Is anyone else a sucker for the difficult ones?

[TheLottiediarys]

I don't know if I'm just feeling soppy today after cuddles with all my little animals. But my very bitey Hamster who hasn't let me hold him for the whole year I've had him actually let me hold him tonight, of his own free will! His little paw on my hand... Ahh! It was incredible!

It got me thinking how, of course I love all my animals, But I have a soft spot for the difficult ones, The Bite-y ones, The disabled ones, The ones who most people 'throw away' because they're not pliable to the general idea of a 'perfect pet'.

It got me thinking that especially at this time of year when many family's buy a 'Christmas Present' for their kids, So many of these animals get turned over to rescues because they're difficult in their eyes, or they just get plain bored of the novelty of a new pet.

In someways, I think the difficult ones, who get labeled as bad, or hard to rehome because they're bitey or disabled in someway, Or just old and not wanted anymore.
I always gravitate towards these animals.
My two hamsters were both labeled as bad and untameable, But one is just territorial and the other was plain traumatised by her previous owners.
My female cat was pushed on us by her breeder because shes shy and wont get sold otherwise, Shes the most loving, sweet girl! She just needs to trust you first!
My poor bunny, Who i was told i should just PTS because she suffered a stroke! Maybe shes lopsided now, But now shes my special girl who loves snuggles and following me around while I do the laundry!
My lovely two girl piggies, Sold to us as a healthy pair of 1 year olds, who turned out to be riddles with Mites, One with V marks on her back and the other hiding an abcess under all that chin fur! Bumped off as healthy, Like I wouldn't have taken them if i'd known they were poorly! They've become my life line after losing Baby, Looking after little Donnie for me and thankfully pulling him out of his depression, He's eating and happier to be with someone to love again.
And little Donnie, So shy when he first came to me, Who gave Baby the happiest last year of her life, and stayed with her till I came home, So scared and loving that I had to drag him off her body to try to save her.

It makes me sad to think that these animals who I love with all my heart were once mistreated or unwanted by someone else,
That they might have lived with someone else and don't understand why they weren't wanted anymore, or where their owner's had gone.
I know without that unhappy period they wouldn't have ended up in my little family.
But my gosh i just want to love all those animals who aren't loved the way they should be.

I think I'll always gravitate towards these 'broken' ones,
Does anyone else feel that way?

 

[piggieminder]

Yes, always! Every time I promise myself I won't do it again I do. From the RSPCA stray black cat because 'the black ones are always hard to home' to the guinea pig with breathing difficulties and all the other multiple tales of woe in between and I don't regret a single one, despite the bites, sleepless nights, vets bills and tears.

 

[Flutterby]

I am the same, always have to help those who no on else wants. It's such a shame that things like health issues etc can put people off

 

[PigglePuggle]

We love our odd piggies, we have 3 fairly healthy ones and 3 "rejects"- 2 ladies who had lived in a hamster cage their whole lives and were super-obese, one of whom has a badly healed broken leg, and little Blod who arrived terrified with ringworm and teeth problems. Its so rewarding fixing up the dodgy pets nobody else would bother with

 

[Sophie B]

I think we all are!

 

[VickiA]

All of my piggies have come through the rescue. Some have been traumatised by their previous experiences and others have clearly been well loved pets. I get so much joy from the ones who were traumatised and at first can’t bear to be handled. I go at their pace. 3 years on Holly still has no desire to be petted, cuddled or cooperate with me unless she’s at death’s door (which she has been a couple of times).