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Weird Pets

Date: Nov 27 2009

Themes: Pets

Grammar: Past Progressive Tense

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Intro

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Frogs don’t cuddle, and fish aren’t much fun to play with. But some people still keep them as pets. Cats and dogs may win the cuteness contest, but if you prefer rough scales and creepy claws to soft fur and wagging tails, then maybe a gecko or iguana would make a better companion for you.

Mason had dogs and cats when he was a kid, but Devan’s taste in pets was less conventional. Find out what kind of animal she had growing up, and listen to her and Mason talk about weird pets.

Dialog

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Devan

Mason

Devan: Did you have normal pets growing up Mason, like a cat and a dog?

Mason: I had cats and dogs. I’ve got a bunny now, which is a little out of the ordinary, but not that far.

Devan: At least a bunny’s still huggable though. When I was growing up the only pet I ever had was pet turtles.

Mason: Really? Why did you have a turtle?

Devan: I just really liked turtles, and I thought they were really interesting. But it’s funny, I kept buying turtles and they kept crawling out of my garden and escaping to freedom, and I realized that turtles aren’t exactly a loving pet. It’s kind of a weird pet to have, you know?

Mason: Yeah, I mean, there’s just plenty of things that you keep in like cages and cases and whatnot that don’t do anything, like a spider. Why would you have a pet spider?

Devan: People have all sorts of scaly, creepy pets in tanks and aquariums, and it’s like, is that really a pet or is that decoration?

Mason: It’s more decoration. I think that’s an excellent way of putting it.

Devan: Even just having a fish in a fish bowl, I feel like that’s more to suit the feng shui of your house than something that you’re gonna love and play with.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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When he was a kid, Mason had conventional pets, dogs and cats. Now he has a bunny, which is less common. But as Devan points out, you can still hug and pet a bunny. So it’s not really a weird pet.

Devan had turtles when she was growing up. She couldn’t cuddle with them, but she thought they were interesting. The turtles kept running away, though, so Devan thinks they weren’t really suited to be kept as pets.

Some people like to keep weird animals, like spiders, lizards, or snakes, as pets. Devan thinks that the point of having pets like these is just to look at them. So they’re more like decoration than pets.

What’s the weirdest pet you’ve ever had? Do you know anyone with a weird pet? Why do you think people like to keep animals like spiders and snakes?

Comments

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rosendo

Mexico

i have had 2 monkeys as pets

but 1 died bcs she was old bag jejejej and the other one was stolen from my house,,, i dont know how the thief can do it bcs , bitola (monkey ) was sleeping in her house ( on the top from 1 tree ) , so i think the thief has the skill to climb trees jijij.

saludos

luckygr2009

China

well,i only have the experience of having cats and dogs as my pets when i was young.at that time,i loved them so much.however,when i grow up,i dont like pets anymore.

maybe it is good to have a gocke or lizad as a pet.

Michel Costa Galvão

Brazil

but i nerver forget him.

Michel Costa Galvão

Brazil

when i was a child i had a dog but he died soon and i promised that never take anymore but my sister got a puppy, cockspaniel,at first i hated him cause he would bite my socks, shoes and he was very stressed, but after i learned to love him so he died, that day we forget the door open, so he fled and a car ran over him, it was horrible and i saw, i was feeling bad many days, but i´ll buy another

diplohonbe

Taiwan

I used to be afraid of cats and dogs when i was little (well,they were much bigger than me at that time anyway!) But i have 2 cats and a little puppy now

Ines2012

Germany

I have two cats and i love to cuddle with them. And at night they are like a hot-water-bag, it is great. :)

Olga_orc

Ukraine

I like pets so much, but parents dont like. so they agree to aquarium with fishes just… of course you cannt touch them or play but when I below to aguarium they make a dancing. its so funny.. )

mickee85

Philippines

When I was young I had a dog, that was the only pet I have ever had in my whole life. I don't really like pets, I don't have patience to clean up their mess and spending my time taking care of them. And yeah, it's strange if your pet are like snake and crocodile:)

julywidiawati

Indonesia

I never have a weird pet, just a conventional one when I was growing up, cat. One of my girl friend has snakes as her pets, I think someone who kept animals like snakes are out of the ordinary, I just can't imagine if all her snakes got free and creeping around the house. <!~~-Session data~~-><!~~-Session data~~-><!~~-Session data~~-><!~~-Session data~~->