Love Me, Love My Pet

I have a friend who, upon moving to a new city, says that she wouldn’t have met anyone if it hadn’t been for her dog. Good doggie. Then there are some people who bring their dogs to dog parks to not only allow their pets to plays with others, but hopefully make friends with the owners. Then of course there are the guys, and girls, who take their (adorably cute) dogs on walks in high populated areas, so that the other sex will stop to pet their pooch, which then leads to conversation, and then you can take it from there. Yes, these are the conventional ways of meeting potential dates by way of your pet. Dogs do all the dirty work.

Until now…

What if you have a cat? Or a parrot, gerbil or fish? Say you have a llama? Yes, it would be nice to become acquainted with another pet lover, but it’s just not as feasible to sit on a bench at the dog park with a fish bowl in your lap. That is when online dating comes in…for you, and your pet.

There are sites now, such as www.datemypet.com where you make a profile for you and your pet, then what you are looking for in a person and what your pet might be looking for. Then you can decide if you’d be interested in meeting the person for a typical date, or perhaps a play date with your animals first, which might be a less stressful way to get to know someone. Just talk about your animals. You know you’re good at that.

So if you both have dogs, meet at a dog park. You arrive, you meet, and your pets sniff each other, then go off and play. You sit and talk, can look out at your dogs, have a laugh at what they’re doing, and then talk about the pets. There’s a total conversation starter right there that can fill plenty of time. Then if they’re tired of the park, take them on a walk, and if it’s a hot day, take them out for a treat (tip: my dogs like ice cream and coincidentally, so do humans). It could be fun, and funny, to try and feed them and yourselves, and the date can wind up being quite memorable. As fun as the dogs were though, he might be seeking a little alone time with you on the next date.

Perhaps a play date with your cats might be fun, but there isn’t really anywhere to take them. In that case, maybe a real date might be to order, but where you can talk about your pets. Or in the past week, I’ve just been to two places where there were cat adoptions being held. Not that you have to go adopt a cat with them, but you can ooh and ahh over them. Or go to a cat show. Anything animal-friendly is sure to spark both of your interests.

Now me, I’m a fan of the English Bulldogs, and though I’ve never been, in Long Beach, CA each year they have a “Bulldog Beauty Contest,” where the Bulldogs are dressed up and it’s a contest. It’s adorable, and there are hundreds of them. Now that would be a unique date for a pet lover and there are sure to be pet-friendly events like that in your area.

But what happens if you have conflicting pets? You both adore animals, but he’s a dog guy and you’re a cat lady. Or, he’s a cat guy (which I have seen a lot of) and you can’t stand cats, and neither can your pig, Tortoise. Or you have a horse and you want to show it to him, but the barn full of manure doesn’t make for the most pleasant smelling date. That can be a drawback. Unless, if he’s up for it, and goes in and meets Mr. Ed, then it can prove that he’s more than willing to date you, and your pet. See, the pleasant surprises of dating.

When you’re a pet lover, not everyone knows how important your pet is to you, except perhaps another pet lover. So these dating sites can be very beneficial. Especially if you have a rabbit and you’ve always wanted a turtle, you can title yourself, “Bunny Seeks Turtle for Slow and Steady Relationship.” Then maybe a turtle man will come around and you can have the cozy pet household you’ve always dreamed of.

But remember, pet lovers are attached to their pets, and just because he’ll understand that, doesn’t mean that he isn’t very attached to his also. So don’t forget to understand his devotion for his little pride and joy. Hopefully, both he, and his pet, will warm up to you, and he’ll realize that while his pet offers great companionship, you also bring that to the table, and companionship for his pet with your pet. And a romance isn’t something he can get from his pet…unless…let’s not go there.

Dating Triumphs and Tragedies is published every Sunday by Online Dating Magazine columnist Nicole Roberge. She can be reached at NicoleMRoberge@hotmail.com.

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