Family pet thread

[Concrete Helmet]

Sorry to hear about your furbaby. That cat sounds very cool like I dog, so I can imagine your distress. God bless her.

It's terrible. My wife is not really much of an animal person except for this cat but even she had a hard time getting to the office today.....I don't even try to keep it together. I sometimes wonder if this cat isn't somehow my Rottie reincarnated. I have no idea why she ever took to me and later my wife. Like I said I'm indifferent to cats and usually don't pay them much attention.
It's just a matter of time now as I sit here beside her while she looks up at me. In some ways I had hoped she might pass overnight last night but her eyes just lit up when she saw me and started purring again. I really need to get her box together and find a decent spot to bury her but I can't stand to leave her alone while she's still laying here with me.

 

[Nalt]

Well reality is setting in a sad way today. We just made an appointment for Laps of Love to come to the house later this afternoon. I know we are primarily dog lovers in this thread and I prefer dogs to cats myself 99.9% of the time.

Well 11.5 years ago that 0.1% of a cat arrived at our house in the form of a Black and White smooshed face Persian kitten for my MIL who had just lost one of her favorite Persians. I'm not sure why but Penny never really settled into life with the other cats and my MIL(except at food time). Instead she would rather come sit next to me and my wife whenever we were home.

This cat has waited for me every morning next to my chair where my laptop sits and in fact has probably witnessed 3/4 of the post I've written on here. When I leave to take my son to school she is off to sit with my wife while putting on her make up and talks to the Grand kids when on speaker phone while our daughter is driving them to school by meowing whenever they call her name. When I return to the house in the afternoon she sits and watches while I work out in the garage. When my wife arrives, she follows us out back to the pool patio while we catch up and have a beer.After dinner she will sit next to me whether I come back to the laptop or sit and watch TV. She was very doglike in behavior but never begged for food.

Over the last 3 days she has become very weak and will only take baby food from the tip of my finger and water from a syringe if I am the one giving it to her. Saturday, I brought her to the living room and laid her at my feet and moved my laptop there where she was happy until I would get up to go to the bathroom or kitchen. When returning she would be about halfway to where I was coming from having tried to drag herself there.

Yesterday morning she had lost the strength to stand or walk at all so I just laid her next to me wherever I was until bedtime when I took her to my MIL's bathroom where we've been having her sleep. After returning to see her this morning my wife and I decided as hard as it is we have to do the best thing.

This will be the 5th cat I've had to bury over the last 17 years but damn this one is really tearing me up. In the meantime she's still laying right next to me staring at me and purring every time I look at her. I don't think I've ever let a animal get to me like this since my Rott passed nearly 20 years ago. Damn....

I am sorry for ya'll. I also hope your smooshed face Persian isn't able to read what you posted there. She's probably freaking out knowing what's coming...

 

[LaylaGator]

It's terrible. My wife is not really much of an animal person except for this cat but even she had a hard time getting to the office today.....I don't even try to keep it together. I sometimes wonder if this cat isn't somehow my Rottie reincarnated. I have no idea why she ever took to me and later my wife. Like I said I'm indifferent to cats and usually don't pay them much attention.
It's just a matter of time now as I sit here beside her while she looks up at me. In some ways I had hoped she might pass overnight last night but her eyes just lit up when she saw me and started purring again. I really need to get her box together and find a decent spot to bury her but I can't stand to leave her alone while she's still laying here with me.

You could always have Lap of Love cremate her for you. I keep my deceased dogs in pretty urns on a dresser with their pictures. Makes me feel close to them.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

You could always have Lap of Love cremate her for you. I keep my deceased dogs in pretty urns on a dresser with their pictures. Makes me feel close to them.

Thought about that but cats being much smaller aren't usually as hard. My MIL always likes to put their favorite blankets and toy in the box with them too. I'm thinking about right outside the pool enclosure looking toward the lake that way when we sit out there in the evening we'll be looking out over her and she'll be looking back in at us.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

Well reality is setting in a sad way today. We just made an appointment for Laps of Love to come to the house later this afternoon. I know we are primarily dog lovers in this thread and I prefer dogs to cats myself 99.9% of the time.

Well 11.5 years ago that 0.1% of a cat arrived at our house in the form of a Black and White smooshed face Persian kitten for my MIL who had just lost one of her favorite Persians. I'm not sure why but Penny never really settled into life with the other cats and my MIL(except at food time). Instead she would rather come sit next to me and my wife whenever we were home.

This cat has waited for me every morning next to my chair where my laptop sits and in fact has probably witnessed 3/4 of the post I've written on here. When I leave to take my son to school she is off to sit with my wife while putting on her make up and talks to the Grand kids when on speaker phone while our daughter is driving them to school by meowing whenever they call her name. When I return to the house in the afternoon she sits and watches while I work out in the garage. When my wife arrives, she follows us out back to the pool patio while we catch up and have a beer.After dinner she will sit next to me whether I come back to the laptop or sit and watch TV. She was very doglike in behavior but never begged for food.

Over the last 3 days she has become very weak and will only take baby food from the tip of my finger and water from a syringe if I am the one giving it to her. Saturday, I brought her to the living room and laid her at my feet and moved my laptop there where she was happy until I would get up to go to the bathroom or kitchen. When returning she would be about halfway to where I was coming from having tried to drag herself there.

Yesterday morning she had lost the strength to stand or walk at all so I just laid her next to me wherever I was until bedtime when I took her to my MIL's bathroom where we've been having her sleep. After returning to see her this morning my wife and I decided as hard as it is we have to do the best thing.

This will be the 5th cat I've had to bury over the last 17 years but damn this one is really tearing me up. In the meantime she's still laying right next to me staring at me and purring every time I look at her. I don't think I've ever let a animal get to me like this since my Rott passed nearly 20 years ago. Damn....

They’re family. People just don’t get it.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Just a quick follow up. The Laps of Love people were great....not sure how they do it. Very professional. Got to hold Penny as she passed and went to peace. Burial went great as the spot I chose had no irrigation lines, rocks, stumps or roots which I've always had a problem with before. My wife and son got to make it home intime to say their goodbyes as well. See you in heaven, Penny.

 

[TLB]

Sorry for your loss, but totally get it.

All previous cats we've had, except one*, were mine and very loving and a tremendous heartbreak when they passed. In all cases, vet lets me hold them while they go, so they know they are safe and I'm looking out for them. We cremate, then scatter ashes in the backyard so they somewhat remain with us. If they have a favorite blanket, we get that cremated with them.


*My wife had one cat that only tolerated her...hated everyone else. After 19y I was convinced that evil never dies...util that fkr died under the bed, alone, while we were gone on a trip. That one is buried in the rose bush out front to chase off burglers.



I'm a cat person, but the wife's dog is a special one. That'll crush our family when her time comes.

 

[soflagator]

Just a quick follow up. The Laps of Love people were great....not sure how they do it. Very professional. Got to hold Penny as she passed and went to peace. Burial went great as the spot I chose had no irrigation lines, rocks, stumps or roots which I've always had a problem with before. My wife and son got to make it home intime to say their goodbyes as well. See you in heaven, Penny.

Man, Crete. Tough couple of days. Really sorry to hear that.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Man, Crete. Tough couple of days. Really sorry to hear that.

Still tough at certain times of the day when passing by the places in the house where she used to lay waiting for me....just feels off. The burial spot is good though since it's next to the screen door which I always walk out to and lock at night. Gives me a chance to say goodnight.

All this over a cat but it's opened my eyes to being there more for my Mom who is 88 next month and other than calling once a week and visiting 2-3 times a year despite only living a half hour apart....gotta change that and stop taking things for granted.

 

[soflagator]

Still tough at certain times of the day when passing by the places in the house where she used to lay waiting for me....just feels off. The burial spot is good though since it's next to the screen door which I always walk out to and lock at night. Gives me a chance to say goodnight.

All this over a cat but it's opened my eyes to being there more for my Mom who is 88 next month and other than calling once a week and visiting 2-3 times a year despite only living a half hour apart....gotta change that and stop taking things for granted.

All these moments make us slow down a little and look at the bigger picture. Last night, at like 2-3am our dog decided to not only get on the bed, but right next to me, sharing a pillow, paws in my face. Once awake, my first instinct was to push him away and probably yell something. After reading this last night, I sucked it up and realized I won’t alway have that “issue”. As I said, tough days for sure. Hope they gradually get better for you and the family.

 

[TLB]

opened my eyes to being there more for my Mom who is 88 next month and other than calling once a week and visiting 2-3 times a year despite only living a half hour apart....gotta change that and stop taking things for granted.

YES. THIS, very much this.

 

[grengadgy]

Anybody on here ever used brisket to make homemade dog jerky? Do you have a recipe for it (spices without salt). Thanks

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Anybody on here ever used brisket to make homemade dog jerky? Do you have a recipe for it (spices without salt). Thanks

Did you ever try smoked pigs ears instead? My dogs loved them(many years ago)not sure if they're still around.

I should warn you though it gave my Rottie explosive foul smelling gas afterward until his next bowel movement.

 

[grengadgy]

Did you ever try smoked pigs ears instead? My dogs loved them(many years ago)not sure if they're still around.

I should warn you though it gave my Rottie explosive foul smelling gas afterward until his next bowel movement.

Thanks, my Yorkie already loves jerky and I don't trust all of the pet products coming from China.

 

[Grumbler]

This is maybe my favorite thread on the site. So many great stories… I’ll humbly add one more.

Keeping this as short as I can… close to 20 years ago when our daughter was born, I had to leave the hospital not too long after her birth sadly to put down a cat who had been my little friend for 15 years or so up to that point. The symmetry of that day has stuck with me through the years, God giving us a little girl and taking the sweet little cat we had known for so long on the same day. I thought about it pretty often.

Fast forward to earlier this year, my Mom and Dad both suffered through serious medical decline. Both were in the hospital between March and May, most of that at the same time in different rooms in Lakeland. We lost my Mom in May, and three days later my Dad was released from hospital. I stayed over with him that night, and it was just agonizing, really clear he wouldn’t be able to stay there. My sister comes by to relieve me the next morning and brings this kitten, who she said was like Rambo running through the jungle trying to get to her while she was out on a run. He was absolutely not taking no for an answer, so she brought him to our Dad’s hoping I would take him.

And then within a few minutes of meeting the cat, my Dad collapses again, rushed to hospital again, and then gone, ten days after my Mom. Yeah, it’s been a good year… although we did get both of them out of the hospital for four days around Easter… a few very special days.

So now we have this guy, who I call Little Buddy because that’s exactly what he’s become. He’s such a little bastard, playfully attacking everything that moves in this house (including our dog four times his size) but with such a sweet spirit. I figure if I play my cards right he and I probably have about the same amount of time left on the planet. It’ll be interesting marking time watching him grow, mature and change. God’s symmetry.

 

[CDGator]

Good story @Grumbler

I’m not a cat person but our daughter has one and she rules the house. She keeps the dogs in line and does as she pleases. She even has a full size bed to herself in Seedy’s office too. She’s the first one to greet us in the morning and has never scratched the leather couches. She usually lets us clip her toenails except for Friday. We got 3 out of 4 complete. That’s the worst chore.

Her most annoying habit is stealing paper. She has a fetish with eating anything paper. It’s weird.

 

[Spectator]

It has been over 10 years since I had a dog. I got a new back yard fence just over a year ago, expected to have a new dog by now. My car club is having an event in December to benefit Sophie's Circle Dog Rescue. I've also been looking at several other places but just can't make up my mind what breed to get. I like most but do not want a pit or rottie or tiny yapper. My last was a black lab mutt mix from the humane society. He was great. I like golden retrievers but not sure about such a large dog as much as I'm traveling.

 

[Altitude Gator]

It has been over 10 years since I had a dog. I got a new back yard fence just over a year ago, expected to have a new dog by now. My car club is having an event in December to benefit Sophie's Circle Dog Rescue. I've also been looking at several other places but just can't make up my mind what breed to get. I like most but do not want a pit or rottie or tiny yapper. My last was a black lab mutt mix from the humane society. He was great. I like golden retrievers but not sure about such a large dog as much as I'm traveling.

Can't go wrong with a lab or golden - whether full or a mix. They are just great dogs for companions (as well as other features if you hunt). I have a lot of friends that have had the doodles and enjoy them as well. I also had a fried with a standard poodle that was one of the coolest dogs I have been around - no fluffy hairdo but was smart and friendly.

Hounds and hound mixes are also good - but be prepared for the howling!

And if you want a really good dog you can really bond with - rescuing a greyhound is always a good choice. It's like adopting a full grown dog (house trained, lead trained, etc.), a puppy (never really socialized other than its pack) and a cow (they need to be taught to be pets - stairs, glass doors, etc. are foreign to them). I have done this before and is very rewarding and the dogs are extraordinarily lazy - they have about 2 minutes of high energy in them a day!

 

[LaylaGator]

My Labrador is my baby girl and my best friend, as were the two before her. I may rescue other breeds/mutts in the future, but I will always need a Lab too. Pure love and joy.

 

[MJMGator]

Get one of these hammerheads. Great disposition.

And his name is Gator.