Euthanasia of a Friend

“LH, do you have any pics of your pooch? the first time I met Binks and saw his little one Shadow I asked how long Chuauahs lived and he said, "I don't wanna talk about it. All I can say is I hope I die first.". They are such nice little dogs.”

“treebait, sorry to hear of your lose.”

“Thanks, Everyone.

I was able to go out and look at his grave a little while ago. The variegated ginger I put over him is perfect. It's leaf pattern is the same as his bushy tail! I stood there chuckling for a few moments. He was definitely a unique cat. Extremely fine fur, weird personality, and round (rather than pointed) ears. I've only seen one other round eared cat that I know of. Anyone else heard of this?”

“Sorry to hear about your feline friend, Treebait and HPM. I'm sure you gave it a good home and enough love to make a cat smile.”

“Earl Grey looks like my childhood kitty KC,( passd at 22 years old, two years ago), who I think was a Maine Coon. She had way too much fur that floated everywhere too. =)”

“treebait, your cat was gorgeous, and unique looking. What a beauty!!! I've never seen a fluffy cat like that. You weren't kidding about your cat being fluffy & hairy, lol.

Nigal, chihuahuas have a bad rap as being yappy dogs, and people call them rats, but they aren't the 8th most popular dog in the U.S. for no reason.

My dog only barks when she hears the doorbell. They are not hyper dogs. Capri can hike the trails for 3 miles, so they are pretty sturdy. I will admit to carrying her uphill and over rough terrain. They are playful in funny ways I can't describe. They cost nothing to feed, and can be left while you are at work, because they can poop/pee on those wee wee pads. They love to lay on their backs with their feet in the air. They have quirky, funny ways about them.

All they require is a lap to sit on at night, a little play time, and they like to sleep under the covers with you.

If you get them young and socialize them, meaning handing them to a lot of people when they are pups, they will be really friendly.

One more thing, they come in all different colors. The standard size is between 2-6 pounds. They are emotional dogs, and form a strong bond with their owners. All of this is what makes your friend want to die before the dog. Also, you can tend to become closer to them then other dogs, because you tend to bring them along everywhere you go since they are small, and carry them around, and feel protective over them because of their size.

Personally, I don't want to die before Capri, because she would be lost without me. After she "goes" I don't know if I will live long enough to get a pup and see it through it's entire life, so I would adopt an older rescue chihuahua.

Okay, now, after all this, I do have a terrible picture of her, because I never made an album of her pics. I just have this one which was the only one that would fit on this internet site. You can see her and her bio at:http://www.dogster.com/?34681”

“sorry to hear of the news treebait : (
you'll meet him again at the rainbow bridge....

"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...”

“Dang Scorch, I about teared up on that one..




Sorry treebait....”

“very sorry you two.

I don't have cats any more in my apt., but just Monday I got to interview two gals who have cat 4-H projects for a fair preview. Had to laugh. I had taken a photo of the one gal two years ago at the fair holding her cat... and it's just how she answered the door. And their black and white/white footed fat cats are brothers.

I'm sad for both your situation and the fact that seeing those great cats made me realize how much I miss having cats.”

“yea, it makes me tear up every time”

“Mr. Grey looks like he had a lot of Mancoon in him. My next kitty is going to be a Siamies or a Ragdoll. Ragdolls are the coolest! They act like dogs and follow you everywhere, chase balls, and when ya pick them up they go limp like a rag doll. They love to lay on their backs and get belly runs and they are so effectionate I have heard people complain their cat will sit on their chest and kiss their face in the middle of the night.”

“That is one fine looking pooch LH. I always thought they just sit there shaking and barking but when I met Shadow I was pleasantly surprised at how calm and smart they are. Binks would talk to him and the dog understood every single word. They have a connection I rarely see between owner and dog.”

“awww, i'm really sorry to hear that, treebait.”

“Sorry y'all had to go thru that treebait and HPM.
Ol' Earl looked like quite a cat.

I still miss my cat.”

“I forgot to pass this along yesterday LipStick. You can cut your pet costs in nearly half by not buying the meds and treatments from the vet. A great place I have found is Doctors foster and Smith. You can get anything and everything for a pet there. You can get the flea and tick stuff dirt cheap and even do all your dog’s vaccinations yourself. I’m not so sure about doing the vaccinations myself as Cow Patty warned me that some of these places you can’t be sure they properly store the vaccines at the proper temps and stuff. And you can also run into a problem with providing proof of vaccinations. But for everything else you can get a 50% or better break over vet provided meds.

www.Drsfostersmith.com”

“Nigal, I actually did go to foster's and smith, but and the medicine was cheaper, but came to the same price as my vet when I factored in the shipping cost. It killed me, because they had the medicine for about $10. less. I went to my vet, because he was reasonable. I had checked around before I bought the meds from him. Another good site is petedge.com. They discount pet things, but that shipping cost can make all things equal. They also had my medicine for less.”

“I hadn't thought of shipping. Oh well hell!”

“She fell of the counter top and cracked her neck. Her life was so full and clear, and oh so smooth. I'll miss her.”

“lush”

“Nigal, the shipping is based on the price, and sometimes the weight or bulk of the item if it's big.

About Chihuahuas, I guess I did leave out that they sometimes shake, lol. They do that sometimes when they are cold or nervous about where they are. Being that they are emotional dogs, they really aren't for everyone. I just hate the idea of everyone wanting one since they see Paris Hilton with hers in the show The Simple Life. That's how a lot of dogs end up in rescues or the a.s.p.c.a. People get them on a whim.

This week Paris had her Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, wearing what looked like high top sneakers. The dog could hardly walk in them, but she just has them on for show. Then there was the "Legally Blonde" movies with the Chihuahuas.”

“They act like dogs and follow you everywhere, chase balls, and when ya pick them up they go limp like a rag doll. They love to lay on their backs and get belly runs and they are so effectionate I have heard people complain their cat will sit on their chest and kiss their face in the middle of the night.

Hmm, I bet my Pewter has some ragdoll in him. You've described him pretty well!”

“LH- that's like the explosion in dalmation sales (and equally the number that end up in shelters) every time 101 Dalmations comes back around.

Smiley- Does Gordey follow you around everywhere and kiss you in the middle of the night? LOL! They kind of look like Himalians.”

“Well, Nigal, sometimes, yes. ;)

Pewter is a "mutt". He was born on a farm somewhere up north, my friend Deb gave him to me from a friend of hers. The neat thing is Deb's parents in Wisconsin have Pewter's sister, named Copper. Apparently she's as much of a handful as Pewter is!”

“We found our vet was cheaper than Fosters and Smith on most meds.”

“Everyone's stories are so touching. (sniffle sniffle) I love the fur babies. They are the best.”

“15 years ago when my new lovely bride and I went to Lake Cumberland for our honeymoon we stayed at a cabin for a week. At the resort they had an American shorthaired tabby that had a bunch of little kittens. By the end of the week we were letting the little things in the house and giving them some milk. One little one in particular took a liking to us and absolutely loved my wife. The day came when we packed up the car to head back home and I made an executive decision (for those unmarried guys an executive decision is basically going on the premise that it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission) and snuck the little bugger into the car without my wife knowing. I wrapped her in the middle of a blanket and waited until we were down the road a ways before even letting on. After my wife’s shock she informed me I grabbed the wrong kitten! She made me turn around and go back for the right one. LOL!

We brought her home and named her Athena but she was always known as Baby Kitty to us. She was a wild and crazy little thing. She has been fighting a hyper thyroid problem for a awhile now and my wife noticed a gawd awful smell from her breath yesterday. We thought she might have an abscessed tooth because her face was swelled a bit. I took her to the vet this morning and he said the breath was probably due to multiple organ failure and that she has probably days to a week. In his words, “She’s on her way down and slipped on a banana peal.”. She’s down to 3 ½ pounds now. He gave her cocktail injection of antibiotics and vitamins to see if that will perk her up and if it does he will give her another longer lasting one tomorrow.

My wife and I have made the hard decision that we are just prolonging the inevitable and that it’s best to just end her struggle. Now that I have found out just how bad off she is I see a lot of things I didn’t like her going up the stairs slower and other things. It’s funny how our lives seem to be dissected into stages of the time we spend with our pets so this loss of a friend seems even harder because we got her on our honeymoon. I’m going to miss her very much…”

“Nigal...
you're making me cry! How sad-- I watched 2 of my own little birdies die in my hands... It's a terrible thing to lose your little buddy...”

“sorry for your loss Nigal. Losing a pet is really hard esp when you have them for yrs.”

“awww Nigal, that is a tear-jerker! i love kitties, that has got to be rough. i'm sorry!”

“Sorry dude.
I still miss my kitty.
She was the most loyal female that's been with me for years.”

“Dang, if not for bad luck with pets, you'd ... Sorry to hear that.”

“Sorry to hear that, Nigal. It's always a hard decision to make. The time comes and you don't want them to suffer. Good luck and remember the good times with Athena.

I have a Golden named Merlin who is ten. The last time I took him to the vet, she said something that rang true..."it's all about the quality of life for Merlin right now." I know there will soon come a day when I'll have to make the same sort of decision and it will just tear me apart.”

“Thanks guys. Man Ski, my golden HoneyDog is only 1 1/2 and already just can't bear the thought of lossing her.

I'm taking my wife on her first backpacking trip to Red River Gorge this weekend and I think this will be good for us. Coming home will be tough though.”

“nigal

truly sorry man. i feel your pain.
why do a$$holes get to live 70+ years, while cats and dogs only get 10-15?”

“Well, sacco that is a bit comforting to me to know I've got 70+ years to look forward to. LOL!”

“All my sympathy, Nigal. I'm foremost a "cat person" (we have 5), love 'em to death. I would never wish that final decision on anyone. As you saw in my own thread a week ago, I almost had to make that decision recently for our dog so it strikes close to home. I'm there for ya (in spirit).”

“oh Nigey...I am so sorry to hear that. Find comfort in your memories, if you can. Try to embrace your sorrow as a tribute to how wonderful Athena was and the impact she had on your life.
=^..^=”

“Goodbye, Buzz Buzz. You've been the most lovable pain in the a$$ of my life. I'll miss you.”

“What? One of the kitties? Sorry to hear the news, Treebait.”

“=( Sad news Treebait. How's the little one taking it?”

“Sorry to read that treebait.”

“Laurel doesn't understand. She does remember Earl, the cat I had to have euthanized last summer. Sha also knows Sylvia, one of my outdoor cats was killed by a loose dog (longtime neighborhood problem) last week, too. She thinks they're all together, somewhere. 4 pets gone in 1 year. 2 by euthanasia, 2 killed by dogs. Not a good year.”

“aww sorry to hear of your loss. you'll meet again at the rainbow bridge :(

http://rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm”

“Our black lab, who is pushing 15, is to the point where she's barely eating and has trouble just standing. The last couple weeks have been pretty rough for her and we've let her sleep in the house since the temps have dropped into the teens and 20's at night. I have to carry her in and out of the house and she still weighs around 80 lbs. --she was about 110 in her prime--and it's all I can do to get her downstairs.

She still looks at me and wags her tail, but she can't hear and she can't walk. I'm struggling with the fact that she's not going to improve, but she's still pretty cognizant.

I'm thinking this weekend might be the time to take her to the vet and have her put down.”

“Man, my heart goes out to you. I once asked the vet, "When do you know it's time?". And he told me, "You'll know.".”

“Nigal - So true.

aero - Exactly the same thing as my dog's situation a month ago (except an indoor dog). Hang in there.”

“Yeah, just when you think they're on their last legs, they perk up and start wagging their tails! Heartbreakers, I tell ya!”

“Sorry”

“Damn I'm sorry to hear that Aero. I just lost my black lab this past July. He just laid down and died right in front of my wife and kids and they were devastated. Do yourself and your family a huge favor and have her put down at the vet so you don't have to see it. Believe me, it is going to tear your heart out more than you can imagine if you see it with your own eyes. I'm sorry Aero, that really sucks. My best to you.”