, she used to play and move around the house ,we had spent a lot of time playing with her , and when my brother got it back to his friend I felt so sad .

Now I don't have any pets in my home ,but my neighbor has cat and birds so sometime I go there and play with theme ,and If my neighbor want to leave she brings them to me .

Submitted by Prizuxa on Fri, 25/08/2023 - 00:16

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In my lifetime I remember being an animal person. When I was a kid, my parents didn’t allow me to have dog or cat, so I had hamsters. I loved them so much and because of them I decided to become a Veterinarian. Nowadays I’m a veterinarian anesthetist, and animals are my purpose of life. I try to do my best to avoid them to suffer, relieving their pain, and improving their quality of life.
These two in the picture are my own pets, Jobim and Greta.

Submitted by claubatista on Thu, 17/08/2023 - 11:12

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Loved this comment section, lots of beautiful pictures and adorable stories about all the pets.

I am also an animal lover. Not only that, but I always had pets at home, when I was a child I had a black cat, Nana, who was a very nice and beautiful cat, unfortunately she was killed. That was very traumatizing for a 9 year old.

When I was a teenager, my family adopted a dog, Laika, she was a cocker mix, black and white, lived with my family for 13 years. I grew up with her, all my best memories she was there, I love her and miss her so much.

And now that I'm an adult, I also have dogs. Paçoca and Panqueca, both are crossbred dogs. Paçoca I found on the street when I was a puppy, he appears in my way when I needed him most. At that moment, I was going through a very difficult time, and he helped me through that moment. I adopted Panqueca a year later, she was already an adult dog. She came to complete the family.

It takes a lot of work to take care of them, but every minute is worth it.

Hi claubatista,

Lovely photo of lovely dogs :) They seem to get on well with each other.

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Bùi Linh on Fri, 04/08/2023 - 09:36

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When I was young, I had a cute dog. In my mind, he was really attractive with silky black fur. I sometimes got angry and shouted at him but he would be always made me relaxed and happy. It's painful that he left me forever. After that I have had no more dog as a pet. Now I have some fish to take care of; however, I still miss my dog.

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Submitted by Jlengerke on Thu, 03/08/2023 - 17:43

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I had a dog and her name was Kazuki. I know it is a weird name; the truth is that I cannot remember why I gave her that name. She passed away at the age of 14 in December 2019. Currently, I have two female cats. The older one is Sweaty, and she is 11 years old. On the other hand, the younger one is Chubby, who is 10 years old. I love my cats, and they make my life more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Submitted by Bibyg on Tue, 01/08/2023 - 15:56

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Hi,
I'm animal lover. When I was young and I lived in the countryside I took care of seventeen cats and some owls, one swallow and one orphan deer I found into the wood around my house.
Now I live in a flat in the city and I'm human mum of the three cats. Kilua the white one, is the oldest. Namur is bengala cat and Kaly the black one is the pig cat because is the fattest.

Hi Bibyg,

Thanks for sharing the photos of your lovely cats :)

I'm really interested in the deer that you mentioned. It sounds like the story of Bambi! How long did you take care of the deer for? Did it come to your house every day?

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Trang Luu on Tue, 18/07/2023 - 05:26

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Hi everyone!
When I was a kid, once my father brought a puppy home he got from his friend. The puppy was very cute and we loved to play with him all day but it was not long. He dead by an accident when he run out of the door just after a couple days. I cried a lot and we have never had any dog after that.

Hi Trang!I
Is very sad your story! I think that all the people have had a pet , have cried when they have died. However, for some reason, all the people repeat the experience. In my oppinion, to have a pet allow us to learn a lots of things about ourselves. Moreover, there is not anithing more beautiful than the affection of a pet. I love the dogs, I have 2... "Lobo" and "Mickey". The firs one, a man gave it to me because he couldn't take him with him to the new country where he was going to live. Mickey, was abandoned and fortunately, I found him in the field while I was working. I love them!

Submitted by KadirSenel85 on Thu, 13/07/2023 - 12:08

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Hello Everyone,
İn the past, When I was 15 yers-old I had two dogs. I called them king and Lily. They are very energetic and cute animals. We play together all the time and we use to go to the park or other place because they want to play and run all day. As I said dogs are very energetic animals.
İf you have responsbility you should buy a animal. İt would be cat or dog. See you later. I will come again for comment. Bye bye.

Hi KadirSenel85,

It sounds fun to have two dogs! As you said, they have a lot of energy. I just wonder if it is too tiring! Some dogs don't seem to get tired ever!

Do you think you will have another dog?

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Ragaa-Aly on Wed, 12/07/2023 - 10:42

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I have two parrots, I called them Lili & Leo. They are amazing parrots. I spend many hours every day playing with them. It's fantastic to have a pet in your house.

Submitted by TEACHER.ANDERSON on Wed, 12/07/2023 - 10:30

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Last year I adopted a stray dog. I called it caramel. He was very playful and agitated, but unfortunately he caught a very serious illness and eventually died.

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Submitted by fede0108 on Mon, 10/07/2023 - 23:23

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I have two dogs and a cat. My dogs' names are Nila and Calabaza. Nila is bigger than Calabaza but they are both very energetic. My cat's name is Liza. She's very peaceful but also very needy.
In my neighbourhood, there are several animals. I can see some horses, sheep, many types of birds and cows!

Submitted by Ronal Sinai on Mon, 10/07/2023 - 16:58

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Hello friends, I always love the pets, I have two cats their names are Bastet and Ramsés.

Submitted by Kubra-A on Mon, 10/07/2023 - 16:38

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Actually I don’t have a pet. But my parents have a dog. So he is also mine. His name is oscar. Oscar really friendly dog. He likes to play with us. Of course we too.

Submitted by MarlaSun on Mon, 10/07/2023 - 15:14

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I've never had a pet of my own. However, I usually take care of my grandparent's cats when I go to their house.

Even though I enjoy a lot the time I spend with those cats, I wouldn't like to live myself with an animal at the moment. Given my current circumstances, I wouldn't have enough time to took care of the animal properly.

I see a lot of dogs with its owners where I live, and also some birds, especially near the beaches.

Hi Marla,
I agree, to have a pet is a responsability because they need time and atention. Im sure your grandparent's cats enjoy your company and at the same time you get a lot of love.

Submitted by s.o.s.o on Sat, 08/07/2023 - 22:18

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Hello I love pets, always in my live I had a pet When I was a kid, in home, we had chikens, cats . But today I has a cat named Reoo.

Submitted by Maria Zachariou on Sat, 08/07/2023 - 20:23

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Hello. My name is Maria. This is Andys. He is not my pet. Andys is my mother's pet. Unfortunately I do not have any pet at tge moment. not because I do not desire any but my husband does not want it.
I used to have a cutie dog when i was a student but the landlor forbade me to have it with me at the apartment.
Therefore, my best friend took care of it. I wish to have one now as i have a son, who is one year old and i would like to learn him how to love animals.

Hi Maria,

I'm showing my poor animal knowledge here, but what is it? Is it a camel? It's cute! I wonder how big it will grow to be?

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Mehek S on Sat, 08/07/2023 - 17:36

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Hi friends!! My name is Mehek. I'm a college student. I have many cats in my home and they're super lovely and fun to spend time with. The picture I have included here was my first cat Sarah. As she is a female cat, she just gave birth to many kittens and now we just kinda have a cat farm lol

Submitted by muyanik on Sat, 08/07/2023 - 15:46

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Actually, my children wold like to get some pets but I don't have any pets. If we have a large-garden house, we coluld probably have some pets, like cat and dog. In the other hand, in my opinion, birds should be free, nat caged. it makes me sad to see the birds in cage, like a jail. That's why I don't like have birds as pet in the cage and ı say this to my children.

Submitted by Tagga on Sat, 08/07/2023 - 08:55

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In my early childhood we had many many pets as a family.
We had two dogs, one cat, six different birds, a small rabbit together in a cage with a guinea pig, one hamster and a white mouse named Speedy Gonzales.
I am very grateful for that, as I think growing up with pets leads to more responsibility and care in dealing with others.
Unfortunately I have no pets today, because my husband and I are traveling a lot.
But I have a favorite animal at the moment. It’s a very cute cow which I have recently met on one of my bike rides. To look in its face makes me happy.

Hi Tagga,

Like you I don't have any pets at the moment but I do have some animals in my local area that I enjoy visiting, such as cats and dogs that are kept by shopkeepers in my neighbourhood. If you can't have a pet, I guess that's close!

Do you go to see the cow often?

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Bruno.Morais on Fri, 07/07/2023 - 00:05

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I have two cats. They're so cut. I love them. I always wanted when I was a child but my mom never give me permission that.

Submitted by ldanielars on Wed, 05/07/2023 - 17:06

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I have never had a pet of my own because all my life I have lived in a flat in an urban area, and because it’s a huge responsibility to take care of an animal. Sometimes I would like to have one, but I remember all I have to do, and then I don’t want to. When I really decide to have a pet, I would like to have a dog or maybe a cat.

Submitted by alydevil on Wed, 05/07/2023 - 13:40

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Hello, I love pets, always in my live I had a pet. When I was a kid, in home, we had ducks, chikens, dogs (always), parrots. But today I has a dog named Argos, he is australian blue heeler and he is so loved an bart a lot!!
Have a great day!

Submitted by AlaaElkhatib on Wed, 05/07/2023 - 08:26

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I had pets after two years ago
Y had two birds one of them called canary and the other called Hasson
I liked them because they are cute, playfull and have beautifull colors & thier sounds are funny

Submitted by mdronsta on Wed, 05/07/2023 - 05:47

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When I was a child, I had a dog, its name was Paçoca. A few years ago I adopted Luna, a very cute kitten, but in a short time my mother developed a severe allergy, so I had to give Luna away to a friend. I don't have any pet today, but I want to adopt another kitten wen I leave my parent's house.

Submitted by Stefania Ferraris on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 16:01

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I had a pet just once in my life: it was a small yellow bird (a canary). I was 7 years old and as I was going on asking my mum for a pet and my parents worked the whole day and didn't have time to look after an animal, finally she agreed to buying me this small bird. She might have thought that he wasn't demanding, but she was wrong. Actually she lived just one year and then she died, probably because one day my parents went to work and I went to school and we left his cage in the terrace as it was a beautiful day, but it started raining and he might have caught cold. That's why I don't have a pet even now, as it's a great responsability and you need to have a lot of time to take care of them.

I agree that it's great responsibility to take care of pets and we have to give enough time to take care of them. I think those who do not have time to take care of pets should not have one .

Submitted by MARYSE OLEON on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 15:40

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Hello I'm Maryse and I have a dog . His name is Sirius and he has 2 years old. HE is cute and very kind , specially with my grandchildren. He is also very energetic. I'm happy with my dog

Hi Maryse,

Thanks for telling us about Sirius and sharing a picture of him. He must be a lovely pet for all the family.

 

Best wishes,

Jo (LearnEnglish team)

Submitted by Dia55 on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 14:16

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Hi everyone!
I have a parrot Laris (Nymphicus hollandicus), a small grey Australian parrot with a yellow crested head and I think this parrot is a boy, but I am not sure about this:).

I didn't expect that this little bird will be mine one day, because it was a gift for my daughter, he lived in her room, but one day I had to take him from her room, because he liked to litter and I didn't want to develop allergy for my daughter, so he moved in the bigger living room, where "we were developed relationships". The story happened in the pandemic time.

I worked remotely and his cage was near my workplace. When I had short rest breaks between my work tasks, I spotted that the parrot observes me and his look isn't silly (until then I realise that they are not very smart). I noticed that parrots are really smart creatures. He wanted to communicate, Laris understood my mood and what I was talking about.

Little by little, we started to communicate, we were developed our relationships and now we have friendly ones. He is not very sweet, but likes me more than other members of my family. Laris is a parrot with a character, but we still are sharing our home with him, because it is a living creature and if you have someone you have to take care of him until the end.

So this is my story.

Hi Dia55,

That's a very interesting story. Parrots are very intelligent birds and they can communicate well. Does Laris talk or imitate you?

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Haneen Quttaineh on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 14:02

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Hi
I've had fish before. I took care of them like food and cleaning their water but I got tired of it and frankly fish are'nt my favorite animal. I love penguin, horse, owl and fox they are my favorite animals and I hope one day I can take care of them and see them up close even if they are'nt mine.

Submitted by DorotaBielecka on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 13:56

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Hi, my name is Dorota. I had a lot of pets in my life. They were: hamsters, rats,cats,dogs,fishes,turtles even a hedgehog :). Nowaday I have a dog and her name is Sara. She has been living with us for about 4 yeras. In my opinion the dogs are the most faithful pet. Sara has only one disadvantage: she very likes to jump on everyone who eneters on our yard :).

Hi DorotaBielecka,

If you ask me, that's an advantage, not disadvantage :) I feel the affection from dogs when they do that!

A pet hedgehog, that's interesting. Was it easy or difficult to look after?

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Yes I know that dogs like to do that, but when some our guests enter to our yard and see a big dog which is run in their way and suddenly jump on their clothes they probably don't feel comfortable. I'm her owner so I know that she does it because she likes play and she expresses her feelings.
Regarding a hedgehog in our household. I found him in my grandmothers garden when I was a child. I took him to our house, I took care of him for a few days, gave him a milk and then my grandmother told me that his natural environment is a garden whether wood , so I had to let him go. I was crying for a few days. I dont remember exactly how it was ,but probably I found another pet to take care of :)

Submitted by lolilu on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 07:56

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Hi!
I have two cats, Doris and Cometa. I love animals. Animals have been with me since I was Björn, specially cats.

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Submitted by hejianan1986 on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 07:16

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I had a dog named Wang for 15 years, he had gone 5 years ago. Nowaday, I have four cats which are friendly and athletic. They are all my babies, and I miss my dog ,because he is my first pet in my life.

Submitted by borikr83 on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 07:05

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At the moment I don't have a pet. I used to have two dogs when I was a student. Their names were Tixie and Rex. I loved them very much and I was very sad when they passed away. Nowadays I would like to have a dog. I adore these animals. However my son prefers cats. So, we could have a dog or a cat some day .

Hi borikr83,

Good luck and I hope you find the right animal for you. Cats and dogs are quite different, aren't they? Why does your son prefer cats?

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Franckwood on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 03:50

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I have a dog, his name is Black. He is mixed breed, he has 8 years old.

Submitted by Amal_nasr 66 on Mon, 03/07/2023 - 22:11

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My name is Amal. I have pets since I was child, birds and fishes, but now I have a small brown turtle. It's from desert Greece. It's 2 years old. It's very slowly. It's too calm. My two Neighbours have two dogs, but I don't like their dogs. they are very noisy.