Meet the Asian Parents Who Initially Hated Pets But Are Now Pawsitively in Love

You probably begged your parents for a pet when you were growing up.

You’re a bit older now and have finally gotten that pet you wanted so much for yourself. Well, guess what? Your parents love that pet to pieces! Sometimes you think even more than they love you.

Despite their initial hypocrisy, Asian parents LOVE pets. It just took them longer to figure that out.

Here are some love stories that will make your tail wag. 🥺

Lenah

“Growing up my mom declared that there will be no pets in the house. And anytime my sister and I would get pets such as hamsters, birds, etc. They somehow managed to ‘escape’ after a month when we’re at school. Now that I’m older I was able to get my own place and my precious French bulldog, Penelope. Whenever I visit home, my parents don’t even acknowledge me… they greet Penelope first or ask me where she is even before I can say anything. My dad hates pictures but never fails to take a selfie with her.”

Rithany

“My dad straight up said ‘NO ANIMALS’ in the house because he thought they poop or pee everywhere or stink up the house. On my 17th birthday, I just walked into the house carrying a cat that needed to be re-homed, while my parents were entertaining friends. My dad was like, ‘WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?’ trying not to flip out in front of the guests. I said, ‘I’M 17 AND I HAVE A JOB TO SUPPORT IT, IM KEEPING HIM!’ Then he was like ‘Fine whatever but if he comes near me I’m going to EAT HIM!’ A few days later I caught my dad petting him and he played it off like he was shooing him away. Then a week later my cat was laying on his chest and he was saying, ‘I’m your grandpa and you have to listen to me ok? If you don’t listen I won’t let you out to see your girlfriends.’ Now he brags to his friends about how smart his cat is. This is the only time being a ‘rebellious teen’ paid off. :joy:'”

Rebecca

“My mom was against my siblings and me from having dogs. It started with me bringing home one dog and now jointly we have 5 dogs in the family. This is a photo of my mom doing what Asian parents do best. Cutting up fruits for the dogs after their meals.”

Angela

“My parents would always say no pets EVER. But around 4 years ago, they surprised us with Wilson, a little Chihuahua. They got him for $100 on Craigslist OF COURSE, Asians gotta save money.”

Linda

“My dad George, was the sweetest guy and always said yes to everything except a dog. He said I could get one when I could afford it myself. My dream finally came true when I was 23 and I got my first pup, Keoki! Keoki is Hawaiin for George. Soon after, George and Keoki ditched me and became BFFs! I was just the poop cleaner… Georgie was always mindful of Keoki and would make sure to get him some roast duck or save him a piece of katsu whenever the opportunities arose. Time and time again I would find them hanging out and completely ignoring me.”

Becka

“I vividly remember being in elementary school and dog-sitting a small white dog who belonged to a friend of my father. Me and my two sisters begged our parents to get a dog but we were repeatedly rejected with the reasoning of ‘cost of grooming, dog food, etc’ and ‘Who will clean the dog hair?’ The subject was dropped until my father brought home a beautiful brown collie-mix that came from his coworker who could not care for it. Now, in addition to our collie, Charlie, we also have a large black lab mix, Bella. I’d like to think that my parents love these doggies more than me as seen from the amount of affection.”

Alyssa

“We already have a dog that’s 11 years old (Curly) and last year we took in a dog (Zai Zai) whose owner was in a situation and couldn’t take Zai Zai with her. She said she would come back in three months but in the end, she told us we could keep him. My dad was like, ‘Omg not again, why do you guys make things worse with another dog?!’ Fast forward five months, my dad falls in love with Zai Zai! It’s weird because our dad wasn’t even like that with our old dog, he used to be really strict with her. She couldn’t go on the bed, etc. But with Zai Zai, he could do ANYTHING. For example, his dirty paws on the pillow, sleeping on his legs, being dirty and he wouldn’t even complain. A few weeks ago, Zai Zai had dried up sh*t on his butt and he got on the bed. My mom told my dad to take him down from the bed and he said, ‘Oh it’s okay, it’s dried up anyways.'”

Alexa

“My dog Leslie (she passed away in August) was a beagle and my parents got her when I was 17. One time I came home and looked through the fridge. I found some chicken and ate it. My mom called me shortly after work and asked if I ate dinner. I replied yes and told her I ate the chicken in the red Tupperware. She scolded me, saying that she saved that chicken for Leslie and to not eat Leslie’s food. On occasion, my mom would sneak Leslie some of my own stuffed animals!”

Elaine

“My mom absolutely hated dogs when we were growing up. My dad, brother, and sister loved dogs. I was always an animal lover. One day, I was vacationing in California and Pepper was looking for a new home. I adopted her and flew her back. Like an ‘accidental pregnancy,’ my mom was extremely dramatic. She threatened to leave us and gave us an ultimatum: ‘It’s me or the dog!’ LOL we were all like ‘ok bye mom.’ One night, Pepper must have only been a few months old when she waited all night for my mom to come home. She was at a wedding. Pepper knew my mom didn’t like her. When my mom came home, Pepper got up, satisfied that all her ‘hoomans’ had returned safely. She did not approach my mom, but my mom ran up to her and whispered, ‘Today you have won me over.’ Since then, my mom cooks for Pepper sometimes and forgets to bring me any. She asks me to leave Facetime on for them while I’m at work.”

Gina Darling

“My dad has told us multiple times ‘NO CATS.’ ;)”

May

“My mom told my siblings and me for the longest time that she was severely allergic to dogs and cats. My mom’s friend had a dog and my mom would get allergic reactions to it. One day my siblings and I brought home a puppy named Zuko. We did not tell her it was ours after she constantly forbade us from having pets in our house. It’s only been five months and my mom loves him so much to the point where she has to put a blanket over him and ‘tuck’ him into bed. My mom doesn’t say hi to my siblings and me anymore when she comes home, she goes straight to see our doggo. Now, it’s ‘HELLOOO ZUKO DID YOU EAT YET? NO? HERE’S A SNACK.’ My mom DEFINITELY shows more love to him than us.”

Misa

“For the longest time, my mom made up a lie that she’s allergic to dogs. I kinda knew she was lying so I brought a puppy home. Fast forward a year, my Viet parents now call Olaf their ‘con’ (child) and she’s the baby of the house.”

Nisha

“After my first dog passed away, my dad said he didn’t want to get another dog because it was very painful when we lost our first one. I was also starting university and he knew I was going to be busy. However, one day I brought my dad to this mall that had half a floor for pet stores. My dad made eye contact with this small little pup that looked so small and fragile. We noticed everyone else was neglecting her and sort of felt sad for her. The next day we came back and brought her home. Her name is Mili and she’s a mini dapple dachshund. Now she just turned 1 and spends a lot of time with my dad! He doesn’t like taking pics but I managed to get this when he was tipsy!”

Jing Ting

“When I got my first hamster Gus Gus two years ago, my father disapproved and refused to call him by a name. He called him a mouse instead. He thought to have pets was a waste. Now the first thing he does when he comes home is greet the hamsters. He plays with Gus and gives Bunny mealworms every night. Recently, Gus broke his hind leg, and my dad had to leave the room when they were putting a cast on him because Gus was in pain. He did come back later to cheer Gus on. Also, Gus is allowed on the bed.”

Tiffany

“My whole life, my parents were too busy to have a dog; they’d say no every time I asked. My brother moved out and came back to visit with a dog for a month. Within that month, my parents fell in love with that dog. After my brother left, my mother was like ‘let’s get a dog’ and my dad said no. My mom, being the woman that she is, got a dog anyway. We went to the shelter and met a pit bull named Omaha. We had to change his name because my mom kept thinking his name was Obama. His name is Toby now. My dad was very cold at first, but now he sleeps in the middle of my parent’s bed.”

Fanny

“My parents would not allow pets and they were disappointed when I got a dog. But now they worship her and treat her like a grandchild. My mom buys her clothes and my dad has her as his phone and iPad wallpaper.”

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