Pets

[wpj]

I was with my Lila cat last month when she had to be put to sleep. It has been an awfull year and this became the catalyst for a massive amount of grief for me. I know there are loads of folk here who have "pets" but I think they have us. I know I am not alone, my Lila was a major pal, Cash, her brother was too cool for school but now more tactile. Thread for happy pets

[JeMeSouviens]

Sorry to hear that. My lab is away to be 9 and he should be with us for years yet but I know the whole family is going to be in bits when that day comes.

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/12809564_905428336238097_6763138067228916621_n.jpg

[patch1875]

We had to put our 3yo cat to sleep a few months ago after he became ill. Still gutted he’s no longer around and our other cat is still a bit lost without him.

I’ve actually struggled with this more than when I lost my Mum last year.

We’ve got another kitten coming in a couple of weeks though!

[stoneyburn hibs]

We had to put our 3yo cat to sleep a few months ago after he became ill. Still gutted he’s no longer around and our other cat is still a bit lost without him.

I’ve actually struggled with this more than when I lost my Mum last year.

We’ve got another kitten coming in a couple of weeks though!

It's crass and I apologise, but seriously?

[patch1875]

It's crass and I apologise, but seriously?

Yep.

My mum was ill for a long time so I reckon I just prepared myself better for it happening I agree it’s certainly the wrong way round but losing my mum was a relief for her and us at the end.

[Mon Dieu4]

Yep.

My mum was ill for a long time so I reckon I just prepared myself better for it happening I agree it’s certainly the wrong way round but losing my mum was a relief for her and us at the end.

I can relate to that, my cat got put down when I was in my early 20s, I'd had her since I was a wee boy and I couldn't really remember life without her, fast forward 15 years and I've lost 3 grandparents in the space of 4 years and I can safely say I've taken that that better than the cat, could be an age thing or that I had prepared myself for it, with the cat I was genuinely gutted and heartbroken and with the oldies it was more relief

On the plus side I now have a deranged ****ing radge of a cat and there is never a dull moment with him around, it's mental how important they become

[SteveHFC]

Lost my black lab a few months ago due to illness. Still can't get over it. :boo hoo:

[Hibbyradge]

I'd love a pet, a dog preferably, although I love cats too, but I like to travel too much and it wouldn't be fair to leave them in kennels several times a year.

[Pretty Boy]

My cat died suddenly a few yeara back. He had been hanging around our back garden for a couple of weeks and was obviously hungry. I gave him a few bites to eat and then one night in pouring rain and high winds I let him into the house. He jumped up on my knee, curled up and decided he was staying. I was the only person he would let pick him up as he still had a bit of stray instinct about him. We done all the right things, got him chhecked for a chip, put up found cat signs but no takers and I think he had decided he was staying with us anyway.

About a year later he just fell over and died in the morning. The vet had estimated he was about 4 so not old. It turned out he had an undiagnosed heart condition. I was in a total state for days afterwards and cried my eyes out. I felt guilty that I'd let it happen, I felt bad I hadn't taken him in sooner, I felt bad he had just got to know a good home and happiness and that was it. It was truly horrible.

I swore I was never getting another pet as it wasn't the 1st time I'd been through it. Then a couple of years ago we rehomed another cat and he's going strong. Ruling the roost at home and lapping up the attention in that offhand way only cats can. Hard as it is to let them go a pet really does make a home.

[MSK]

We had a resue Yorkshire terrier a few years back, an absolute gem of a pet, helped me through illness, just by being himself, a unique character. We had a good 5 or 6 years of him giving us love and us likewise to him. He sadly took ill and passed away quietly in his bed one night, I couldnt face him being taken away and cremated so I took the decision to bury the wee man in the back garden, yeah I know there are laws/rules etc but I simply couldnt let the wee man go.

We left him in his bed overnight before, my Wife wrapped him up in his favourite blanket as I, bubbling away, dug his wee grave in the back garden beside his favourite clothes pole where he cocked his leg and ritually done his morning pee. My Wife laid him to rest with his favourite cuddly toy, a toy that was a symbol to both him and I, as whenever I was ill this is the toy he would bring to me, his other toys had no great significance.

We now have resued a Cocker spaniel from the borders, he was ill treated, the issue we had was work and holidays but in weighing things up we felt that the dog must come first. We have a great family network and a lovely dog sitter who allow us to work, we have also agreed to reduce the amount of trips abroad for next year but also to factor in holidays that include our dog. The important thing is giving our new dog the love, care and attention that he so craved but sadly never got in his short five years at his previous home, heres hoping for many great years ahead with him.

[stoneyburn hibs]

Yep.

My mum was ill for a long time so I reckon I just prepared myself better for it happening I agree it’s certainly the wrong way round but losing my mum was a relief for her and us at the end.

Fair do's mate, sorry for your loss.

[The Modfather]

I'd love a pet, a dog preferably, although I love cats too, but I like to travel too much and it wouldn't be fair to leave them in kennels several times a year.

It’s a sensible outlook if you travel quite a bit but there are companies that will come to your home while you’re away to feed, and as importantly, play/give attention to your cat.

My Mum usually feeds our cat/takes him to hers when we are away but when I got married we used a cat sitter recommended to us and all went well without the stress of travel for the cat.

I’d echoe what others have said about a pet very much being a part of the family. Can’t imagine life without our cat.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Tin hat on here but, I just don't get the attraction of pets at all. Sorry! Maybe a post for the pet peeves thread! 😁

[NAE NOOKIE]

I've had the sad duty of taking a cat to be put to sleep 3 times, once on Christmas eve and it never ever gets any easier.

The last time was our cat Max who my partner had had since he was a kitten, by this time he was 18. My partner always maintained that Max was really her ex partners cat because the two of them were really close and Max always chose his knee to sit on. When the fateful day came my partner had to work and it was left to me to take Max to the vet ( only fair considering that she had taken Max's brother to be put down a year earlier ) …. I was already in bits on the way, but incredibly in a 1000/1 shot as I walked in the door who did I meet coming out but the ex partner ( a lovely guy by the way ) who it seems fate had decided would get the chance to say cheerio to his pal. Needless to say watching this big tough man say his goodbyes to Max pushed me right over the edge and my already wavering stiff upper lip dissolved into mush.

We swore we would never have another cat again and the current incumbent who turned up one day about two years ago and refused to leave, and who is busy cleaning himself next to me as I type has been left in no doubt that he isn't our cat and that eventually he's going to have to ante up for the enormous food bill he now owes :greengrin

[RyeSloan]

Tin hat on here but, I just don't get the attraction of pets at all. Sorry! Maybe a post for the pet peeves thread! [emoji16]

I inherited a dog with my current partner and 7 years later while I like the wee man (border terrier) And he’s a brilliant natured thing I can categorically state that if he passed tomorrow I wouldn’t shed a tear.

The Mrs would be gutted for months no doubt but I find the tedium of his regular walks and feeds etc much more onerous than any ‘love’ he gives back.

As I said he’s a cracking dog but pets are clearly just not my thing!

[NAE NOOKIE]

We had to put our 3yo cat to sleep a few months ago after he became ill. Still gutted he’s no longer around and our other cat is still a bit lost without him.

I’ve actually struggled with this more than when I lost my Mum last year.

We’ve got another kitten coming in a couple of weeks though!

I guess you have to have been a pet owner to get this, but I do absolutely.

The thing is that no matter how much you know that what you are doing is the right thing and is nothing less than what a responsible pet owner must do if they really love their animal, the truth is that you feel nothing less than a bloody traitor when the fateful day arrives.

[NAE NOOKIE]

I inherited a dog with my current partner and 7 years later while I like the wee man (border terrier) And he’s a brilliant natured thing I can categorically state that if he passed tomorrow I wouldn’t shed a tear.

The Mrs would be gutted for months no doubt but I find the tedium of his regular walks and feeds etc much more onerous than any ‘love’ he gives back.

As I said he’s a cracking dog but pets are clearly just not my thing!

Ha ha, sounds like me mate. My 2nd wife was a real doggy person and about 5 minutes after we were married I was the proud co owner of two rescue dogs. One a Border collie who was a brilliant dog and almost converted me from being a cat person and a puppy who grew up to be mental in a lovable sort of way … guess who was left holding the bag when it was time for walkies in the snow or pissing rain :greengrin

When we separated she took the collie but couldn't take the other dog and unfortunately neither could I, but as luck would have it ( or so I thought ) the guy next door who for some reason the dog seemed to love agreed to take her ( the dog, not the wife :greengrin ) …. imagine my anger, not to mention a real feeling of guilt, when a year later I got a phone call from the stupid prat to say he had set his house on fire and the poor wee dog had suffocated in the smoke. Obviously it wasn't deliberate, but even so if we had been in the same room I would have punched him right in his stupid face.

Anyway, I digress …. don't feel bad mate, some folk just aren't pet people and better to realise that. I've known folk who profess to love animals who shouldn't be allowed to keep a Goldfish, never mind a dog or a cat.

[The Modfather]

Tin hat on here but, I just don't get the attraction of pets at all. Sorry! Maybe a post for the pet peeves thread! 😁

What kind of monster are you! 😀

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

What kind of monster are you! 😀

Cannae get my head round picking up whatever they empty from their bodies! 😁

[Caversham Green]

I inherited Abbey five years ago when my mother passed away. I was reluctant to take her at first as I live on a main road and although she's a house cat there was always the fear that she might get out. I don't know exactly how old she is, but she must be fair age as she was an adult when Mum got her and she had her for a few years. She's a lovely friendly wee cat and I soon got very attached to her.

Anyway, things were going fine until a few weeks ago when I noticed she wasn't eating very well and moving her jaw in a strange way. I took her to the vet the week before last and the vet found that she had a lump in her mouth.That meant she had to have a general anaesthetic to have it removed. The worry was that because of her age her kidneys might not take the strain and on top of that, she's a Short-Haired Persian and the flat nose could cause breathing difficulties. They took a blood sample to test her kidneys but I spent a miserable weekend fully expecting to hear the worst when the results came through. As it turned out the results were fine and the vet was happy that the breathing wouldn't cause too much of a problem. Abbey had the op on Thursday and she's back home now and doing well. It turned out that she also had a split tooth on the other side of her mouth so the poor wee thing was getting pain from both sides when she tried to eat. We're not out of the woods yet as the lump might be cancerous (awaiting results of that test) but it's such a relief to have her back and eating normally even if it might not be for too long.

The whole thing's costing me a fair whack, but I don't begrudge a penny. It's a good idea to insure your pet though in case something like this happens to him/her.

[pollution]

I was never bothered with cats before I moved into my partner's house years ago.

She had a rescued tabby who would run under her bed hiding from me, but showing the end of his tail.
He was dumped at the bypass we reckon and ours was the first house he came to. He didn't like mens' shoes in particular. I wonder why.
Anyway after a few months he ended up sitting at my feet looking up at me as a dog would.

He and the other cat died within two months of each other, they were so close. Both are buried next to each other in the garden.

Then our neighbour moved to a flat with no garden so we took in his cat.
Inevitably he passed away so he is now in the garden too.

If you have reached this far you are probably a cat person too.

They are not substitute children but are very relaxing to have around.

[Hibbyradge]

Ha ha, here's a different, but daft, take on it from a cat's point of view. :greengrin

The photo is perfect for the story too.

http://newsthump.com/2018/10/08/therapy-cat-really-stressing-out-under-all-this-responsibility/

[easty]

I split with my wife last December. We’d had a dog for 7 years, since she was a 4 week old puppy. I’ve not seen Cabbage since July. My ex is a vet, and in a better position to look after her. Ridiculous how much I miss her though. He dog. Not the wife.

[wpj]

I split with my wife last December. We’d had a dog for 7 years, since she was a 4 week old puppy. I’ve not seen Cabbage since July. My ex is a vet, and in a better position to look after her. Ridiculous how much I miss her though. He dog. Not the wife.

Great name

[wpj]

We had to put our 3yo cat to sleep a few months ago after he became ill. Still gutted he’s no longer around and our other cat is still a bit lost without him.

I’ve actually struggled with this more than when I lost my Mum last year.

We’ve got another kitten coming in a couple of weeks though!

I get this, without going into details this year has been awful. I never really cried until I held Lila as she went to sleep then it all came out. I think the vet was shocked but didn't know it was a years worth of tears. She always knew when i needed company and I had to leave hospital to be there for her but there is no way she was going alone.

[NAE NOOKIE]

I get this, without going into details this year has been awful. I never really cried until I held Lila as she went to sleep then it all came out. I think the vet was shocked but didn't know it was a years worth of tears. She always knew when i needed company and I had to leave hospital to be there for her but there is no way she was going alone.

I have a funny feeling that Vets probably see folk in tears every day of the week mate and accept it as part of the job.

[Just Jimmy]

We got a cat in August. She was 8 weeks. she's ginger and white. I've always been 'a dog person' and never had much time for cats but my other half loves them so I agreed. I love having the cat around. much to my other half's annoyance the cat has taken to me more and comes looking for me.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[Wilson]

I have a funny feeling that Vets probably see folk in tears every day of the week mate and accept it as part of the job.

Aye, usually when they're handed the bill...

[Caversham Green]

I inherited Abbey five years ago when my mother passed away. I was reluctant to take her at first as I live on a main road and although she's a house cat there was always the fear that she might get out. I don't know exactly how old she is, but she must be fair age as she was an adult when Mum got her and she had her for a few years. She's a lovely friendly wee cat and I soon got very attached to her.

Anyway, things were going fine until a few weeks ago when I noticed she wasn't eating very well and moving her jaw in a strange way. I took her to the vet the week before last and the vet found that she had a lump in her mouth.That meant she had to have a general anaesthetic to have it removed. The worry was that because of her age her kidneys might not take the strain and on top of that, she's a Short-Haired Persian and the flat nose could cause breathing difficulties. They took a blood sample to test her kidneys but I spent a miserable weekend fully expecting to hear the worst when the results came through. As it turned out the results were fine and the vet was happy that the breathing wouldn't cause too much of a problem. Abbey had the op on Thursday and she's back home now and doing well. It turned out that she also had a split tooth on the other side of her mouth so the poor wee thing was getting pain from both sides when she tried to eat. We're not out of the woods yet as the lump might be cancerous (awaiting results of that test) but it's such a relief to have her back and eating normally even if it might not be for too long.

The whole thing's costing me a fair whack, but I don't begrudge a penny. It's a good idea to insure your pet though in case something like this happens to him/her.

Got a call from the vet yesterday - the lump wasn't cancerous. A huge weight off my mind.

[grunt]

Got a call from the vet yesterday - the lump wasn't cancerous. A huge weight off my mind.Relief all round.

[heretoday]

I was never bothered with cats before I moved into my partner's house years ago.

She had a rescued tabby who would run under her bed hiding from me, but showing the end of his tail.
He was dumped at the bypass we reckon and ours was the first house he came to. He didn't like mens' shoes in particular. I wonder why.
Anyway after a few months he ended up sitting at my feet looking up at me as a dog would.

He and the other cat died within two months of each other, they were so close. Both are buried next to each other in the garden.

Then our neighbour moved to a flat with no garden so we took in his cat.
Inevitably he passed away so he is now in the garden too.

If you have reached this far you are probably a cat person too.

They are not substitute children but are very relaxing to have around.

Cats are great and they're not unlike dogs about the house. You have to keep them interested or they become flat fireside animals. Having access to a garden helps.

It's always heart-warming to see a family cat or dog taking rough play from kids and putting up with it. If they've grown up with children in the home they get very protective of kids.

I think it's to do with the soft hands and touch that children have. Unthreatening.

[Captain Trips]

I love my cat and he is part of the family he is now 9 and hopefully plenty of time left with the wee man.

[Glory Lurker]

So many cat people on this thread! Away back to JKB!

[Gatecrasher]

Having a pet is great, giving an animal a good home is a great thing to do IMO. Sadly losing them is part of that. I always found the best way to get over losing one is to bring another one into the family.

[SteveHFC]

Having a pet is great, giving an animal a good home is a great thing to do IMO. Sadly losing them is part of that. I always found the best way to get over losing one is to bring another one into the family.

We got a yellow Labrador puppy yesterday. :aok:

[heretoday]

I love my cat and he is part of the family he is now 9 and hopefully plenty of time left with the wee man.

Cats can talk actually. Did you know that? :dizzy:

[G B Young]

Cannae get my head round picking up whatever they empty from their bodies! 😁

Getting out into the woods or into the hills with the dog is a great way to clear your head but yes, the poo bag business is without question a significant downside - especially when they decide to take a s*** two or even three times! In saying that, it may be irritating to have pick up after them, but the folk who don't do so are a good deal more irritating. I'd like to hunt them down and throw them in a cell for the night.

[Gatecrasher]

We got a yellow Labrador puppy yesterday. :aok:

:thumbsup: hope you have a great time together :greengrin

[heretoday]

Getting out into the woods or into the hills with the dog is a great way to clear your head but yes, the poo bag business is without question a significant downside - especially when they decide to take a s*** two or even three times! In saying that, it may be irritating to have pick up after them, but the folk who don't do so are a good deal more irritating. I'd like to hunt them down and throw them in a cell for the night.
Just put them in a bin bag and hang it from a tree branch for a while.

[pollution]

Just put them in a bin bag and hang it from a tree branch for a while.


I have seen this done. What is it all about?

The mess has been bagged so take it away home.

[speedy_gonzales]

I have seen this done. What is it all about?

The mess has been bagged so take it away home.

The thinking is many dog walkers enter and leave by the same access, so by leaving their she!t baubles in view they'll remember to grab them before leaving their dog walking area,,,, unfortunately many do not or simply forget.

I'm starting to think we should forget about bagging the poo, dogs should be trained to crap in the gutter or if out in the country they should mess far away from paths and open grass areas. A lot of the bags used aren't biodegradable, their simply faecal grenades, just waiting to be launched!!!

[lapsedhibee]

The thinking is many dog walkers enter and leave by the same access, so by leaving their she!t baubles in view they'll remember to grab them before leaving their dog walking area,,,, unfortunately many do not or simply forget.

I'm starting to think we should forget about bagging the poo, dogs should be trained to crap in the gutter or if out in the country they should mess far away from paths and open grass areas. A lot of the bags used aren't biodegradable, their simply faecal grenades, just waiting to be launched!!!

Nah. Can't think of a better piece of legislation in my lifetime than the requirement to pick up dug *****. With the increase in dog population, whole streets would now be awash with the stuff if that law didn't exist.

[beensaidbefore]

Getting out into the woods or into the hills with the dog is a great way to clear your head but yes, the poo bag business is without question a significant downside - especially when they decide to take a s*** two or even three times! In saying that, it may be irritating to have pick up after them, but the folk who don't do so are a good deal more irritating. I'd like to hunt them down and throw them in a cell for the night.

Or reintroduce dog licences. Any dog turds found could be tested for dna against the dog licence database and careless owners issued a fine plus costs for all the hassle. Would solve the problem pretty quickly imo. Dont see folk would be put off if it was say £100 given folk can spend hundreds, even thousands on a dog.

[speedy_gonzales]

Nah. Can't think of a better piece of legislation in my lifetime than the requirement to pick up dug *****. With the increase in dog population, whole streets would now be awash with the stuff if that law didn't exist.
Don't get me wrong, it is entirely correct that owners make sure turds are not left behind to be trodden on, I just think the plastic bag makes a horrible problem a whole lot worse.
A dog mess, left on its own will disappear over a few days, it'll never disappear of its in a plastic bag.

[heretoday]

The thinking is many dog walkers enter and leave by the same access, so by leaving their she!t baubles in view they'll remember to grab them before leaving their dog walking area,,,, unfortunately many do not or simply forget.

I'm starting to think we should forget about bagging the poo, dogs should be trained to crap in the gutter or if out in the country they should mess far away from paths and open grass areas. A lot of the bags used aren't biodegradable, their simply faecal grenades, just waiting to be launched!!!

You're right. Dogs can be trained to go in the gutter. Or in a patch in the back garden if there is one.
Unfortunately they are not predictable. Or their bowels aren't anyway!

[speedy_gonzales]

You're right. Dogs can be trained to go in the gutter. Or in a patch in the back garden if there is one.
Unfortunately they are not predictable. Or their bowels aren't anyway!
I lived on Oxgangs Terrace (Hyacinth Bucket would say Colinton Mains) for a couple of years in the 80's, we had a neighbour that trained his standard poodle to do his business on an unfolded broadsheet which he (the owner) would when wrap and bin.

Coincidentally, the Poodle was one of those dugs that would occasionally lay a white turd,,,,

[heretoday]

I lived on Oxgangs Terrace (Hyacinth Bucket would say Colinton Mains) for a couple of years in the 80's, we had a neighbour that trained his standard poodle to do his business on an unfolded broadsheet which he (the owner) would when wrap and bin.

Coincidentally, the Poodle was one of those dugs that would occasionally lay a white turd,,,,

I know all about the white ones. If you ask I will explain. It's to do with diet.

[G B Young]

Don't get me wrong, it is entirely correct that owners make sure turds are not left behind to be trodden on, I just think the plastic bag makes a horrible problem a whole lot worse.
A dog mess, left on its own will disappear over a few days, it'll never disappear of its in a plastic bag.

Unless there's a really heavy spell of rain it can take a lot longer than a few days...

I think if folk are walking their dogs along woodland paths or out in the country then using a stick to knock the turd out of harm's way into bushes is actually more environmentally friendly than bagging it - as you say it will simply decompose. I also understand that when your dog is careering around through the woods you'll sometimes not spot it taking a c***, but it's the folk who don't pick up mess on the pavement that do my head in. There's no excuse there.

[Dashing Bob S]

When our dog died several years back, the cat, who had grown up with him, was completely lost. They'd been together as puppy and kitten for ten years, and although the cat was healthy, it pined for a few months, continually searching for him, then just died of a broken heart. To lose both so close together was a blow.

[Jay]

My mums 10 year old Scottie died suddenly late on sat night at home. Mums 76 and very traumatised, she hasnt slept since and is very pale. I came home from a weekend away to find her in a state and the dog still in the house. Dealt with the dog but have no idea how to help mum other than to be here. Horrible to see her so broken.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Last year after a sudden and very heavy snowfall our cat who has never used a litter box in his life and obviously in desperate need in the middle of the night and unable to go outside crapped in the bath ………. cats are bloody clever animals :greengrin

[MSK]

My dog got the snip yesterday, I was working so my Wife took him to the vet, he is my best pal now but totally in the huff with my Wife 😆

[staunchhibby]

When i visited Maderia noticed pet owners carrying bottles of water and cleaning up after pets done there needful.Place is spotless