HOHN

Ditto on the loss. It's always painful for sure.

It's remarkable how bonded we can get to an animal-- a dog, cat, horse, whatever. I mean on one hand we know in our heads that it's "just an animal", but that doesn't keep them from working their way into our hearts.


I'm with Larry-- I won't have another pet for quite awhile.

I hope your pain is soon assuaged.


Justin

strokerace

Sorry to hear about your cat, I lost a beagle I'd had since I was a kid a few months ago. I have a red heeler now who goes everywhere with me, he rides in my truck about as much as I do, I have to leave him at home through the week when I go to school but on the weekends I take him to the feed mill, to work, everywhere. Its amazing how attached you can get to animals, they just become a part of the family

Bluedeviltorque

On 9/11/07, one of our two rabbits "The Bun" who was litter trained and lived inside passed after 8 years living in our home. We all knew she was going downhill slowly and one day I could tell she was in a lot of pain, and I nearly cried when I picked her up and she made the first "cry" I had heard from her in the 8 years she lived with us. But even through this she showed affection towards me, even when I think she knew it was the end. (Its hard to explain how they do it, they're not like cats or dogs, I guess you have to have a rabbit to understand fully)

Long story short, I took her to the vet and she passed while on the table. The vet was in awe over how healthy she was and that the only ailment she had was heart failure which is very common and usually happens much sooner than it did. On that day, even with seeing the evil that people can do to one another at work on a daily basis and the tragic images that I can recall in my mind, this completely broke me. Honestly I still miss her waiting for me just inside the door when I get home from work and stopping to pet her. She learned the sound of cars when they pulled in the driveway and would be waiting to see who came in.

But to show that with the passing of one, brings the start of a new, I had a new "special rabbit" come calling... literally.

I was working and given that I'm in a urban police department we don't get a ton of animal related calls other than dogs wandering and a funky squirrel once in a while. So I get sent to a less than great section of town on a complaint of a sick wild rabbit in the persons yard. Turns out the call had been received several hours before and I didn't get it then because we're usually quite busy on 2nd shift. Which to me makes me think there was "someone" else controlling fate that day.

I get to the home and I find out that the caller and her children had taken the rabbit into the house and given it some water and lettuce (Horrible for rabbits, but better than nothing). I go to where the rabbit was and I find it was a small lop. It was VERY underweight and its coat was pretty nasty.

So I took her to the pound for the night and had stopped at home to get some good food and hay for her. I left a note for our animal control officer telling him I would take it in until the owner called and would keep it if no one showed. The next day our animal control officer took her to a vet and they said she seemed ok and he told me to pick her up.

Turns out she's a little "Special" in many ways. All the vets agreed she would have died during the first frost because she was so under weight. This first frost would have been the night I got the call. She also had a bad ear infection which will be an uphill battle for her whole life and her coat was thin and sickly to say the least. Turns out that she's got a birth defect and her right ear and ear canal are about 1/2 the size they should be. She also leans to the right, sits with her head tilted to the right, but is the sweetest little thing you could ever find. She loves everyone and its friendly and playful now that she's put on about a solid pound since we got her at just over 3lbs. She even tolerates having her ears cleaned out several times a week with Antibiotic ear solution and cotton swabs, to hopefully someday rid her of her ear infections and ear wax problems.

So now we have our "Special" rabbit... who took the place of "The Bun". We sometimes think that because we took such good care of "The Bun" during her life that she sent us one that needed that care.

As one member said earlier, "Be open minded to life" and I couldn't agree more.

Thats my long story and now I'm going to go be "un-manly" and pet my rabbits!

Mike

Dieseldude4x4

Know all about that feeling. It was a bad day here as well a few years ago. She will never be forgotten. Then the next one died in my arms in the vet doctors office. Another bad day. Just remember the good times they brought you.



I just signed a contract with NCROTTIERESCUE in Raliegh to foster a Rottie. I think we all know how the foster thing will work though. He has pretty much found a home. They have a lot of furry friends that need homes.

http://ncrottierescue.net/html/adopt_me.html

6BT-DAKOTA

Im Very sorry to hear of your loss. I lost a German Shepard about 4 yrs ago and to this day their isnt a day that goes by that I dont think of him. Her is a peom that was given to me right after Rocco passed away that brought a lot of comfort. I hope it helps but before you read it get the tissues out.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

DaveB.inVa

I'm sorry for your loss. My brother and I at home had two Maine Coon cats, they would play a lot with each other. The cat my brother had got hit one day and hopefully died instantaneously. My cat would sit in his hiding places for weeks waiting on the other cat to come through so he could play. Now my cats getting pretty old and I dread the day that he goes. Hes a good ol cat, all he does these days is sleep in his own spot and thats about it, but we got him in 92 when he was a kitten so he's lived a long good life.

One of the saddest things I ever had to do was see my Mamaws dog be put down. He got ran over and lived through it, man he was a good ol dog!

D2 Cat

Dennis, my condolences during your loss. I've got dogs, cats, horses, even cattle and geese. I consider all animals a gift from God. They are on loan to us. He provided them all for our benefit. Some are even provided for food. I try to show appreciation to my pets each day as if it was their last,because it may be--just like us.