# OT/some sad news



## HARRY (Mar 23, 2000)

Thursday we had to put to sleep my dads friend and companion for the past 6 years,his little pug Sassy.She was a gift to him since he was alone at home while Mom was in the nursing home.At first he did not want a dog,but after a while ya couldn't pry them apart.She had medical problems crop up last year with diabetes(sp) and had to have insulin shots twice a day(8 and 8).Since his eye sight was gone,I had to go in the morning(he lives 12 miles away)come back and go to work and go back in the evening and do it again.Needless to say this got old,but had to be done.Bills for this were out of this world with trips tp the vet,animal hosp stays but he was gonna do it for her,no matter what the cost.Well anyway Thurs the vet said her liver was shutting down and the blood sugar was up and down the chart.They said they could "patch" her up but would never get better.Also would have to come back every week for a check up and it would be expensive again,so he and I made the call.She's missed dearly by him and me also,but is better off.He wants nothing else and at 89 he dosen't need to start over again.Just thought I'd share with y'all and know some of you have gone through the same thing.Thanks for lettin me bend ya ear.


----------



## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

Harry,I'm sorry to hear this...I hope your Dad is o.k. Doesnt matter if they are animal or people,when you lose a friend its always sad.


----------



## Brent Gair (Jun 26, 1999)

People nagged me for years to get a pet. I always resisted because I love animals and I was afraid of becoming too attached. I didn't want the burden of being responsible for the welfare of an animal.

Three years ago a stray cat started meowing at my doorstep in the middle of January. I had to take it in (nothing lives very long outdoors in January in Winnipeg). Of course, my luck, it turned out to be pregnant and decided to have the kittens in my bed...forcing me to sleep on the floor. It knock hundreds of dollars worth of models and collectibles off my shelves. It destroyed the woodwork in my newly renovated bathroom and clawed every piece of furniture in the house.

On the 13th of December, I found it dead...hit by a car...in front of my house. It was literally the worst day of my life. Nothing ever hit me so hard. Even finding out I had cancer (a few years ago) wasn't such a blow.

People who don't love animals don't understand what it's like.


----------



## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

One of my best friends called my about 17 years ago to rescue a kitten that their cat brought into a world with a tormenting child in the house. I took the little fuzzy kitten into my home and with care and gentleness , got the lil thing to be less afraid of people, and especially little kids. I had her spayed and she became an indoor cat - mostly - as Maine **** cats just 'have' to go outside. I watched that she never got away from the fenced yard of my townhouse. She was content to play with the 'milk rings' and shove them under the closet door in the kitchen, eat all the catnip I could grow, and sleep whenever I wasn't home. In July 2004, she went in for her yearly 'lion cut' so she'd be cooler in the summer, and no mats in her fur for a while(She HATED being brushed) she almost died when they put her down to do the dental checkup along with the fur trim. She had lung cancer. She suffered and got worse, and finally after a few really bad days in September '04, I had to put my lil sweet kitty down. I still miss her purring, and soft fur, and cat hair everywhere. She lived 16 spoiled and pampered years, and even though I'm a 'cat person' I won't get another pet. 

My fiance' has a Basset Hound who's almost 5. She will be devistated when Melody dies, and me too. Melody is by far the most cute, posing, funny dawg I've ever seen.


----------



## Capt. Krik (May 26, 2001)

Harry,
Sorry to hear about your Dad's loss. I had a dog for eleven years named Princess who also had diabetes. Kept her going for 4 years with her daily insulin shot. She hated those shots but when it was time for them she would climb on the couch and wait patiently as I administered the medicine. Eventually the disease won out and I had to have her put to sleep. Even though a new and just as cute puppy has joined my household I still miss that little dog. Funny how those little critters worm their way into your heart. 

Brent, 
you're 100% correct. People who don't love animals just don't get it.


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Yup, pets are tough to lose. I just got off the phone with Mom, and her 13-year-old poodle just cost her $850 for surgery, hasn't eaten in 5 days, and is still throwing up. Despite having told me she won't be unhappy when he dies 'cause he's a pain to take care of lately, Mom's crying.


----------



## HARRY (Mar 23, 2000)

A face only a mother could love.And us too.RIP Sas


----------



## spe130 (Apr 13, 2004)

My old cat is getting up there in years, she's only going to be around a few more years. I have a new kitten, but she definately has her own (utterly insane) personality. My family are "pet people" (my dad's a vet), and we've always had quite a few animals around. It's always hard to lose one. One of my mom's garage cats got hit by a car a few months ago, that was really hard to take.


----------



## Rebel Rocker (Jan 26, 2000)

Harry, I, too, can relate to the pain your dad is going through. We had to put down our beagle/cocker this past June. Chip was fine until the morning I came downstairs to find piles of vomit everywhere and he was by the back door. To say he wasn't feeling well is the understatement of the year, so I let him out. He walked out, urinated, and collapsed. I carried him to the car, took him to the vet, where they discovered he had a ruptured tumor in his stomach. The tumor had gone undetected until then, quite common with dogs. there was nothing that could be done. While Cindy stayed at the vet's, I went back home and got our other dog, Honey, and called a couple of family members who met us back at the vet's. It was tough for everyone to say good-bye, especially since he was only seven and, until that time, we didn't know anything was wrong with him! He was so weak, laying on his side puffing, yet, each time someone stepped up and gave him a kiss and a scratch behind the ear, his tail wagged. (Wow, it's been seven months and it's still hard to think about this. What a wuss I'm becoming in my middle age!!) The toughest part was seeing Honey licking his snout. Chip was Honey's hero, her protector! She wouldn't think of going off the back deck without him along. She's a Pekinese/Poodle, though hardly any Poodle. She moped around for quite a while after Chip was gone. Occassionaly, she still gets into a funk. I guess it's time to get another pup. Liven things up a bit for her. 

Yeah, it definitely hurts losing a good and faithful friend.

Wayne


----------



## the Dabbler (Feb 17, 2005)

Harry, 
My condolences to you and your dad. As a confirmed dog lover I have had dogs consistantly since 1949, and it is never easy to "lose" one. Right now I have a seven year old Rottweiler, and a sixteen year old Yellow Lab who is surely not long for this world. In my back yard is a grave with a home-made, treated-wood 'tombstone' for my last, very large, Shepherd-Dane mix. ( Some may think that's silly, those folks just don't understand ) He's been 'gone' fifteen years and I still miss that danged old dog.
Best to you and especially your dad.
Dabbler/aka Harry


----------



## Otto69 (Jan 2, 2004)

*It's a tough situation.*

My dad is getting up in years and lives alone and I've thought of getting him a dog or cat...but there's no telling if he could commit to long term care of it (he's got some health problems as well). It has to be doubly tough at your dads age when he feels he can't take the responsibility for another animal.

I don't have furry pets, my apt. doesn't allow them for one thing, but I have a 4+ year old male green iguana, Cazic. 52" long. Over 8 lbs. And still growing. He's a climber, gets into things he shouldn't, claws my arms up, costs a fortune to take to the vet, doubled my home electrical costs, and I love him dearly. Every so often someone on an Iguana list I'm on loses their green friend and it's no easier. 

Having a pet that depends on you suddenly die leaves a void for all the time you spend feeding and taking care of them, and chuckling at them, and cursing at them. It's a very real void and very hard to get used to.


----------



## Cougar184 (Jan 8, 2002)

Im sorry to hear about your lose. its so easy to get attached to the little guys and its tough to get over. best of luck to you two.


----------



## HARRY (Mar 23, 2000)

Thanks guys.I told my dad I told y'all and he really appreciates the well wishes as do I.


----------



## ChrisW (Jan 1, 1970)

Hi Harry - I'm real sorry to hear about your dad's little buddy. My dad had a pomeranian named Gizmo that was his best buddy as well - they sure fill a need. 
I don't know if I related this story before, but it might give you a chuckle. After my dad passed away we took in his pomeranian and enjoyed his company for two years until his kindeys shut down, and we had to have him put down. I brought him home and buried him in the back yard next to the shed (he always enjoyed exploring up there...). Almost exactly a year later Crystal, our cat of 14 years died. I took her up to the back of the yard intending to bury her there next to Giz by the shed. I stood there for almost ten minutes in the rain, til I finally said to Crystal "Hell, you never liked him anyway!". I turned around and buried her on the opposite side of the yard under the bushes. RIP Crystal!


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Our yard wasn't big enough to bury Mort!
http://www.inpayne.com/mort/mort.html


----------



## sbaxter (Jan 8, 2002)

I have two cats I "inherited" from my second wife -- when she left, she couldn't take them to her new place. Now, I don't know what to do. The hair makes an already messy-enough place even messier, and I'm hardly ever home to give them any attention. They're as sweet as they can be and not at all destructive, but they're two adult (spayed) female cats (and they're sisters) -- and you might as well say you can't _pay_ anyone to take two adult inside-only cats.

I love 'em, or I'd have punted them out a window long ago! 

Qapla'

SSB


----------



## HARRY (Mar 23, 2000)

Thanks Chris and sbaxter.


----------



## Da Queen (Mar 11, 2005)

My thoughts and prayers are with your dad, Harry. We're a "pet family", too. Buster & Gizmo, our beloved cats have ruled our home with iron paws for15 yrs and we wouldn't have it any other way. They're still spry and loving and we know they will be greatly missed when their time comes. I hope your dad has many of Sassy's belongings to treasure as he moves through his grieving process. And you are so right! What a great face she had! 

Hugs!
Lisa


----------



## Mitchellmania (Feb 14, 2002)

Sorry to hear of your loss.


----------



## Dave Hussey (Nov 20, 1998)

Harry - yup, these little critters quickly work their way into our lives and become an important part of our circle of friends. It really hurts when you lose one.

We adopted a big old stray orange tom cat a few years back after he started mooching on our front porch, eating the grub that our own cat insisted on eating out there. He pretty quickly settled right in and had a regular routine. We only had him two years when he became very ill and, after trying everything, there was no choice but to take him to the vet one last time. It really hurt to have to do it and we still miss big old Ernie.

He was a really cool cat. Never once knocked over a model!!

Huzz


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

The dog we had when I was a little kid was a black spaniel named Smokey. Dad says Smokey just came walking down the road one day while he was out raking leaves, and adopted the family. No idea where he came from. Stayed for the rest of his life.


----------



## HARRY (Mar 23, 2000)

Many thanks Lisa and all of y'all.Dad's doing good.He's visiting his sister this week.


----------



## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

Harry,

You mentioned that your Dad is 89 - just goes to show that it's true what they say about pets helping you live longer! Here's my uplifting pet story:

My wife and I adopted a great little Spaniel/Papillon mix as a stray. As Sherlock Holmesians, the only name we could give to the little black dog was "Baskerville". We had 12 great years with him until he succumbed to congestive heart failure. It was tough to lose Baskerville, but after several months we mentioned to our vet, a friend and another member of our local scion of the Baker Street Irregulars, that we were ready to start looking for another dog.

Our friend found us a Spaniel/Afghan mix puppy that we named "Toby" (another dog name popular in the Sherlock Holmes canon). Toby was a bit squirrely, so we went to the local Humane Society to look for a companion dog for him. We hit on a cute, fiesty little Papillon/Terrier mix. They're great together, but sometimes I still think of Baskerville.

So I've formulated a plan for Toby and Sadie Eleanor (who we christened not after a Sherlock Holmes character, but with the names taken from Mrs. McG's and my mother. "Sadie" and "Eleanor" are, of course, their own names that the two women hate the most, heh heh). My idea is to run the two dogs through a matter transmitter. That way I'll get Baskerville, a Spaniel/Papillon mix back, along with this mutant Afghan/Terrier combo.

Anybody got a spare matter transmitter I could borrow?


----------



## the Dabbler (Feb 17, 2005)

Don't ask Chris W., his time machine doesn't work and he keeps ordering equipment from ACME supply !!
Dabbler


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I'm almost done with my Interroceter. I think it has a genetic mix setting....


----------



## Dave Hussey (Nov 20, 1998)

*Jerk Neighbor*

Yesterday I had a couple of guys at the house putting down some tiles in the bathroom and the cat got out when they were bringing stuff in. Now that's not normally a problem, the cat usually goes out for an hour or so after supper.

But this time, he did not come back. So this morning I called the local animal shelter. A few hours later, the SPCA called me and told me that they had my cat. It had been brought in by a neighbor who claimed that I was abusive to it. The lady from the SPCA told me that she did not believe that because "Henry" is in great shape and was clearly a well cared for critter. I gleaned from her that the guy who brought him in is new on the street. To date, I have not complained about his loud parties, his kids yelling after 11:00 PM and running around without supervision, his cars parked out in the street blocking the snow plow and his ten year old tearing around the street on a motorbike while other kids play. My attitude is usually live and let live and I am very tolerant. Besides, who am I to complain about how other folks conduct themselves? Folks should try to get along and be neighborly; talk about things over a beer and settle it in a friendly way.

But this severely pissed me off.

Huzz


----------



## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

Time to videotape the problems and then caw the police on 'em. Let them explain to child protective services why their brat is drunk on a school nite, etc.


----------



## the Dabbler (Feb 17, 2005)

I agree with Y3a, nip things in the bud. This guy sounds like a reall ***hole and he'll probably only get worse. Besides, it might help save one of his kids, if he doesn't have enough sense to care for them himself. I too hate neighborhood problems, but jerks like that think they are right until someone IN AUTHORITY calls them down on it.
Dabbler


----------



## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

Huzz,

Sounds like our neighbors in the Great White North have adopted some of the nuisances that we here in the U.S. of A. enjoy. Probably why we modelers prefer to build our kits in the basement, *underground...*


----------



## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

Hey all...just passin' thru and saw this thread.

After moving across town last November 1, Oreo, my cat of 12 years (who HATED it outside) got out the sliding glass door and never came back. I looked for her for almost 2 months and am still devastated that I never found her. I can only hope a kind soul found her and took her in.

Oddly enough, last Saturday, I came home around 8. As soon as I opened the car door, I heard a soft meow. I called out thinking maybe Oreo had finally found her way home. No answer (Oreo was very vocal). As I was about to step out of the car, I looked down and saw this little black head with huge gold eyes staring up at me from under the edge of the car door. I reached down to scratch this kitten's head and she purred. When I got out of the car and shut the door, she ran behind the front tire. I figured, "Oh well, that's that."

To my surprise, when I came around the car, she was waiting for me on the front porch. This beautiful black long haired kitten (about 4 months by my reckoning) sat patiently while I unlocked the front door. I went in and she sat there staring at me, so I opened the screen door and said, "Well, are you coming in?" She stepped in, looked around the living room, plopped on her side and started purring again like, "Yeah, I'll hang here." :lol: 

Olivia can't replace Oreo, but in 6 days, she's wiggled her way into my heart (not to mention my shaving kit, kitchen cabinets, bed, sock drawer and grocery bags  ). Right now, she's perched on the back of my office chair purring in my ear as I type this.  

I didn't believe in fate, but this little animal has made me wonder. Odd how sometimes we don't pick them, they pick US.

Yes, I still miss Oreo, but caring for this whirling little dervish is begining to ease the pain.

Heartfelt condolences to all who've lost a furry; four legged or feathered friend...


----------



## the Dabbler (Feb 17, 2005)

FF, Strange story ! Makes you wonder all sorts of things doesn't it ?? Life, and fate, are strange.
Dabbler


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Believe in reincarnation? Maybe Oreo came home after all. Ya never know.


----------

