Furkids are Getting Old….Someone Get Me a Tissue
March 9th, 2009
Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.
~George Eliot
I am a pet person to the nth degree. There I said it. I fully admit that I love pets and would probably have another cat or two and possibly another dog roaming around my house if I had my way. DigitalRob married me knowing that I have Dr. Doolittleitis and is a very good sport about my need to have pets. We compromise on the number and the type and right now the Digital household is also home to three dogs, one cat, two guinea pigs, five fish and a box turtle. Alas, we have no ferrets….I’ll wear his resistance down one day BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Our two shih tzus, Kairo and Cleo, are commonly referred to as “G1.” Our first generation of pets, they are getting old and starting to slow waaaaaaaay down. So we brought in G2, Scooby the crazyasswhocan’tstayoutoftrouble dog and Unagi the batshitcrazy cat. We joke often about how decrepit G1 is getting as they age. Cleo is almost completely bind, partually deaf and her little sniffer doesn’t work so well. We have to take her outside because she can’t find the dog door anymore. Sometimes I look at her and wonder if it’s time to make The Decision, but after talking with SuperVet about it and watching the way Cleo still bounces around like a puppy while you pet her and offer her treats, I am taking SuperVet’s words to heart. She told me, “She’s a little old lady. She deserves to lounge around and be pampered in her old age.” So fine, Cleo lounges.
Kairo…..my baby…I often tell people that I had him before I got Rob. He’s my puppykins and because he’s so small, I still think of him as a puppy even though he snores like a 90 year old with throat polyps and a deviated septum. He sleeps a lot, tis almost deaf, takes medication for seizures and Cushings Disease and has grown less tolerant of the shenanigans of G2. Tonight, I walked into LW’s room and Kairo was curled up smack in the middle of the bed snoring away. When I called him (loudly) he looked up and this is what I saw….
My little old man. This picture almost makes me cry – first because he’s so damn cute with his little tongue poking out, and second because it is a reminder of how old he has gotten. He turned 12 in January. Most dog experts put the shih tzu’s life expectancy between 11 and 16 years. Some days he acts like a puppy, other days I feel like we’re living on borrowed time. *sigh*
I don’t react well to pet loss. When Shadow died, I cried for weeks. I would burst into tears at random times for months. Mack died almost a year ago and my chest still gets tight when I think about him. The mere thought of losing either of my G1 babies makes me start to shake and get nauseous. Strong reactions, I know, but it comes with the territory.
Are my reactions severe? Do you have pets? Have you lost a pet? Do you grieve as intensely as I do? I wonder if other pet people have the same reaction or if I am just too attached to my non-human babies…..
No you are not off base at all. They are part of your family and you love them dearly. ((hugs))
[Reply]
Ok, that dog is unbearably cute. Losing someone you love is never easy, four feet or two.
[Reply]
We take unconditional love where we can find it. Furbabies are a WONDERFUL source of that. You’re not crazy. Though, as they said in “The Truth About Cats & Dogs” “It’s ok to love your dogs… just not LOVE your dogs.”
[Reply]
I am not as emotional about pets as I used to be, but I tell you what, when my cat Wellington reached the end of his days, that was really, really hard because he had been with me since I graduated from college, through the first decade of my marriage, and the birth of my kids.
Here’s a tip for you, don’t ever watch My Dog Skip without plenty of kleenex. Just sayin’.
[Reply]
My pets are my family. I love them all. I get exasperated with them at times. Just like with skin kids. My Lily died unexpectedly a few years ago. I still miss her terribly. She was just short of 5, and there was no time to prepare. Last December, my bunny, Ewenice, died unexpectedly. Again, no preparation. When Tommy died at 16 in January, I knew it was coming. I had time to prepare. Still, I miss him terribly. It was the right thing to do, but . . . It’s always hard to part with someone we love–skinned or furred.
[Reply]
I had a llhasa apso that looked so similar to Kairo. He passed away a few years ago, but I still get misty eyed just thinking about him. He was the sweetest. Pets are always so precious. Their loss is just as difficult as any close family member’s would be.
[Reply]
I blame my spouse for the volume of pets we have, but truth be told it we are equally responsible for the number of critters at our house.
We currently have 3 cats who are all over 20 years old and on borrowed time. This summer I had to take our puppy Shiloh to the vet to have him put to sleep after a tragic car accident and I am still devestated over it. My blog – lovesmukiwa – is named for our dog Mukiwa who we laid to rest almost 4 years ago now. I miss her every day.
[Reply]
Not having kids, my furbabies – 3 dogs all under 25 pounds and 4 cats – are my babies (but they don’t get to sleep on the bed and they don’t get people food).
With 7 animals, all but 2 will be 10 and older this year and I’m NOT happy about, no matter how healthy they are (and thank goodness they are).
I cannot bear the thought of my Cliff the Mutt passing (he’ll be 11 this year and I’ve had him since he was 4 months old). Hubby’s three cats will be 11 and 10 this year. Oscar the Dog will be 11 as well. and sigh.
They have to out live me. That’s all there is to it.
[Reply]
You’re not off base. When we had to put Pavlov down two years ago it was a very trying time. I still dream about him every so often and want another dog so bad… We’re in the same situation as you are with G1 with our oldest cat Vera. She’s 16 and I keep wondering if it’s time, but then she does something that proves she’s still a kitten at heart.
[Reply]