Thread: I've had better days than today.

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We both feel for you Don,,,over the years,animals have come and gone,it always hurts,but I have always gone out and found another to take the last ones place..The biggest hurt was taking my 11 year old German Shepherd to the vet 10 days before Christmas,knowing I was gunna come out on my own,,and I did..It was the worst Christmas I have EVER had...as my ex wife had gone a few years earlier,,in fact losing my dog hurt heaps more... We currently have two cats,a ten year old tabby which has Abyssinian blood in her,and Sofie,the old tabby b*tch, who is a real character,and rules the house.She is coming up 15 in early January,,still climbs onto the house roof,and hunts...Her father was a bush cat,and it shows...But,man,are we going to miss the old tart when she goes,which hopefully,wont be for another year or three...That cat has travelled with us half way around the North Island when we shifted house to we we are now and life wont be the same without her.
Bear up,mate,,,another will happen along for you,,as there is probably a cat colony in your neighborhood,that just KNOWS the two Dons and Dan are Floridas easy touch when it comes to cats... THEY also know the old saying about dogs having owners,and cats have staff...
If I knew where to look,I would post a couple of pix of our motley crew...

I have never been owned by a cat (or been on their staff (like that one, lamin8r )), but we've had lots of dogs through the years and that trip to the vet knowing that you'll likely be leaving alone is one of the worst. Just reading all of the words from pet lovers has put a lump in my throat and made tears well up... Don, Don, Dan and Nancy you all have my deep sympathy, and I hope that memories of happy/funny/loving moments with Alto overwhelm your sadness soon.

That is one thing that separates this forum from some others.........a person can come on here and bare their soul and it is understood and comforting words flow freely. I know of some other forums where this would not be received so well. Thanks for that opportunity everyone.

I knew for the past week Alto was getting worse. Nancy and I talk every day and she kept telling me she thought the end was near, but I was trying to put off the inevitable until after Daytona this week. Dan, Don, and I need this week away badly and I didn't want this on Dan's mind. I guess God had some different plans.

GIve your pets an extra hug tonight, I have done that with Lucky and Chewy.

Don

Really sorry to hear about the cat, Don. Hey, that's a lot of years for a cat! Probably had a ton of good times with her, anyway if you're like me you can't stand to see them suffer so it becomes choosing a lesser of two evils....

Again, I must stress, you did the ULTIMATE ACT OF LOVE FOR A PET.
Nope, that doesn't make it one damned bit easier for you, I know (been there, done that, more times than I have wanted to) but you know what? Alto appreciated it.
Alto WILL be waiting for you, when the time comes...imagine the reunion !!!!
and again I say, if anyone gives you any crap for "baring your soul" give me their e-mail address, I got your back on this one...

Well Pops, it ain't ever easy is it? Hard as it is, we need to focus on all the years they kept us employed in their service. Our current pair are still pretty young so we hope to have them around for another dozen or so years. They provide so much joy it will be hard to let them go, but the time always seems to come for that.

Grieve as you must, support Nancy and Dan as you will, that's the best you can do. We feel your pain, but time heals.

I've got one that looks just like her, Don. Monika is her name and she's about 11 now. I have a Scooter, too! Sorry to hear she passed; cats are pretty special companions.

Don, I just now saw your post and I know what it's like to lose or have to put a pet to sleep. I will say for that amount of time you took care of the Cat's they had a good life, I know that doesn't make it any easier to take but what can you say other than we understand. We have lost two this year one got out and was run over, that cat was born in a box while I was trying to comfort the mother. Going to get her to bring her home was one of the toughest things I had to do.

I think there are some pretty tough guys on this site. I've fallen off a building had many surgeries, lots of pain but never shed a tear but when we lose a pet I can't stop the tears from coming, you just get so close and they just want you to treat them with kindness and they will give it back. Don I'm so sorry to hear this.

Anytime I would say Don in Florida to my wife about something going on, I have to say Don with the blue eyed Cat.

Richard

Don I am truly saddened and sorry for your loss. You did the humane thing for your beloved friend.
My wife and I had to do the very same thing with our 2 Doberman's that we got when we first married. Misha was our first Doby, she was with us for 15 years, the smartest dog we have ever owned. The day we took her in for her scheduled day (how else do you put it) she was as sharp as a tack mentally, but father time had taken a toll on her body. She could no longer walk without assistance. It's funny, as I type this I get a tear in my eye, seems like yesterday. When I placed her on the examination table that she absolutely hated, she used to be on all fours standing on her claws! She just laid there and looked up at us with her big brown eyes, as if to say it's OK, it's my time. Shortly there after she was gone. I don't care how tough you are, it still tears you up inside. Our second Doby was Cody, he was with us for 12.5 years. He too, was healthy as a horse. One day he was very lazy and weak. The wife made an appointment to see the vet. The morning of his vet visit he came from our room and was walking down the hall and fell right over on his side, all 75 ponds of him. My wife was able to get him loaded in to the SUV by herself, as I was at work. She took him to his Vet appointment with our young children (4 and 7) in tow. I got a call from my wife asking me if I wanted to see Cody one last time, as he wasn't gonna make it through the evening. What a shock! I was a wreck and raced back home to the Vet's Office. He had a tumor that had ruptured and he was bleeding internally. I was crushed, as was my wife. We stayed at the Vets office till they closed before we had him put down. I will say both Vets offices were very professional and sensitive to our situation/needs. There is nothing easy about putting an animal down that has been totally faithful to you and your family. I will never forget them. Sorry to bring you my sob story, just letting you know we all go through it if we have animals. They truly become one of the family.

Keith

It's really comforting to know others feel the same way we do about our pets. They sat men don't cry, but we know differently. Sometimes we find ourselves remembering something one of them did, and we choke up for a while.

Tonight Dan, Don, and I went to the shop and worked on our cars, getting ready for our trip to Turkey Run on Thursday. It took all of our minds off of today's events for a little while and did Dan some good. He and Don get along so well that it was good medicine for him. On a happy note, Mama Kitty, Shmoo, and even Whiskers came back tonight to see us and get some dinner. We were really relieved to see they are still ok. Shmoo is getting to be a big cat now , but Whiskers is still a kitten. I wish I could convince Nancy to take that one in, but I know how she feels about never wanting another pet again. Maybe after the pain of Alto passes a little we can approach her again.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

On a happy note, Mama Kitty, Shmoo, and even Whiskers came back tonight to see us and get some dinner. We were really relieved to see they are still ok. Shmoo is getting to be a big cat now , but Whiskers is still a kitten. Don

As they say. One door closes while another one opens! Your a good man Charlie Brown! We're such a "soft touch", aren't we?

Sorry to hear about your loss Don. There's nothing anyone can say to ease the pain. Hang in there....CR

Don, I am sorry. Nothing I could say that has not been said; we animal folk accept it as a condition of partnership. They give us unconditional love, acceptance, devotion, and we return it as we can, and accept the responsibility that goes with the territory. My heart goes out to you all.

The people on this forum are as good as they come..........thank you all. Today was better for us all and tomorrow will be better yet.

Nancy gave me all of Alto's stuff so she wouldn't have it to look at, and Chewy already took over her bed. Lucky is not happy because he likes to snuggle with Chewy at night on the couch, and there is no room for both of them in the cat bed.

Pets are just the craziest people! And we still have most of our extended family at the shop to keep us entertained.


Don