Bipolar Support Group

I've always been an animal person; I've had just about every pet a kid can have and I did volunteer programs with my local zoo into my teens. For a long while I thought I'd be a zoologist.

I, in fact, vastly prefer animal company to human.

How about the rest of you? Do you keep fuzzy companions? Do you find them more affable friends than other people?

my two dogs and cat are my best buddies....so much better than most people

Sorry, I'm not an animal person. I like them, but I don't want the responsibility of having one. I think it's great that a lot of people get so much from animals. I wish I did. Stay strong. Hugs

I don't think there has ever been a time in my life where I didn't have some kind of pet. I worked in a pet store while in college and I probably adopted about every kind of animal there is! Right now I have two dogs and a cockatiel. I honestly don't know what I'd do without them; they are like family to me. They don't hold grudges when I'm in a bad mood and they're always there to cheer me up. I like human companionship, though after a day of work, it's great to be by myself and spend time with my "kids".

Chrissie

Right now I've got one dog; a brindled pit by the name of Tristan (who I call trissybutt for some strange reason. also wubba. no idea on that one either) who is stumpy, fat, and so unbelievably sweet. He howls when he's happy, makes really cute yowly noises and is generally just a joy.

The only real constant in my life is my nightly walk with him!

Three kitties that I cannot live without! They give me so much comfort and love!

Andromelo: I have always been an animal person, but was never a dog person. I knew my BP husband missed his dogs from his youth.... Then I read some articles in 2000 about how great dogs can be (probably cats, too) for people with BP disorder, and thought maybe this would be a good idea for him.....

Here is the story of the Rain dog (and I will cry while I type this).... She came to us on a dark and stormy night (I'm not making this up) in the summer of 2001.... found by some young friends of ours tied to a tree in the front yard of a house not a block from my husband's shop at 7:30 in the morning, some guy kicking the crap out of her. They stopped, all BIG boys, and rather than have a confrontation the owner told them to take her if they thought they could do better. So they did. But none of them could keep her (all young, living at home with parents and already had other dogs), so she was eventually left to fend for herself on the street. One of their girlfriends finally rounded her up off the street and begged my husband to take her. I will never forget the phone call: "Can we adopt this dog that is sitting in my office looking at me?" What--I'm gonna say no?

We took her home, she bit me twice the first week we had her (she was only about a year old--what you might get if you crossed a Black Lab with a Rottie--actually called a 'RottenLab'), and I knew I had to learn a whole lot about dog training really, REALLY fast. Fast forward--After obedience training and some dominance agression training, she turned into a complete and total angel within 18 to 24 months. She was my husband's constant companion for almost 10 years, the love of his life. She always knew when either one of us was upset...

I'm sorry--I can't finish this story. She died at home on June 17, on the livingroom floor. The vets think she died of bloat. I was the only one there with her, stroking her and calling her name until the end.

I can't imagine anything better for a BP person than the right dog. I have go go now.... crying too hard.

I have lived with dogs and/or cats all my life, in addition to other pets like snakes. I am currently without any pets since my last dog died. The reason I don't have one now is because my husband refuses to allow another one. He gets really angry if I bring it up, so I don't anymore for the sake of marital bliss. I miss having a dog terribly. They are so intuitive and unconditionally loving. My last dog would lay by me with his head in my lap when I cried in emotional pain. He knew when I was up for playing and when I wasn't. I still cry over the dog I had growing up. They take a place in our hearts and remain.

Awww, God I am so sorry.

I was staying with my grandmother last year (was having some problems and wasn't properly medicated) and my aunt had taken in a miniature pinscher. He'd been purchased by her boyfriends sister- who then proceeded to buy a pit that didn't get along with other dogs. Poor Spud got shuffled around until he landed with us.

My aunt had failed to pay her electric bill and it was about to get shut off. She'd intended to lock this poor puppy in his crate in the garage during a FLORIDA SUMMER while she went to stay with the boyfriends sister so she could be in ac. My father took him instead and brought him to the apartment.

My aunt never came to pick him up, which was fine, because we fell in love with him. He was energetic, sweet, far too smart for his own good. I loved that animal entirely.

We had to leave the apartment because of financial things. Spud and Tristan were extremely sweet together- Tristan would curl up on the couch and Spud would curl up in the curve of his body and they'd sleep. It was so funny to watch that big "tough" pit play with that tiny minpin so gently.

He started lunging at cars on his walks. I don't know why. Just started going for 'em and barking. It worried me a lot.

The one day he slipped the leash when my grandmother was out walking him. We got the car to try and coax him back- but we found him up the road, a very kind stranger laying him on the curb so his little body wouldn't receive any more damage.

He was good enough to tell me that he died instantly, that he'd seen it happen, and so he didn't suffer.

Still I stood on the sidewalk and cried like I never have in all my life. This wonderful woman I'd never met held me and told me about losing her own dog as a child in much the same way. While it rekindled a bit of my faith in people...it's an awfully hefty price.

I had him for a year but he had such a presence; he was such a huge part of my life. I still think about him and miss him horribly.

It took me weeks to be able to sleep right, and I can't walk on that corner.

So I absolutely know how hard that is, and I'm so sorry.

We lost my best bud Oliver a year ago. When we first got our dog he chased the cats. Oliver was over weight and we basically think he had a heart attack. We watched him fall over and stop breathing.....He was my first baby boy. Miss him everyday!