KevinC
1681
I’m sorry, Giles, that really sucks. I’m dreading when that day comes with my dog. I have no doubt I’ll be crying my eyes out when that happens.
I don’t really have anything else to add that the others haven’t just said, I just wanted you to know I also know exactly where you’re coming from. These furballs become family. Yes, they’re not “people”, but that’s what makes them so special. You get to know their personalities, their quirks, the little things they do that just make them special and unique. And most of all, the loyalty, companionship, and affection they give us make them a remarkable and important part of our lives. It’s okay to cry about such a loss but as time goes on the hurt fades away while the many years of happy memories remain.
That’s all true, but I guess I’m just going through a phase now where every time I come home and walk through the front door, my eyes instinctively dart around, looking for him. Every time I go into the bathroom, I want to check and see if his litter box needs cleaning. His food and water dish. Make sure his heating pad is on, etc. All that stuff is gone now, but damned if I don’t choke up every single time I look for those things.
Ah well, today has been a bit better. For him too, and I guess that was the whole point of doing this.
Okay, now, someone quick post up a picture of their pet! It’ll cheer me up greatly!
Totally normal, and trust me, those feelings can last for months. Three years on, I still miss my golden so much that I occasionally cry for him. Don’t try to put your grief on a schedule, Giles. Feel what you need to for as long as you need to.
And since you asked for a pic, I’ll repost the best one we ever took with our dogs:
Sadie, the black flat-coat retriever mix on the right, is still with us. She’s very difficult to photograph well, though. Without a high powered flash or very bright sunlight, she’s just a dog-shaped area of darkness.
Sorry for your loss, Giles. Losing a pet is really hard. They are with you for so long and it’s that unconditional love they return that makes it so difficult. It’s very difficult to not remember a pet fondly!
We lost Jed aka Rabbit a couple of years back, which was really hard on my wife, Jed being the second of her cats leave us (two sisters).
We didn’t want to leave Wesley (our other cat) alone, so after some mourning for old Rabbit, we brought Rory into the family.
Oh sure, she was cute enough as a kitten…
…but why do cats always have a knack for sleeping where they know damn well they are not allowed (like on my 2yo son’s sleeping bag)!
I hear you! Rory is the same, just a dark blob with yellow eyes in most shots!
Yeah, it was a lot of work, many times a day and I have to give props to my wife who also put up with it and even cleaned up a time or two when I wasn’t around.
The new kitty is Snicklefritz, or “Fritz” for short. He seems to … er, well not give a shit about what we named him. Cats, right? :) Currently his nick name is usually, “Ack! Get off my keyboard!”
Thanks, guys. Just what I needed!
And now, I will be out of commission for a long while. I’m going in tomorrow (Tues.) at 5:15 am for open-heart surgery. Quintuple bypass actually. I guess that’s why all this cheering up has been good for me. I’m scared, man. Gotta saw open my breast-bone and stop my heart and all that (had a heart attack 10 weeks ago, and now I need to do this). But hey, if ol’ Buck could go through all that he did, I figure I can do this.
Take care, everyone, and catch you on the flip side!
You are having an awful week. Best of luck to you, Giles. I wish you a quick recovery and good health after your surgery.
That is a damn tough week. Best of luck and I look forward to your post-surgery stories… surely you’re going with one of the new krytonite-powered mechanical hearts, right? Or maybe a transplant from a convicted mass-murderer?
RichVR
1693
Wow, Giles. Firstly, so sorry for your loss. I lost my Scooby two years ago and I was inconsolable for months. It never completely goes away, but it does get much better.
That being so, good luck and keep your spirits up. Qt3 as a group are really good at supporting our people and you’re certainly one of us. ;-)
KevinC
1694
Well crap, I didn’t see this until now. Hope everything went well, and please report back in when you’re able!
I’m home now, but here’s photo that some clown took of me about 3 days post-surgery. It was absolutely no fun, but the worst is over, and right now, every day gets a little better. Thanks for all of the support, guys. And yeah, the last couple of weeks have been nearly more than I could bear.
Also, I had a vivid dream that Buck came to visit me after the anesthesiologist put me under. My girlfriend insists that, because you don’t dream (?) under anesthesia, he actually came to visit me to make sure I knew he was much better now. And while that’s a really nice thought, I tend to believe more that it was just a dream. In any case, it certainly brought my spirits up, because he did (sort of) talk to me, telling me that he was feeling better now. And he was all healthy again and playing with one of his toys. Yeah, it’s corny and illogical, but it did help.
Glad to hear everything worked out!
Good work! That kind of illogical I can groove.
KevinC
1698
Awesome, Giles, I’m glad you have the surgery behind you! That would be a very scary experience for me.
I’m glad you came out the other side okay Giles! Good luck with recovery and such!
Lamalo
1700
Had to put my cat down today. We’ve been together since my 13th birthday, just about 17 years. His kidneys went out.
I don’t know how I’ll be able sleep tonight without him on my feet or near my head.
