Dealing with the Loss of a Dearly Loved Pet.

Recover from Pet Loss!

I am not sure how to start this post.  You are all probably wondering why I named it " Life is Not Fair".  Well for animal lovers life is surely not fair sometimes, or, at least it seems that way.
    Today is a very sad day for me.  I had to have my old cat companion of 14 years put to sleep.  I watched her health decline over the past year.  She lost weight, and got very weak.   I wanted to hope for the best, but somehow I could just see the life waning out of her, little by little each day.  I believe the natural supplements  I had her taking did help prolong her life. It seemed that the supplements helped with her upset stomach and wailing.  She seemed to perk up a little for a while. Then she just sort of started to go down hill. She looked so tired and like she just wanted to sleep and not wake up.  I could not take it any longer. I made the decision to let her go to the place at the Rainbow Bridge.  I loved on her all weekend long and bought her special food. I had to hand feed her to get her to eat.  She slept for hours on end. She would wake and yeowl and I would feed her again and hold her. She spent some time outside in the soft grass and laid under the tree and slept. 

    On Monday August 29, 2011, I helped my dear loving cat to go Home.  It is such a hard decision, But I know I did the right thing for her.  I could not be selfish and keep her around just to keep her around.  She was not going to get miraculously well.  No medicine was going to bring back her grace and liveliness.  She was tired and old.  I will miss her dearly. I still look for her.  I  feel like she comes in the room where I am.  I still think I can hear her meow.  I know this is just my imagination and it will pass with some time.

      Let me tell you her name. I named her Hailey, after the Hale-Bopp comet in 1997.  That comet was passing close to the earth the spring that I got her as a kitten.  She was so cute. Fuzzy, fluffy, long hair tortie.  She was big like the Maine coon cat.  She was a rescue.  I saved her from being surely eaten by opossums.  Her entire litter was devoured by opossums except for her and a brother.  He lost and eye from the opossums. She had a terrible scratch on one of her eyes.  She lost that eye later on in life when she was 11 years old.  Both kittens made it. I took her and a friend took the brother. She was such a fancy pants and so sweet.  She was my sweet girl for many years.  

   I have had many companions in my lifetime.  I luckily still have two cats and one dog.  They should keep me company for a while.

    The loss of a pet is a very hard thing.  It is like losing a member of the family.  I love each and everyone of my babies.  It was a terribly difficult thing for me to do today.  I always hate having to make that decision.  It is just so hard.  You try to reason out all of the reasons why it is right, and the right thing to do, but it still does not make it better.  I have had to make that decision several times in my life and I can tell you it Never gets easier.   It is very difficult, and it is different each time for each pet going through it.  One thing my veterinarian told me that really helped alot was "when it is the right time, you will know it."  And she was right.  When it is the right time, you just know in your heart and the angels help you make the decision and do the right and just thing for your beloved friend.

Recover from Pet Loss!

The Rainbow Bridge

I would like to share with all who read my blog this very special poem about "The Rainbow Bridge".  This is written by an an unknown author.  I dearly love this special poem.

    Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.  When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to the Rainbow Bridge.  There are meadows and hills for all our special friends so they can run and play together.  There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.  All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who are hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. 

    The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing:  they miss someone very special, someone who was left behind.  They all run and play together, but the day comes when suddenly one stops and looks into the distance.  His bright eyes are intent; his eager body begins to quiver.  Suddenly he breaks from the group, flying over the green grass, faster and faster.

    You have been spotted and when you and your special friend finally meet,  you cling together in  joyous reunion, never to be parted again.  The happy kisses rain upon your face;  your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more in those trusting eyes, so long from your life, but never absent from your heart.  Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together...........

                                                                                                              ---Author Unknown

                                     Coping with Pet Loss      

 I really hope you enjoyed that poem.  I have cried many tears through the years for the loving, sweet souls I have had to let go.  I never tire of reading this poem. It is such a comforting reminder.   I am certainly looking forward to being reunited with my special friends. 
      If you have heard it before,  I hope it brings good memories and a reminder of something to look forward to one day.  If you have never heard it, then I hope it touches your heart and gives you some comfort and hope that you too can be reunited with your special friends one day.  If you have another special poem that you would like to share then I would really like to hear it.

This is what I am talking about.......

WOW!  I just left the Barnes and Noble, tonight Wayne Pacelle was talking about his book titled  " The Bond". For those of you not familiar, Wayne Pacelle is the president and CEO of the Humane Society of America.  This is exactly what I am talking about in my blog.  Well, I am not a published author.  I had no idea Wayne Pacelle was writing such a book, or should I say novel.  I stood and watched all the people who had come to hear him speak about animals and the human bond.  I could not believe how many people there were crammed in this Barnes and Noble.  I was very moved by what he spoke about and what the very core of his novel is written about.

  An excerpt:   "There is something universal about the bond we have with animals -- an instinct to have them in our lives, to be near them and care for them," Pacelle writes in his Introduction.

I did not purchase his book tonight.  Although I plan on looking for it in the library. 
It is this animal bond that I feel alot of people share. I really enjoyed hearing Wayne speak tonight.

Where do your pets fit in your life?

Where do your pets fit in your life?  This is a question I have discussed many times.  By this I mean, How do you view your animals?  I posted this question in my poll on my blog and I have  received but one vote so far and that was from me.  I ask all of you, if you are reading this blog please vote on my poll.   Please leave comments too.  I would like to hear your comments or criticisms.   I want to write stuff you enjoy. 

    Now back to the question.  I have always grown up with animals.  I see them as part of my family.  I do not view them as things.  They are little children.  I believe there are tons of people who share my view.  I have been ridiculed from non animal people about my views. Many of my friends really treat their pets like humans.  I try not to humanize my dog and cats.  But I refuse to see them as objects.  I believe animals are the cause of a lot of arguments in relationships.  I have read stories about couples fighting over the difference of opinions on pets.  I love to see couples that are happy and have dogs and cats and they all just get along and there is no fighting over where the cat sleeps, or where the dog sleeps.  I am curious as to how far people will go to lavish attention on their pets.

  To many people pets are all they have.  Animals have been known to have soothing and almost medicinal effect on people.  I love to read about how petting a cat can calm your blood pressure.  I also have seen how a dog that loves to be read to can help children overcome their fear of reading aloud.  I have actually met that dog. Her name is Sammie.  She is a super sweet dog.
This is the true happiness to be found in owning pets.  There is nothing sweeter then to be greeted at the door, after a long day at work, by a happy smiling furry face with a wagging tail.  Or to have your loving cat reach up for you as you come in the door from work.  The tension of the bad days seems to melt at the sight of those loving eyes.  I think this is great therapy.  If it were not for pets there may be many terribly depressed folks.  Pets are to some as water to a flower.  I love having my furry friends around.  Please comment and let me know what you feel about this subject.  I have not mentioned much about the flip side of this story because I am an avid fan of pets and animals. To think about all of the cruelty and things that go on in this world to the helpless animals makes me very sad.  So I will focus on the positive and the loving part.

My Review of Resthyro for Cat Hyperthyroidism

Originally submitted at Pet Wellbeing Inc.

                                                  Veterinary Secrets Revealed!

What is Resthyro?
Resthyro is a natural product for Cat Hyperthyroidism support. Carefully formulated by a leading naturopathic veterinarian, this popular product is loaded with a powerful combination of seven different herbal extracts. Together, they are very effective...

Resthyro for Cat Hyperthyroidism

Really is a miracle alternative.

By JC pet owner from MD,MD on 8/17/2011

5out of 5

Pros: Gentle, Effective, Long-Lasting, Really helped my cat, No Side Effects
Best Uses: Daily Care
Describe Yourself: Long-Time Pet Owner

I decided to try this because I read all the great reviews. Now I am writing one. It really helped with the wailing and constant hunger. Also was a tremendous help with the loose stools. It really  helped my cat to rest and gain some weight back. She is very old and I think this will help her to have a better quality of life for a while longer. I am thankful for this alternative to heavy medicines.

(legalese)
                               Veterinary Secrets Revealed!

The Joy of owning a German Shepherd.

       I own a big goofy 120 pound German shepherd.  He is a male.  He is a big sweet "teddy" dog.  It is a joy to have him.  He was not always a joy.  I acquired him in December of 2006.  I was looking for a younger companion for my older female German shepherd.  She was 7 years old at the time and I thought it would be a good idea to find a younger male to keep her company.  I wanted a big male dog around 2 years old.  I thought she could help train him and they would keep each other company.  I was looking for a rescue shepherd.  I searched and searched. I checked the papers.  I went to rescue sites.  That was not successful.  The rescue sites are great, but they want you to sign something that says you are going to allow this huge dog to be the king of your house and never have to live outside.  That is fine, but my female loved being outside.  She was raised outside in a kennel before I got her and she loved it outside.  So I could not get a dog from the rescue because I was not used to having a large dog in the house.  Much less one inside and one outside, so much for companionship.
        I finally found a German shepherd listed on Craig's List in my area.  I called the ad and found out that I was 10 minutes late on my call.  The guy on the phone said someone had already called about the dog.  I gave him my name and number anyhow in case it did not work out with the other caller. I hung up all sad and feeling like I was never going to find a dog.   Next thing I know my phone rang and it was the guy with the dog. He said the other caller had cancelled and if I wanted to see the dog I should come on.  I immediately jumped in my truck and headed out following the directions the guy had given me to get to his house.
      I made it to the house and there he was, the most beautiful dog.  He was so pitiful looking though.  He was skinny, and  his fur was dry and dull. He looked tired and lost and scared.  His eyes were searching.  He was friendly,and let me pet him. All he had on was a stinky flea collar.  He had sores on his paws, so I know he had been running for a long time.  He came right to me immedately.  I petted him and talked to him.  He seemed to understand.  I told the guy I wanted him and I asked the dog if he wanted to go home with me.  He looked at me with his beautiful brown eyes as if to say, "Please take me to a good home".  The guy was nice, he said the dog just appeared in his yard one morning a week earlier and would not leave.  The guy wanted to keep him but he already had a dog and his dog was not fond of the new comer.  He had a vet check him for a chip to see if he belonged to anyone.  He also put up flyers and posted him in the lost and found. After a week he decided he needed to find the dog a good home.  I am glad I found him. I think it was meant for me to have this dog.
   So, off I headed towards home with my prize.  Little did I know what I was in store for.  I decided to call my new family member Trooper, because he certainly looked like a tooper.  He looked as though he had been through hell and managed to make it.   I carefully  introduced him to my female dog China when we got home.  They seemed to hit it off pretty well. He was so much bigger than she was.  He stood a whole 7 inches taller.  I could tell he was going to be a big dog.   He had the biggest feet I have seen.  China liked him alot.  They had their little differences at first, China was a Alpha female.  She was big for being a female, she was 78 pounds.  She immediately let the new Trooper know that she was the Alpha female and the Queen of the house and he was to allow that.  He did not argue too much. They had a few squabbles in the beginning but quickly things settled down into a nice relationship. 

     I had to take Trooper to the veterinary as soon as I could.  That is when all the fun began.  I found out he was around two years old. He weighed 80 pounds, and he was sick with heart worms.  Oh, and he was not neutered either, which concerned me as far as aggression goes.  I was afraid he would be aggressive towards my female.  No, that did not happen. I guess because she was much older and Alpha she quickly put him in his pecking order.  He was indeed a full blooded German Shepherd Dog. It was not hard to be able to tell that just by looking at him. He was a fine example of what a big strapping male German Shepherd should look like.  Everyone at the veterinary office was oohing and aahing at him.  He quickly stole the hearts of everyone he came in contact with.  I started the hard task of getting him healthy. First were the painful and dangerous heartworm treatments.  That hurt me to see him go through it.  He was indeed a trooper through it all.  I had started feeding him a high quality dog food and gave him a bath and groomed him and brushed him everyday.  He was starting to change. His eyes were no longer tired and dull looking.  His coat was no longer dull and shaggy.  It was getting shiny and full. He was gaining weight. I worked with him daily because the poor guy had no idea what a leash was.  He also had no idea what a toy was or even a treat.  He would not eat milk bones or most other treats. He did finally accept and love his chicken jerky treats, and pork twists with the liver center. Those are the only two he will eat.  He did not know or acknowledge any dog toys.  I finally got him interested in a ball.  Oh boy that was a mistake.  He did love his ball however.  It had to be this special bumpy ball.  No other would do.  He loved thoses bumpy balls. Pet Smart stopped carrying them. I almost screamed.  I thought, Oh No, where am I going to get Trooper his special toy.  He would chew them up pretty quickly and I had to keep a supply.  When I would play with CHina he had to run along and chomp on his ball too.  I finally found a supply at Lowes food stores.  Yeah Lowes Food Stores.  I bought a bunch of those balls.  My mom would also buy them if she was shopping and bring them to me.  He still loves those balls.  He does not chew them up so frequently now.  He has grown into such a fine adult male. He is 7 going on 8 now.  He is such a calm sweet male.  

            It pains me to say that in the summer of 2010 we lost our beloved China the week of my birthday.  She was 12 years old.  She had already started getting that degenerative nerve condition in her back and hips.  I had given her Cosequin to help with her moving around and pain.  She slowed down tremendously, but she was very galiant to the end.  I just let her totter around and she would try to play with Trooper and I in the back yard.  She had such a strong heart and will.  I tried to baby her as much as possible.  The Veterinarian said I would know when the time was right to do the humane thing and put her down.  The Veterinarian was right, when the time came I knew it.  Trooper was there for his friend and adopted mother when she went. He kissed her face as she slipped over The Rainbow Bridge".  That was a hard day for all of us.   After that I was afraid that Trooper would be very lonely and mornful.  I was not used to having a big dog in the house but there is always a first time for everything.  It was difficult at first but we all adjusted to it.  Now Trooper is a spoiled rotten King of the house and an indoor dog.  He stays outside during the day.  But in the evenings he comes in and lays around with the family.  I think, no I know, he sleeps on the furniture at night when he knows we are not looking.  He knows it is off limits.  He has a super orthopedic dog bed of his own, but I guess there is nothing like getting one over on mom and sleeping on the couch when he thinks I am not looking.  I know he is on the couch, I can see his hair for goodness sake.   Plus I have gotten up and sneeked into the living room before and peeked around the wall and seen him sleeping on the couch.  All in all, he is a super dog.  He has matured and is very calm and a joy to take on walks.  That was not always the case.  But all that matters is that he turned out to be a super part of the family.  Oh and by the way I did finally have him neutered. I had to wait untill he was totally cleared of his heartworms.  I decided it was best to have him neutered.  Everyone should have their dog spayed or neuterd.  Save the animals.  I wanted to breed him but I did not have any papers on him and I just could not bring myself to make more poor puppies.  So many animals are dying today.  It is such a shame, the animal population has expanded and bloomed to too much.   So Trooper did not create any babies.  He is happy and healthy and spoiled rotten.  I do love him so much.  His only downfall is that he is such a baby when it comes to fireworks and thunder storms.  If I can only help him over come those obstacles then everything would be great.  But I am not worried too much about that.  I just enjoy having this huge dog companion.  He did gain up to 120 pounds, he is sleek and slim and health and shiney and certainly my pride and joy.

     

The Squirrels

I have fond thoughts of squirrels.  I see them running around and looking for food.  They are so cute to me.  I was walking my dog one morning and I noticed a squirrel, holding one of my neighbors prized cherry tomatoes in his mouth, running towards a tree in my yard.  The little squirrel seemed so proud of itself holding that tomato.  It was looking for some place to take it's prize.  All of sudden, out from under the bushes, comes my big cat!  Now not to worry, she is declawed.  I did not declaw her, her previous owner did. But here she comes trying desperately to be the hunter she always dreamed to be.  It was not until just last year that I let her venture out to the great outdoors.  She hangs around outside all day and then sleeps on the screened in porch at night.  She loves to be outside.  I am glad to live in an area that is safe so I can let my cat be an outside cat now.  She was wrongfully declawed as far as I see it. I would have never declawed her.   She loves the outside life.
  Anyhow,  she come tearing out from under the bushes after the squirrel and the poor thing runs up the crabapple tree in  my front yard and then up on to my roof.  Fortunately through all of this, it maintains it's hold on that tomato.  I hope the little guy (or gal ) was able to enjoy that tomato. 

   Then there are the squirrels from Washington D.C.  they are a whole different breed.  These mamals are huge.  They are addicted to people junk food. So when I say they are big I am not kidding. They are as big as small cats only fatter.  And they are not scared of people. If you stop and look at them and say something then they will come up to you.   If you hold out your hand, weather you have anything in it or not, they will come up to your shoes.  They will reach up with their little hands and reach like a kid for anything. They will stand up on their hind legs and reach out to you.  They are so cute.  I think it is adorable.  I gave them some apple.  They looked at it, because I guess they were expecting pop-corn, or pretzel or some other form of D.C. vendor junk food.  Then one realized hey its food, healthy food, but food nonetheless.  He grabbed the piece of apple and took off.  Then the others came running at me when they realized that I had indeed thrown a piece of food.  I ran because all of a sudden I had at least 9 squirrels reaching up to me for more.  It was fun.  I think next time I am in D.C. I am going to take some plain unsalted, or even raw, nuts and keep them in my pocket and I will sit down in the grass and feed the squirrels.

Rabbit Invasion

I love animals,  I have always loved them, all kinds. I love rabbits, cute little bunnies, little cotton tails.  I thought we had alot of rabbits in North Carolina.  I was wrong.  There are alot of rabbits here in northern Maryland.  Every night I can count at least 3 rabbits in my front yard, that does not include the ones in the back, or my neighbors yards.  The rabbits here are so calm and tame and used to people that they will just lay on their sides on the yard and let you just about walk up to them.  I never knew that rabbits made cute little grunting noises either.  I was working one night in the office and I had the windows open. It was a nice cool evening. I was enjoying the cool breeze and break from the summer heat.  It was very quiet except for the noise of my keys clicking away.  I then noticed all this racket outside the window.  I went over to the window to see what was going on. There was my rabbit family, I think there were actually 5 rabbits this night in particular.  They were talking to each other with this weird grunting sound. It was pretty loud too. It was loud enough to cause my dog to sit up from his zonked out sleep.  My dog woke up while I was intently looking out the window in amazement at all the rabbits talking in my front yard.  My dog got up to have a look for himself.  I had to tell him to go on because I was afraid he would start trying to talk back to them.  They grunted and hopped around the yard enjoying themselves.  It was such a pleasant site.  It was peaceful and soothing.   I now know that rabbits do talk among themselves.  I also believe that rabbits will tolerate groundhogs.  In addition to all the rabbits I also have a family of ground hogs that frequently visit my back yard.  I know they are living under the shed in my neighbor's yard.  I have on occasion spied rabbits and ground hogs grazing around my back yard.  Often I look out at my yard and neighbors yards and view many rabbits and ground hogs rooting around in the grass and dirt looking for what ever it is they want.  I am just so amazed at this population of rabbits.  My dog does not seem to mind them. He loves his cat sisters and does not try to harm them. I guess he views the rabbits as cats.  They lay around on their side all stretched out and relaxed on the grass.  He will playfull chase them but It does not look as if he has any intention to harm them.  My neighbors dogs, on the other hand,  would tear one apart if he could catch one. I have wittnessed him chase a rabbit through the yard. It is clear what the intentions are.  As for me, I love to hear the little rabbit conversations as they eat and move around. It is very peaceful.  I am glad they have chosen my yard as their roaming ground. 

The Skunk

Although skunks are in eastern North America, I never had a run in with one.  I saw one from a distance in Kentucky a few times but I have never had a run in with a skunk.  I never saw one at all when I lived in North Carolina.  I know they were there.  I remember the smell when I was in Kentucky.  It is a smell you will never get out of your nose.  Recently I uprooted my family and moved to northern Maryland. That was the most nerve racking trip. We have three cats, and a very large German shepherd dog that weighs around 120 pounds.  I was the lucky one that got to drive the SUV with the dog in the very back and two screaming cats in crates in the back seat.  That was a 7 hour ride of Hell.  We finally got home and unloaded everyone. Well two of the cats are indoor/outdoor cats.  Things have been going well since we got here the end of June.  Until this morning.   I usually wake up on Fridays very happy and singing the "Thank Goodness it's Friday" song.  I was feeling pretty good, I got up to let the cats in to eat.   I was still pretty sleepy.  I did not notice at first until I was leaning down to put some food in the cat bowls.  When all of a sudden........WHEW!!!!!!  I thought I was going to puke.  The odor hit me square in the face. That smell is really indescribable. It is a putrid metallic heavy odor that will hit your senses and really activate your gag reflex. Then is just stays in your throat and nose for the longest time.  After I regained my wits, I again tried to determine which cat had the offensive smell.  After carefully sniffing, I had my victim.  Poor old Hailey, she already looks half dead. She is fifteen years old and is already missing an eye. I have had to shave her around the rear end because she has been having diarrhea. She has recently lost a lot of weight and looks like a skeleton with long hair (except where I have shaved her).  She was the one with the horrible, nose hair curling, make your eyes water, and your gag reflex activate, smell.  Poor thing, I had to pick her up by the scruff and carry her outside.  I did feed her; just had to be outside.  I carried on quickly with my morning routine and the whole time I was trying to get that smell out of my nose.  I was sick on my stomach the whole morning. I knew what I had to do.  I searched the Internet to find a solution to get rid of the foul smell.  I found what I was looking for and headed to my favorite store, Walmart.
I bought what I needed and headed home.  Here is where the fun begins.  I changed into some old clothes I did not care about and got on my rubber gloves and gathered all my ingredients together to mix up my (de)-skunking concoction.  The poor cat looked so pitiful. I think she thought I was trying to kill her. I thought I was going to drown her in the process. She is such a sweet cat and she is old and weak now with her fifteen years.  I finally was satisfied with my task.   She still had some odor. She was shivering, despite it is 88 plus degrees here and really looked like a skeleton. I wrapped her up in an old towel and sat her in her cat bed on the screened in porch to dry. I brought her food and treats.  I am going to have to leave her outside for a few days until the rest of the smell goes away.  I feel really terrible for the cat.  She dried up in a few hours and did not look as bad. She still has some funk about her. I can not take the smell of it. I stayed really sick on my stomach the whole day. That smell stayed in the back of my throat and nose all day. I hope tomorrow is a better day.  Please No More Skunks. 

My life as the animal caretaker.

Well, here I am again.  I am the animal caretaker.  I have always loved animals my entire life.  For as long as I can remember I have taken care of some poor abandoned, injured creature.  I should have been a veterinarian, I thought seriously about it when I was younger.  I came from a dysfunctional family, therefore, I did not have any real support for my dream as a Veterinarian. I lacked confidence in myself to actually make it through the school, plus being from a low income family I knew there was no money available to send me to Vet school.  I just continued to be the one everyone came to when something dragged up on the porch.  I have taken care of so many different creatures.  I have raised a litter of baby kittens.  I have raised a litter of baby puppies. Actually I have raised several litters of puppies and kittens.  I have raised a baby squirrel. I once had three baby oppossums for a while. I gave them to the wildlife commission because they were a handful.  I have nursed birds and flying squirels.  So many animals have been under the care of my steady and loving hands.  Here in the past few years I still have one of my babies.  A small framed cat that I raised from three days old.  Her name is Trinty because she was three days old when I got her. She had three brothers and sisters, I say had because they had all died before I was called to save the last one. And I got her on the third day of April in the year 2000.  She is my baby out right.  I lovingly call her boobooday, after the Harry Belefonte song "MaMa look a BooBooDay"  she will always be mama's little boobooday.  Even though it is alot of hard work I love it.  I still dream of working with animals.  I am at a crossroads, so to speak, in my life right now.  I am considering taking a Veterinary Tech course.  I am continually amazed at the personalities of animals.  I will always love them and even though it can get tiresome I always love the look of trust and love in those beautiful eyes as you help and care for a wayward soul.  I have so many stories to share about the events in my life that are about animals.  I will continue to share sad, funny, heart wrenching stories from my past.  It always seemed that animals were my calling.  I ended up fixing things for a living.  I can fix just about anything. I am very good with my hands.  I suppose that was the next alternative to being able to fix sick and injured animals.  I think life is more full if you are surrounded by animals. There is something good and wholesome about them. Anyone who loves animals can relate to that.  I think I will look into going after my dream of taking care of animals.