We lost our Ruby-Dog

I am sorry for your loss always falls short for lack of better words. Animals sometimes take our souls by assault and when they leave us the lost child in us that lived with them is also lost for a long time.

I have a very special black cat (Congo) that forcefully adopt me against my will when he was almost dead of hunger and thirst and bitten in the head by other street cats...my wife who found him on our old backyard call me back then to go and see him, at the time I was playing a game in my PC and I didn't want to have another cat talk...rationally I reminded her we already had a female cat (Pompinha) which was well taken care of and a sick animal around was not a good idea...well, I'll guess you all know how wife's can be and my wife blackmailed me to go see him for her only for a minute, and so I went and saw him...Congo, diminutive in Portuguese Conguitinho showed up smart and without fear of humans, I tried to scare him away from Pompinha but he kept rounding about my legs and insisting in being adopted...finally the little bastard decided to place is head on my shoe and closed his eyes...I knew then that Congo was part of the family from there on.

Congo as any intelligent animal does all sorts of nasty forbidden stuff and never stops till he gets what we wants...he opens doors, armoires, he tosses out cutlery, gets into the freezer, and is always attempt to the sounds of cooking and still tends to lurk the trash bin at night as the abandonment he suffer tout him to do...he his unusually gentle for a cat, he forgives when we are less patient, he forgets our shortcomings when we are tired, he puts his harm leg around our arms and pulls with his claws softly, later he falls asleep like a child in our lap without a care in the world...he can play with a small rock for hours and entertain himself that way... in the past 4 years I have learn much with him as cat, more then I have learn with many people...the idea of losing him haunts me as I know he suffered on the streets and his life expectancy might not be what we wish. He Congo, and Pompa, are both vaccinated and well fed and loved, still he cannot get fat no matter what kind of food we try with him. Analysis have show he is OK but one is never to sure...he is nervous, a sudden sound makes his heart beat jump...probably a bad memory from the streets that still haunts him. His eyes are sweet and deep, and when I look at him I wish I was like him.

The price of sincere love is that I am not prepared to lose Congo, and I am sure I will never be!

Again, my heart felt condolences!

I shouldn't address this because the web is what it is but I will because it is personal.

I am yet to phantom what prompted such a bad reaction to the story of my black cat adoption...was it the fact that I failed to mention my wife feed lots of cats in the street and we could not take care of them all and Congo was one more that she spoke me about on that day?

Was it the fact that in Portuguese lingo words are not enough raised some eye browns?

Whatever it was it was petty judgemental and frankly stupid beyond words...
It is sad because this is a serious thread about someone losing a loved one.
I have nothing else to say...

I'm very sorry to hear someone responded badly to your post. I don't understand what would have drawn such a reaction. Most of us have cared for ill or injured animals that we dearly love, when we lose them it's incredibly painful. If the ill-tempered post was listed on this thread it must have been removed (fortunately).
I'm very sorry to hear you were mistreated.

I didn't see it, either, and am also disturbed that it was posted. I'm glad it was removed.

This whole thread has posts voted down to negative figures. It's the same person doing this.

They are despicable.

I didn’t see the mean reaction to your post - like someone else said, maybe it got deleted.
I myself was struggling with answering about your beloved pet, just for lack of words. There really are no words, except to say I know the pain of losing a pet that was like a part of you.

Somebody must not have much of a life if they find inspiration in downvoting the posts of people who don't even know him or care at all what he thinks.

Yeah... whoever you are.. You're Dissspicable!!!

I always felt they should do away with the thumbing up and down on comments. Keep it for only the threads, for instance I’m not interested in the word game threads so I never see them.

It is true that there is an all to easy abuse of thumbs down around...

It is also true that thumbing down is a fair way of showing your disapproval on someone's behaviour or ill founded opinion or intention.

Finally accounting for the way how people thumb topics is informational metrics on the general feelings of the forums...

So in spite of all the abuse and some childish pot shots I rather be informed on what people think about each other than having a blank towel of mist around every wako opinion sliding around.

PS - Personally I have never had a problem with thumbing up people I more or less dislike if they have a point, and I avoid thumbing down unless someone is being deliberately obtuse, confrontational, or destructive.

Good point.

I remember a couple years ago someone thumbed us all down below viewing threshold. Most likely someone with fake accounts and using different IP addresses. The abuse goes on for a short time then stops for a while, maybe the admins catch it and ban them, only to have them return with new accounts.

Two things:

1) Who even cares about the thumbs up or down? I've never used that thumb in a post. I will thumb down threads that I consider 'clutter', but not a post. I never even notice them. Why have them at all?

2) If you are going to have them, why are they anonymous? Why not have the user's moniker visible?

Same here, the only time I notice is when it says below viewing threshold.

A friend reminded me about this thread and I could still use some advice.

I had to throw out what was in their dishes this morning. They didn't like their stew, pork and scrambled eggs. Maybe I should have thrown in some Yorkshire pudding and gravy. I had to cook them a frozen pizza with extra mozzarella for breakfast. sigh. Damn dogs. I just know they're going to want my lemon ricotta pancakes, too. Maybe for dinner.

Also, Brandon wears a diaper band and is continually trying to mark his territory everywhere. I'm washing out his bands four or five times a day. It's worse than having a baby. Diaper Dan.

He has also started barking at 10:30 every morning. Bark! then Bark! then Bark! It's sharp and loud. Because he's deaf, there's no use telling him to be quiet. I just pick him up and cuddle him for a bit (and he's not a cuddler). Then he's fine for a bit, then repeat. And they park themselves wherever I am and I am continually trying not to trip over them or wheel over their tails with my office chair. Every time my husband puts on his shoes or coat, Brandon thinks he's going to McD's and starts barking at him to take him with him. My husband is a bit of a dawdler so this barking lasts for a while - very annoying, especially if you're on the phone. Barky McBarkster.

Do all dogs get finicky and dependent in their old age? I've never had dogs before, so I have no idea. At least they don't fart or fight or sit on my furniture or tear up my floors.

It probably sounds like I don't like them, but I do lol But not having dogs again for a while once they are pushing up daisies.

Mame wrote:
That's mans work.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Mame wrote:


Same as that. I'll never get another pet. My guy Ben (avatar) is on his last legs but then again we've been saying that for a couple of years now.
Bounce Back Ben we call him.

He's been through the wars bless him. Had his spleen removed a few years back and that really shattered him. But eventually he got back somewhat to his old self. Then about a year ago he had a seizure (a doggy stroke) which we thought was the end of him. His balance, his back legs went, he looked zonked. The vet recommended putting him to sleep, I agreed but my son wasn't having a bar of it. Brought him home put him on anti seizure tablets and basically gave him 24hr care and true to form he bounced back.
His back legs were still stiff but he was eating up and could go for small walks.
Have to say it's been a hard year looking after him, took a lot out of us, stress wise.
And now last Friday he relapsed again. His balance went haywire and he stopped eating and drinking. Off to the vet again and again the vet recommended putting him to sleep. He was a lot worse this time actually didn't eat or drink for 6 days and again my son fought against putting him down. He was booked in for last Monday to be put asleep but because of my son we cancelled it.
Now it's Sunday he's eating like a horse and drinking plenty of water. His balance and back legs still aren't great but are improving.
Bounce Back Ben strikes again.

My son has identified what's wrong with him. Vestibular Disease.
Here's a dog with the same symptoms.


So we play it by ear for now. But I have to say the pain, heartache and grief this has caused is unbelievable and this is why I'll never get another pet.

I know EXACTLY how that feels, euro.
I put down my beloved Joe the cat after nineteen years together. His last two years were a struggle of adjusting to his frailness and adjusting his medication and just adjusting to letting him go eventually.
Right after that, I could not imagine ever subjecting myself to the pain of losing another little animal that became a part of me.

I even angrily told off at least one person for encouraging me to get another pet.

But about four months later, I looked at the local shelters’ website and there were two black male four-month old kittens looking at me from their pictures. And I brought them home. And I remember why I chose before, to take on the risk of going through the pain and misery of letting pets go. It’s because of the joy and love I share with them while they’re here.

This is Merlin and Theodore.

They're adorable Mr S. Hope you have many happy years with them.

I know .. never say never but right now I couldn't contemplate getting another pet.
Maybe down the line, who knows.

Anyhooo at this rate Bounce Back Ben will probably outlive me.

Hah.. then he'll have to decide should I get another human or not.

😀

Snood...they are precious...adorable. I love the togetherness.

Glad you decided to adopt and take the love and happiness they bring while they live. Yeah, some day they will go...as all of us will. You will face that as a man and remember the good days you had with them.

Not to get too sappy here, but my guess is Joe would have been happy you made the decision.

They have lifted my spirits considerably and helped to heal my heart. They do goofy stuff that makes me laugh, and they’re both so affectionate they would get drummed out of the official brotherhood of aloof cats, it there was such a thing.😁

Thanks Frank