Does anyone else love their animals, and make them an equal part of their family? Am I abnormal?

Question

We adore Bijou. She is a first time "hammy" mom. and, from what I've read, has been exceptional in rearing her children. We did not try earlier, but she accepted us picking up her children as early as a week after they were born.. The babies, now 2 and 1/2 weeks, see us as an extension of mom, another comforting food source they can count on.. Do not bite and are not at all hesitant about jumping into our hands. We have now perhaps four, out of eight, that are not ;spoken for. How can we possibly gve them away and ensure that they are going to caring homes?

Answer 1

You're not abnormal, there are SO many people out there that take care of animals as they are children.  My dog is my baby!  Here in NY, there are dog bakeries that do birthday parties, there are doggie daycares, there are parks that are just for them, etc.  There's a whole world out there for parents of dogs that love them and treat them like their babies.  You can even get their own beds and room service for them in some hotels here!

I think more and more people treat their dogs more like family than like animals.  There has been a lot of research and surveys done on this and I've read in newspaper articles that people spend more on their dogs medical issues than they would on their own!  I DO believe that because I've always had dogs and have done everything in my power to keep them happy and healthy!

My dog gets what my family gets.  If we have a bbq, he joins in and has his own burger and hot dog. Of course, he's not at the table, but he sits at the foot of our chairs, and is there with us. If we go out for ice cream, he gets his own little cup or cone with sprinkles, I take him out for walks and make sure he has water all the time with ice, he can sleep in my bed and he is constantly cared for and has tons of toys!  I think most people do have their dogs with them and are very active with their pets.

I know lots of people that are like this, in the city there are cafes you can bring your dog and you can go there and order them up food with you, LA and Arizona has them too and I'm sure there's more states with them.  You can take the dog out and eat with them.  My dog is treated like a little king and is kept in air conditioning and if it's too hot out, he is only out to do what he has to do in and then back in.  He has his own bed  and he has toys upon toys.  I NEVER come home without a toy or treat for him.  Whenever I leave, he knows I come home with something for him.

I KNOW not everyone is like that, but a LOT of people are, I DO cook for my dog, and some people do and some dont, but I think there's more people out there that are treating their dogs like family members then they are like pets.  Everyone I know that has had a dog, has treated them special.  They are members of the family and not just dogs.  They get treats, they have their own beds, I even know one that got his own room!  LOL  I don't have room to do that for my guy, but I wouldn't want him secluded in his own room anyway, but there are SO many more people out there that treat their pets like thier family.

If you go to the pets section and look under dogs, you'll see a very caring community of animal lovers and see that there's lots of people there too that treat thier dogs like family too!

I hope this helps and makes you more comfortable in giving away the rest of the puppies. You can also tell by seeing how the people interact with the puppy when they come to see it.  Usually those that are dog lovers and treat them like family are going to be all over the puppy and not stand offish. Those that aren't animal people are going to be more stand offish and just pick them out and that's it.  Those of us who love animals are going to be cuddling them, etc.

You can also ask questions like where the dog is going to sleep, how many hours a day they work and where the puppy will be when they're at work, etc.  If there's kids in the house and will be they interacting with the dog, etc.  That way you can tell what kind of environment the dog is going to.