Animals In Our Lives

[CellarDweller]

[CellarDweller]

[Penthesilea]

So tempting to tousle with your hand through the fur. Does he tolerate it, or would you get slapped?

[CellarDweller]

slapped....scratched....bit...whatever he feels like.... 

[delalluvia]

There's been some discussion on this thread recently about the loss of a pet.  Here's an excerpt from Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die by Jon Katz.  It's a chapter from the book titled "The Perfect Day".  Knowing his dog's life expectancy is short, a man decides to give the animal a day filled with all his favorite things:

"It was a gray morning when the vet told Harry that his dog Duke's heart was failing and that it wouldn't be long before he died. Harry was not surprised, but still, the news depressed him. Listening to the vet, Harry later told me, he'd gotten an idea, one he thought would pay tribute to his life with Duke and give him something to feel besides sadness and loss.

" 'Tomorrow, I'm going to give you a Perfect Day,' he said quietly to Duke as they left the vet's office. He would take the day off from work and create a sweet memory with his dog. It would be a special day, filled with all the things Duke loved most, as close to perfect as Harry could make it. He would take his Canon PowerShot along to capture some images of the day, to preserve the memories."

Much of Katz' book is about his own experiences.  His tone is just right for the subject: compassionate, realistic, not over-sentimental but not afraid of honest sentiment either.


"One Perfect Day" at http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/heavy_petting/2011/09/the_perfect_day.html

Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Going-Home-Finding-Peace-When/dp/0345502698/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I saw on an Animal Planet excerpt or PBS special I think about a couple who did something long term but similar.  They were child-free, and had this dog.  They loved this dog, it had been with them since they were married and the dog got diagnosed with a progressive cancer.  One leg had to be amputated.

The couple, owning their own business loved this dog so much, they decided to sell their business, buy an RV and take their dog on a road trip that would last until the poor animal could no longer travel.  Having fun, exploring new things...the dog was expect to last 6 months.   1.5 years later they were still traveling. 

It's sweet.

[Shasta542]

slapped....scratched....bit...whatever he feels like.... 

LOL! Why are they so ticklish on their bellies? Roxanne is the same. Sweet, but will retaliate if the tummy is touched.

[Penthesilea]

slapped....scratched....bit...whatever he feels like....  

LOL! Why are they so ticklish on their bellies? Roxanne is the same. Sweet, but will retaliate if the tummy is touched.

The behaviouristic answer: the underside is the most vulnerable part. Your dogs show it to demonstrate their submission "Look, I'm totally helpless, I surrender myself to your mercy, you're the boss"
Cats show it when they feel relaxed, safe, at ease. They trust you when they show their belly. But they don't surrender, so when you dare to touch it, you breach the bond of trust. It's a transgession in their eyes, thus you get punished.

The real answer: they're evil and like to lure you by presenting the fluffy, cuddly belly.


But of course, they're all individuals. Some cats tolerate, even like it. Our Cäsar tolerates it from the girls, but not from Oliver or us adults.

[Shasta542]

The real answer: they're evil and like to lure you by presenting the fluffy, cuddly belly.

 

[Kelda]

Its funny, my cat loves get his tummy rubbed!

[Jeff Wrangler]

Its funny, my cat loves get his tummy rubbed!

Nobody brought any cats to church on Sunday for a blessing for our commemoration of St. Francis the Sissy of Assisi, whose feast day is actually today, October 4. There were lots of dogs and one gecko (he doesn't sell insurance; I asked), but no cats. No birds, either.