In this thread, discuss your pet losses, and let's help each other through them. Discuss a time you've lost a pet that meant a lot to you. No made up stories please. Be sincere. No pitty party please.

Come on everyone. Participate and help someone out.

I realize to some a fish may not be considered a pet, but I do.
I got Vinnie Valentino, a betta, on 2/13/05 at a Walmart where they had the set up with the plant in the vase and the fish swimming around in the vase part... I really didn't intend to get a fish that night but something about this little guy just charmed me and I couldn't resist (thus the name Valentino..lol) Over the past year I got a better living arraignment for him, and another betta. Last week I got a 2.5 gallon double aquarium for Vinnie and his "brother" Marcus. (don't have a clue why I named him that I just liked the regal sound of it) You have to run the aquarium 24 hours before putting the fish in so I set that up after I got home late Sat. night and Sunday before I went to work I put the fishies in the little cups they came in when I got them to be able to clean the rocks and other stuff to be able to move those with them to their new home when I got home from work that night. Well Vinnie I ended up having to put in a big white cappuccino mug cause his plastic cup cracked...when I got home and went in to say "Hello fish!" I looked in to Vinnie's and he was gone! No where to be seen anywhere! I don't know if the opaqueness of the cup freaked him out and that made him jump out or what. I didn't have a topper on his or Marcus' cause they had lived in fish bowls without a top to it so I didn't even think about it. I knew betta's could be jumpers but Vinnie never acted like he even wanted to let alone could or would. When I couldn't find him I thought maybe one of the dogs had had a little snack with dinner which really made me feel kinda ookey or worse yet that he might have been alive when they picked him up and that would then freak them out and he'd be flung over into my bed for me to find between the sheets! Really Ookey!!
Next morning Jenny, one of my pups, kept sniffing around the bookcase the aquarium is sitting on so Mom and I (she was over to see Marcus in his new home and mourn over Vinnie with me...he charmed all us girls in my family) pulled the bookcase way away from the wall and there was little Vinnie. We thought about having a little burial for him out back but I figured the dogs would just love digging him up and rolling in that! Plus Vinnie was used to the water..so~ ~we flushed him. Still makes me sad. He never got to see his bright pretty new home, and he should have lived alot longer swimming round having fun, being charming.
I definitely learned my lesson....Don't put a fish in something he can't see out of and Do put a topper on it if you are not going to be able to get it right back in it's home!
Rest in Peace little Vinnie Valentino....Goodbye fish...

My little foo foo breathed his last breath. I cried for about half a second. Then I went to the animal shelter and picked up foo bear! Been happy ever since.

I used to give my little foo foo pickle relish from my hot dogs.

Jack I'm purposely ignoring you.

Kellie, I can so relate to your story.. my son got a Hermit crab for his birthday.. it took us about 5 minutes to realize that they are the most boring pets alive.... but nevertheless, I read the book and realized they need a lot of care!

Like humidity and warming pads.. sigh.. I was a horrible parent. Poor thing must have froze on some nights.

But, for some reason his little green shell brought out the protectiveness in me and I would wake up in the middle of the night to go cover up Herbie.

One morning, I woke up and went to his aquarium and stepped on a shell! I thought 'what the ?' and looked around.. my black lab Kodi was lying on the floor looking all innocent.. it took me about 2 seconds to realize that he pulled out Herbie and all the crab food and shells!! OMG!! I was so freaked out! I had to Find Herbie before the kids got up! I just knew the freaking dog ate Herbie!

The nightmare of it all! I was running around the house searching all over for a little green shell - I couldn't believe it!

At long last, I found Herbie behind a couch... the poor baby was so traumatized and he lost a claw. You have to remember, this is the same little guy I would hold in my lap on a blanket to keep warm - only when he put out his claws did I scream for my son to come and get him! I liked him in the shell but I didn't like him out of it with claws!

Anyway, long story short, Herbie lived a while longer and survived the mauling of Kodi but for some reason, he climbed out of his little green shell and moved to a bigger shell and then he died.

I have decided that a Hermit crab is the worst possible pet to own and am sticking with mammals even though they attempt to eat my other pets.. at least they can keep my feet warm on cold nights.

First off, Jack, please have some heart here.

Kellie, I can also relate to you. I got my wife a beta over Christmas, and we've just become extremely attached to it. We named him Kauai, after the place we went for our honeymoon. I think I'd be pretty upset, if something happened to the little guy. Sure, we can always get another one, but it's not the same. They all have different personalities.

My sympathy goes out to you for the loss of Valentino.

By the way, are you planning on getting another one?

Karrie, sorry to hear about the loss of Herbie. By the way, that's a cute name! Like you said though, hermit crabs just weren't meant to be pets IMO.

First off, Jack, please have some heart here.


I'm sorry guys. I was trying to be funny, but I see that you are sincere in the loss of your pets. I know how close you can be to a pet. My best friend, a black and white cocker, died a few years back. I really miss her.


I'd also like to apologize publicly to Mr. Anderson. I'm sorry if I wasn't sensitive to your grief, and your attachment to Holly. I commend you for caring so much for her.

I think the reason there was such a long wait for a first comment was that we all knew you'd make light of it Jack, or at least that was my reasoning. But I'll accept what I hope is a sincere apology. :)

Karrie I've wondered about the little hermit crabs and their cute designer shells, just how much trouble and expense it would be to set up their home, etc. I never would have thought about a pup getting after them! Funny how that frantic "where the heck did he go" can keep you looking for the longest time. You want to know what happened but not quite sure you want to see! I'm glad Herbie made it through the night and lived awhile longer.
About the heat...I didn't realize that fishes needed heat either (file that under things you didn't know you didn't know!) until I too read up on it. I had Vinnie and Marcus in seperate fishbowls and would wrap towels under and around the bowls at night hoping they were warm enough. I felt like such a terrible "mom". I was glad to get the new home for them cause it has a light and helps so much that way. Plus the acrylic is much warmer then the glass fishbowls.
I did get me another one just this last Saturday. My sister and I were at Petsmart and of course oohing and aahing over all the cute pups walking around and ended up over at the fishies. They had female bettas there and we were told that you can have them in the same tank as the males and they shouldn't fight like two males do so I ended up getting a new little girl. She's pure white and shiny so I named her Glenda...ya know as in Glenda the good witch lol When we got her home and in the tank with Marcus all seemed wonderfully well between them for about 20 minutes till I guess he figured out it would be fun (for him) to nip at a fin and scare her! So once again I had to seperate them because I was going out for the evening and didn't want to leave her in a warzone. When I got home I went in to check on her in her little cup and paniced again cause I didn't see her! I thougth well bleep! not again! Then I saw her little black eyes looking up at me...she is so white she blended in with the clear water and the wall behind her! Anyway long story not so short..she and Marcus are happy in the same tank with the divider between them. She has figured out he can't get to her so she flits around the divider teasing him by flipping her fins in his face...the little flirt! lol
Oh I forgot to mention...they told me that she might have babies cause she was in a tank with about 10 other females and one "stud" (their wording) male betta (talk about big man on camus huh?) They said if it didn't happen in a couple of weeks then she wasn't. My options on if she does have babies is to either seperate the babies and raise them to sell (to whom??) or flush the babies (yikes!) or they just may eat them and take care of the whole situation! Won't that be fun!? Kill 'em, let them get eaten or take on the added responsibility of raising baby fish!! :whiteflag

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