Post by avinet on Oct 6, 2013 21:50:00 GMT 10
We are not having a good spell at the moment with our animals. Apart from the loss of Jello a short while ago (and thank you to everyone who expressed sympathy) we lost one of our cockatiels a few days ago, followed by one of our cats yesterday.
Lacy was a Platinum Pearl girl, 21 years old, and one of the most affectionate cockatiels one could wish to meet. We bred and hand raised her back in1992 and I have a photo of her taken when she was about 6 months old. On the back I had written that Lacy thought the sole purpose of fingers was to scratch her neck. 20 years later her opinion had not changed. She died of old age - just went downhill over about a week for no obvious cause, until euthanasing was necessary. I shall miss not having her on my chest every night while watching TV and automatically scratching her neck - with a little reminder if I stopped.
Sad as that was, losing one of our cats - Troubles - was more traumatic. He was a lovely natured incredibly easy going cat, about 4 years old and rescued as a kitten from a vet before he was due to be euthanised because nobody wanted him. My daughter was working in the surgery at the time and bought him home rather than have that happen. Yesterday evening he and our other cat were lounging in front of the house getting some late afternoon sun before coming in when a dog in the street, being walked off the lead, saw and charged at them. They scattered, Troubles going one way and Burma the other with the dog following Burma who jumped the gate into our back. We assumed Troubles had done the same on the other side of the house, but unfortunately in his panic he jumped into the neighbour's garden where two Poodle/Retriever mongrels were waiting and caught him. By the time he was discovered and they were chased off it was too late and he died within 15 minutes from his injuries before he could get to a vet (5.30 pm on a Saturday). In over 40 years as an adult of keeping our own dogs and cats, and a childhood being brought up in a house where the dogs and cats got first preference, I have never had a dog or cat die from attack or preventable injury. All of the many pets we have had have died from old age or incurable disease. To lose a pet in such circumstances has been very distressing for us and today has been a very depressing day.
Thank you for bearing with me
Mike
Lacy was a Platinum Pearl girl, 21 years old, and one of the most affectionate cockatiels one could wish to meet. We bred and hand raised her back in1992 and I have a photo of her taken when she was about 6 months old. On the back I had written that Lacy thought the sole purpose of fingers was to scratch her neck. 20 years later her opinion had not changed. She died of old age - just went downhill over about a week for no obvious cause, until euthanasing was necessary. I shall miss not having her on my chest every night while watching TV and automatically scratching her neck - with a little reminder if I stopped.
Sad as that was, losing one of our cats - Troubles - was more traumatic. He was a lovely natured incredibly easy going cat, about 4 years old and rescued as a kitten from a vet before he was due to be euthanised because nobody wanted him. My daughter was working in the surgery at the time and bought him home rather than have that happen. Yesterday evening he and our other cat were lounging in front of the house getting some late afternoon sun before coming in when a dog in the street, being walked off the lead, saw and charged at them. They scattered, Troubles going one way and Burma the other with the dog following Burma who jumped the gate into our back. We assumed Troubles had done the same on the other side of the house, but unfortunately in his panic he jumped into the neighbour's garden where two Poodle/Retriever mongrels were waiting and caught him. By the time he was discovered and they were chased off it was too late and he died within 15 minutes from his injuries before he could get to a vet (5.30 pm on a Saturday). In over 40 years as an adult of keeping our own dogs and cats, and a childhood being brought up in a house where the dogs and cats got first preference, I have never had a dog or cat die from attack or preventable injury. All of the many pets we have had have died from old age or incurable disease. To lose a pet in such circumstances has been very distressing for us and today has been a very depressing day.
Thank you for bearing with me
Mike
