For animals lovers only

[julzqld]

We had a bleak Australia Day as my daughter's cat Patch was run over by a car and later that day died from her injuries.   :(We were all so devastated over it - even hubby.  My daughter was inconsolable.  My own eyes were sore from crying.   Now I don't know if I've done the right thing but I remembered hearing Dr. Harry saying once that when a pet dies you are best to buy another one soon.  I asked my daughter what she wanted to do and she wanted another cat straight away.  So we went to the Animal Welfare League late yesterday and picked out a poor little thing who had been unwanted, re-homed and then sent back to the League because "she was too lively".  Our other cat's nose is out of joint.  This new cat will not replace Patch who had her own wonderful personality but will lessen the heartbreak and give my daughter something to love again. I personally feel a bit guilty and disrespectful to the memory of Patch - I'm always half expecting to see her walking along the fence or flopped on the ground just looking at me.

PS:  I'm not too worried about the "too lively" - compared to Patch she seems quite quiet and I'm sure my kids will wear her out with sheer exhaustion.

[froars]

Poor puss 

Julz, one of our dogs “drowned” in our pool once and my daughter was very upset for about six months.  I went out and bought another one to surprise her about a year later, and when she got home my cousin who was visiting at the time was nursing the puppy.  You’ve never seen such a green-eyed monster as my daughter when she saw the puppy – took no interest in it at all until it was revealed that it was hers lol.

I have no idea if it’s best to go out straight away to get another pet after one has died.  I’ve never got one within six months – not that I think it’s disrespectful, just generally how I feel at the time.  My cat died nearly 2 years ago and she’s still so much in my memory I can’t think of getting another one – she was pretty much irreplaceable.  Time will tell if I get another.  Luv animals to death (owner of 3 ankle biters lol), so I’m predicting I will have another, but not soon I wouldn’t think.

[julzqld]

I don't know what was harder - the death of Patch or telling Jamie about it.  Even today, whilst in the car Lach asked me if Patch's heart broke and fighting back the tears I said "no, ours did".  Another reason why I didn't mind getting another cat so soon was that I wanted it to be established enough in our house before we have to go away to Melb at the end of April.

[JohnF]

Sheesh, that's terrible news. My condolences about that. 

Never been much of a pet owner myself but a mate of mine's dog died recently which he loved dearly, but he went out straight away and bought a new one. Said he couldn't handle thinking about his old dog and brooding over its death.

We all have different ways of honouring pets/people we love, and different mechanisms for coping in light of their death. You just got to do what you think is the best in the circumstances.

[WilliamPowell]

When I was at High School I had a Corgi which we had got from the Lost Dogs home when he was about 2 years old. We had lost another dog a few months earlier. We grieved for the dog we lost and weren't going to get another one until my Ma said one day we are getting a new dog - I was so happy.

We had Benny the Corgi with the long tail for about 9 years. When he got old he got really sick and in his own way he tiold us that he had enough - he stopped eating and would just lie on his side in the garage (his artritis had got so bad that he couldn't walk anyomore) we decided that we had no choice but to get him put down. No one in the family could do it so our local vet came and picked him up and took him away. I finished work early that day, got home Ma was in tears and I cracked too - my best mate was gone, the yard looked massive and his kennel was just there. Ma said she couldn't face looking at that kennel

I went out in the backyard and smashed that kennel into a million pieces.

I went back inside and said to Ma "we gotta get a new dog" she said yep and handed me the Sun - I found listed a place that was selling Labrador puppies out Epping way - we jumped in the car and bought our new puppy home that night - no more than 4 hours after we had put down Benny.

We had to do it that way - none of us could cope with not having a dog and we needed something to get our mind off Benny.

It worked too especially at 2.00am in the morning when the puppy was crying for its mother

We still have the labrador - he has just turned 13 y.o. and is a deaf as a post - he had major surgery last December to have some lumps removed and is now a picture of health. And we all still love him to death.

At the time it was the right thing for our family and to be honest I'd probably do it that way again.

I know how you feel Julz - my condolences

[cub]

Condolences julz - Trust this to be here tonight. This afternoon had to put down our long time bull terrier - I left home for work with my 10 year old nephew who lives with us in tears. 

Animals bring us a lot of joy and it is allways sad when they go. The way I look at it these days is I loved my cats/dogs terribly when I was a kid as I still do now and each one I miss terribly but I would not have met the new ones which I love just as much if I had the others my whole life.

I am sad now - going for a walk .

[mightytiges]

Condelences Julz and CUB  .

We just got a budgie a few weeks ago (my first pet in about 10 years) and it's amazing how quickly you become attached to them and they become part of the family with their own personalities. I had a cat and 4 budgies when I was a kid. You love and treasure the life and memories of each one that comes into your family.

[froars]

Sympathies to you too CUB. Hope the next couple of days and weeks are not too sad 
I can watch a world full of horrors these days and hardly shed a tear.  But if I see animal cruelty like we've seen in the last couple of weeks, it makes me so angry, so upset.  Animals, especially dogs, are the most loving, loyal and give so much of themselves to us, it really moves me.
Be nice if you could post pics of your pets.  If i work out how to do it (and i've been receiving expert training recently lol), i'll post one of my adorable cat, Mia.  Miss her so much 

[julzqld]

Thanks guys and sympathy to you too Cub.

Moi - The cat in my avatar is Gizmo.  She's 12 years old!

[froars]

Yes, i've been admiring Gizmo for a while - she has great taste in footy teams lol