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Post by Phil on May 5, 2013 16:22:55 GMT -8
I've had several cats and dogs over the years, all of which have special memories for me. It's incredible the way they 'grow on you' from those first few days when you would willingly give them back to their previous owner, to when you talk to them and they talk to you about their feelings etc.
We currently have a cat, called Latte (as in coffee) who we've had for about three years, and last year got a Cairn Terrier dog who's called Pepper. Because Latte arrived first and thinks he owns the place (as cats do) we call him King Latte. Then because we thought it unfair for him to hold a title and Pepper just be plain old Pepper, we now call him Sultan Pepper (think about it!)
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Post by April on May 5, 2013 18:18:40 GMT -8
Haha cute! Isn't it funny how territorial they can be sometimes when a new pet joins the family?! Growing up, my brother and I had a pair of gerbils... mine ended up escaping her cage and was lost for 2 weeks, until we finally found her in the garage, and she was never quite the same afterwards. She went a little crazy and I think she eventually escaped again but wasn't found that time. Then I had a couple of hamsters who were brothers, and one morning, I woke up to find that one had killed the other while they were playing... it was horrible. I didn't really have good luck with those small rodents, it seemed. Then we had an adorable half-golden retriever, half-something-else mix for 16 years... we had to put her down 2 years ago this past January... hardest day of my life. I can still see her looking back at me as they took her away. Now I live with 3 dogs--2 irish setters (Mari & Guinness) and a 6-month-old Great Dane puppy (Dozer). Oh and a cat, Jade, though she's my boyfriend's daughter's, I'm not a cat person at all.
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Post by Phil on May 5, 2013 21:02:55 GMT -8
Seems to me Dozer should be the name for a Bull Terrier lol.
Yes it's very hard having to put down a pet. I've put down four, and it never got any easier. One was a lillle silky terrier, Benji, who just got very old and blind and arthritic, and kept falling over. Another was a German Shepherd, who got peritonitis from a ruptured spleen, and another was a persian cat who got cancer. I stayed with them while they were put to sleep, and each time I wasn't even able to say 'thank you' to the vet.
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Post by April on May 6, 2013 8:08:58 GMT -8
Aww, I'm sorry to hear that you've had to go through that 4 times. We couldn't even go in while it happened... that would have been way too hard. I had to wait 4 months to even have any closure because I was making a video montage for her, but could never get through it without crying. I was just grateful that I was able to be there and to spend her last days by her side because I live 1600 miles away. I think she was holding on so that I could say goodbye to her though. I still miss her every day. And trust me, Dozer's name fits him perfectly. It's short for "Bull-dozer" which is what he'll be (without meaning to, of course) when he's full grown. He's probably going to get up to close to 200lbs and at least 36 inches tall. He's already at 75-80lbs at just over 6 months!
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Deleted
Nibbles: 0
Crackin' since: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2013 22:49:08 GMT -8
I adore cats. And love hearing about others feline friends! Though dogs are really nice too. My uncle wants to get a dog and I told him if he does, that I'm going with him to pick the puppy out.
Sorry to hear about gerbils great escape. I was never personally good with smaller animals; like hamsters, gerbils, fish and even frogs. My luck with them was always.. very unlucky. They all died soon within getting them. Which was a shame because they were all really amazing pets, too. A small rat. White and orange in color. Most loving thing ever. Went missing and we never found her. /:
That was years ago, though. Right now we have a Siberian Husky named Zeus and two cats, Sarge and Indy. (They're brothers. Sarge is so much like me, while Indy is like my sister. Which is so fitting because Sarge is mine and Indy is my sisters. Indy, short of Indiana Jones. My sister was really into those movies at the time.)
Putting down a pet is no fun. :C We almost had to put down our old dog, Bear. It's a long story, but I'll shorten it.
My grandmother, whom we used to live across the street from, was/is a very invasive person. She doesn't really use her head and to be honest, none of us really appreciate how she treats us. For a while we had been staying at her place (the house is large, so it worked at the time). During such time, Bear, was rather young. He got spoiled by her and over-excited when she was around.
Now to time skip forward to one night during Autumn/Fall. Bear got out, and my grandmother was across the stree waving him over. I don't know why she did, but this later really pissed us all off because she knows how he reacted to her. Well to get to the point: he ran across the street and got hit. Had to go to the vet and everything. We almost put him down, but the end result was not. He recovered, though I think it helped contribute to his death later on in life.
Additionally, I grew up with a cat named Cricket. My mom's cat, and she'd been with us for a very long time. Overall nice cat until her older years. Something wasn't right, and needless to say she died. Dearly missed, though, even if she was a grump.
Now while the following pet wasn't mine, and was actually my grandmothers, the cat named Buddy will always be apart of me. I really don't feel like going into a long story, but to put it shortly, I felt really attached to him and I found out he died recently.
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Post by Phil on May 8, 2013 1:20:36 GMT -8
They say pets become like their owner (or is it pet-owners become like their pets?) Anyway, sounds like thi is what's happening with Sarge and Indy.
There's a Siberian Husky often down at the park where I walk Pepper. Compared to Pep he's a giant, but he's a gentle giant. Pep often tries to engage him in a rough-house game, but he just stands quietly, grinning inwardly I think, until we move on.
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Deleted
Nibbles: 0
Crackin' since: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2013 1:35:31 GMT -8
Definitely, it's really amazing and makes me chuckle when people ask which one is Sarge and which one is Indy. Aside from their minor physical differences, their personalities really help to tell them apart.
Siberian Huskies are extremely loving and gentle. I've really not known one to be violent. Kind of like.. giant teddy bears, absolutely. They need a lot of attention and training. Zeus loves everyone, no matter what happens. Super forgiving too.
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Post by April on May 8, 2013 7:30:43 GMT -8
Putting down a pet is no fun. :C We almost had to put down our old dog, Bear. It's a long story, but I'll shorten it.
My grandmother, whom we used to live across the street from, was/is a very invasive person. She doesn't really use her head and to be honest, none of us really appreciate how she treats us. For a while we had been staying at her place (the house is large, so it worked at the time). During such time, Bear, was rather young. He got spoiled by her and over-excited when she was around.
Now to time skip forward to one night during Autumn/Fall. Bear got out, and my grandmother was across the stree waving him over. I don't know why she did, but this later really pissed us all off because she knows how he reacted to her. Well to get to the point: he ran across the street and got hit. Had to go to the vet and everything. We almost put him down, but the end result was not. He recovered, though I think it helped contribute to his death later on in life. That's just horrible. My brother just recently had to go through something like that with one of the dogs he and his wife had rescued from the shelter... they'd started out only fostering her, but she bonded with their existing golden retriever so they kept her. He was outside in the front yard one day and Lulu was out with him, and she saw something across the street and just took off for it. My brother ran after her, but he wasn't fast enough and she got hit by a passing car (who never even stopped, btw ) and sadly she didn't recover. They were devastated and their other dog, Maddie was even more torn up about it. Siberian Huskies are extremely loving and gentle. I've really not known one to be violent. Kind of like.. giant teddy bears, absolutely. They need a lot of attention and training. Zeus loves everyone, no matter what happens. Super forgiving too. I think Huskies are misconstrued as violent because aren't they considered to be half-wolf? I know all dogs descended from wolves, but Huskies are the most closely related now. They're one of my favorite dogs though, I would LOVE to have one! Getting the great dane was my boyfriend's idea, since that's his dream dog. And I have to admit, I was skeptical at first, trying to decide if our house would survive a great dane because of how big he's going to get... but now I couldn't imagine our family without him. He keeps us on our toes constantly and he can be so so sweet. Though I still wouldn't mind having a Husky too, but that might be pushing it, 4 large dogs in one house...
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Samantha
Nibbles: 178
Crackin' since: January 2013
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Post by Samantha on May 8, 2013 13:29:00 GMT -8
I am sorry to hear all the sad experiences from people. Phil don't worry about not being able to thank the vet. I work at a veterinary clinic and we understand how devastating that time is and people aren't thinking straight. As for my previous pets, as a kid I had numerous gerbils, we had a cockateil, terrapins, fish, a dog (German shepherd cross) and rabbits (that were bred for shows so if they weren't perfect, they would be killed... So I had them, I had a no eared and a one eared bunny). I had one rabbit that will always remain in my heart. He got myxomatosis so I was pretty sure he would die.. I didn't have a job or any money so all I could do was make him comfortable. He went off his food so went and chopped up carrots and random garden plants (not advised if you don't know what's what) .. Anyway after a lot of me crying and looking after him... Wiping his eyes all day as they wouldn't open.. He survived. His fur never grew back so he had bald eyes and nose and down his back. Since then he was my baby, he followed me everywhere.. He sat with me as I watched TV, he came into the bathroom with me.. He literally wouldn't leave me alone. He's the absolute love of my life but unfortunately a year or so later he died. I still get upset now and its been 5 or 6 years. I also had a cat that died 4 years ago.. He was just lay outside in a bush with no marks or anything to say how he'd died. I have got his ashes though and when his brother dies I will scatter them together if I am strong enough to let them go. So I currently have TC, a cat.. The first cat I ever got, he's about 14 now. Had him since he was a tiny kitten, and i have Tess who was at the rescue centre I worked at. She was a fatty and was very depressed so no one wanted her she was there for a year. Anyone looking for a cat either thought she was Ill or not friendly. She isn't too pretty and only got up if she knew she was getting fuss. Every time I cleaned her out she would sit for cuddles. I couldn't leave her there anymore, so I have had her about 7 years now. She's about 14 too but as a rescue cat we were never sure of her age when we got her. Then on my 21st birthday I was given a chinchilla called chilli. I love chinchillas. A few Months later, people came to work wanting to rehome a couple more chinchillas so I have those too haha Oh my fella decided one day that he wanted a snake so he got one the next, I'm still annoyed at that. Its been a couple of years ahahahaha
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Post by Phil on May 8, 2013 17:15:04 GMT -8
Wow, what a variety! I had rabbits at one time, who shared their hutch with some guinea-pigs (hamsters to the Americans, I think). I quit those when I started getting alergic reactions from their urine when I cleaned the pen. I also at one stage had two, I mean eight, I mean lots of mice. Seemed like every time I turned my back I'd have another family of babies! I had to go away for two weeks once (no choice) when I had about eight of them, and so I gave them a super-serve of food and water in their box and left. When I got back they'd eaten their way out of the wooden box and bred and over-run the flat. I know, it serves me right.
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Post by Phil on May 9, 2013 17:21:35 GMT -8
I got a PM from April yesterday today explaining how to use the deleted text function in this Forum. Looks like it works! Thanks April.
By the way, I like the "I'm Online!". It's better than "Cruncher is Online". For a while I wondered who this fellow "Cruncher" was, and how come he had so much time to spare.
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Post by April on May 9, 2013 22:13:58 GMT -8
I got a PM from April yesterday today explaining how to use the deleted text function in this Forum. Looks like it works! Thanks April. By the way, I like the " I'm Online!". It's better than "Cruncher is Online". For a while I wondered who this fellow "Cruncher" was, and how come he had so much time to spare. Haha, no problem!! I'm happy to help. And yeah, the "Cruncher is Online" felt a little too impersonal so I just decided to change it. Glad to hear you approve!
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Samantha
Nibbles: 178
Crackin' since: January 2013
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Post by Samantha on May 10, 2013 12:10:05 GMT -8
Hahahahah the 'reason for edit' made me laugh Phil Wooops on the mice situation!!!! I hope you learnt your lesson
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Post by Phil on May 10, 2013 16:43:23 GMT -8
I sure did. From now on, if I have mice again, I'll keep the males in one box and the females in another - except if they're brothers and sisters of course, 'cause they wouldn't do anything (would they?).
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Samantha
Nibbles: 178
Crackin' since: January 2013
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Post by Samantha on May 11, 2013 1:42:16 GMT -8
Hahahaha.. I think you would need to invest in something a little more appropriate than the boxes, and yes brothers and sisters do the deed.
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