We are fur-tunate to have our pets.

Odds are, you or someone you know has some creature in their life that keeps them grounded. Your mom’s cat makes her smile, your grandmother’s puppies keep her company, and, well, even the barking chihuahua next door must make your neighbor so happy that they keep him. Pets can be more than just friendly companions, as more often than not, pets are included as part of their families, and given just as much love as a child or parent. We at the Bronco Roundup have a crew of pets of our own, so I took it upon myself to interview some of my classmates to find out, what makes our pets special? How do they manage to make our lives so enjoyable?

I first asked participants what pets they had, and their names. Though I mostly received dogs as answers, seen in Mochi, Maddie, Gunner, Snickers, Dodger, and Sugar, there were also a couple cats thrown in the mix, those being Bodie, Dakota, and Maggie.

 Grace Griego’s dog, Mochi, with a slipper in her mouth.

When asked what makes pets special, I got a multitude of responses that could not be condensed in one, short answer. Grace Griego described her dog, Mochi, as her favorite pet because she “cuddles when you’re sick” and often “ran laps around the dinner table until she got tired”, and how her cats “like walks around the house”, but only if you follow them. Paige Lary assured that her dog, Maddie, is “the cutest dog in the world”, and Alex Fimbres said her pup, Sugar, is “the first dog [she had] that didn’t bark in the house.” Every pet has different traits that makes their owner love them, which is why I didn’t see many similar answers. But, that’s the fun part about pets: each one is unique and different, just like a human. It just takes a special owner to seek their specialties out.

I then followed up to this question by asking the group what their favorite memory with their pet(s) has been. Paige recounted the numerous times where Maddie has begged during dinner, so her family tells her to “get out of town” for her to leave, only for her to “slunker off” guiltily. Peyton Hersley says his favorite memory is getting Dodger, the youngest of his dog trio, and originally not wanting him. However, they decided to get him anyways because he “had so much character”. Alex remembers that Sugar was very excited on their first walk together. My favorite memory with Maggie is that we had originally been told that he was a girl, thus he received the legendary name: Maggie. But we found out a few months later that “Maggie is actually a Maggo”. We kept the name Maggie, though, to spare him confusion. Funny stories usually stick with us the most, but memories with our pets can be felt with any emotion. Our pets are just there to make the bumpy ride of life a bit more enjoyable.

Me, Jeniffer Velazquez, pictured with Maggie the cat.

Finally, I asked the group what question they would ask their pets if they had a single opportunity to do so – and would receive a truthful answer. Although all of these were exclusive to their pets, the results are funny and can apply to lots of other critters. Grace would ask Mochi, “Who is your favorite in our family?”, despite knowing the answer would likely be her dad. I would ask Maggie, “what goes on in your dreams that makes you kick and grumble sometimes?” Paige wouldn’t know what to ask, because she feels that “[her relationship with Maddie] has been established on a different type of communication”, and if she had the chance to talk she “wouldn’t know what to say verbally”. Peyton would ask Dodger why he cries so much, and Alex would ask her dog why she runs into walls all the time.

All in all, everyone’s relationship with their pets is different. From energetic dogs to lumbering cats, it takes as much to get to know a pet as it does to get to know a person. But once you become close, you can make memories that last a lifetime, past your life with your furry friend. Do you have a memory with your pet you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them in the comments below!