Friday Five: Cats or Dogs or What?

It's a Friday Five about pets!!!  A subject well loved in my household.  Jan writes:

In my experience in the United States, people are either "Dog People" or "Cat People." As the graph above illustrates, not everyone is limited to those types of animals. So I am wondering about pets and experiences with them.

1. Are you a DOG or a CAT person? Or OTHER?
I tend to be a cat person, although we've had dogs throughout the years.
 
2. Who were the pets of your childhood and what were they like?

The two pets I remember from childhood are Snoopy, the dog, and Cindy, our cat.  I don't remember much about Snoopy, but Cindy was much beloved.  She found us when I was in 1st grade, and she died when I was a freshman in college.  She was the gentlest cat with the sweetest disposition.  In all the years we had her, I don't remember her growling at us or scratching us, even through our early childhood years when we would try to dress her up or carry her under our arms.  I thought of her as my cat, because she slept on my bed at night.  When I was in 5th grade, I was tested for allergies/asthma, and the doctor said we would have to get rid of pets.  I was almost hysterical at the idea.  My parents didn't get rid of her, and we had many more years with her.

3. What pets do you have now?
We have too many pets at our house right now!  We have Cocoa, who is mixed breed Australian Shepherd.  She's nine.  We have Bella, our three-legged siamese cat.  She's four.  We have Gibby, our chihuahua puppy.  She's not quite a year.  And we have two turtles.

4. Have you ever had any unusual pets in your household or visit your home?
Not really.  My boys would love to have snakes (grandmother HATES them), or lizards.  I have drawn the line at reptiles, because of the major upkeep problems.

5. What have you learned from your pets? Give one recent example, if possible.
I have learned that pets are worse than children about driving you crazy.  Cocoa is an escape artist, and got out this morning because someone left our gate open.  She does not come when you call her; in fact, she runs the other direction.  Fortunately a neighbor brought her home!


BONUS: Pictures or anything else related to animals you love.