Animals In Our Lives

[David In Indy]

I have two pets; well four pets actually. I have a 3 year old Golden Retriever named Cody, and a black and white Tuxedo cat named Oreo. I also have two gold fish. My animals bring me great joy, especially when I return home from work. I love being greeted by a pair of cute furry faces and wet kisses.

Do you have any pets? If so, please tell us about them!

I'll post some Cody and Oreo stories as this thread grows. 

[Lynne]

David - You are so right about how much joy our pets bring us!  It's so easy to take them for granted, but it's really miraculous the unconditional love they give us for so little in exchange.

I have two kitties, Titania & Oberon.  They are brother and sister, 10 years old, born 3/15/97.  Oberon is a gray, black, and white striped tiger-kitty with green eyes.  Titania has Siamese markings and blue eyes, except for white tiger-kitty paws.  I need to take some recent photos and post them!!  Usually they give each other their own space, but once in awhile I come upon them grooming each other or just napping together and it reminds me of when they were babies.

They are also quick to join forces against outsiders, like another animal in the house or vet appointments.  Interestingly, though, Titania doesn't seem to mind car rides or baths, whereas Obie raises a major ruckus .  (You'd think he was being tortured or something!).  One time I am 100% sure I caught Titania acting as lookout while Oberon investigated the Thanksgiving turkey...I swear they communicate telepathically.   

They are back in TN with Mom while I get my act together and find us all new digs in Cali.  I was just missing them because I took my earrings off and put them on the bedside table - not something I can usually do, because Obie plays soccer with earrings (or most anything else) that you place on a flat surface.   

I got my kitties after my divorce and they were such good company during those dark first few months.  I remember Price called me to tell me that Killer (the kitty we had together that he 'inherited' from his own family) was hit by a car and died.  I curled up on my bed in my new but mostly empty apartment and cried my eyes out.  Titania and Oberon (a rambunctious 12 weeks old, then) just curled up near me quietly and kept me company.  Somehow they knew that's what I needed then.  Such a barometer of mood.

This is an excellent topic, David.  Another friend reminded me of the importance of our pets recently.  His dog was seriously injured and needed major major surgery.  It sounds like the dog is improving and the prognosis is good.  Let's keep them in our thoughts, though, OK??

Best,
Lynne

[David In Indy]

I have two kitties, Titania & Oberon.  They are brother and sister, 10 years old, born 3/15/97.  Oberon is a gray, black, and white striped tiger-kitty with green eyes.  Titania has Siamese markings and blue eyes, except for white tiger-kitty paws.  I need to take some recent photos and post them!!  Usually they give each other their own space, but once in awhile I come upon them grooming each other or just napping together and it reminds me of when they were babies.


This is an excellent topic, David.  Another friend reminded me of the importance of our pets recently.  His dog was seriously injured and needed major major surgery.  It sounds like the dog is improving and the prognosis is good.  Let's keep them in our thoughts, though, OK??

Best,
Lynne

Your cats sound like WONDERFUL friends, Lynne! I can't wait until they join you out in California!

Your story of Killer made me cry!    I'm glad your two cats were there to comfort you. Pets can act so human sometimes. They seem to instinctively know what we need,  when we need it, and they provide it to us without question or hesitation.

I certainly will keep your friend and his dog in my thoughts and prayers. But I have a good feeling things will turn out just fine. I'm glad to hear this!! 

Thanks Lynne!   

[Shasta542]

I like your Shakespearean monikers for the cats, Lynne. Did you love "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream" or just the names? It's fun to know the story behind the names---it takes a lot of thinking to come up with pet names sometimes.

I can relate to the pets being a comfort, too. When I divorced, I was devastated. I wouldn't sleep in my bed---just lay on the couch and languished. My sweet beautiful Rottweiller, Raven, took every step I took during the day. She slept on the floor beside the couch at night. I'd have to step over her to get up for the bathroom. She was just there---and she was a great protector,too. I lived alone in the country far away from the closest neighbor, but I was never afraid. A couple of years after the divorce, she died of lymphoma. That was a hard time for me---for several weeks, I'd "step" over her when I'd get up at night. I missed her very badly.

I didn't get another dog, but it wasn't long until someone "dropped off" 2 big pups as people are prone to do---out in the country. I started feeding both of them, naturally---one of them adopted me and the other one ran away--I saw her later living at a house a couple miles up the road. I still have "Rusti" who is a big old teddy bear looking chow/shepherd mix. She will be 11 this year. I named her Rusti because she's reddish and spelled it with an "i" because she's a girl. LOL She is a sweetie. She throws a big old baby fit when she gets groomed---she will get my arm in her mouth, but not bite down.

I'm gonna love this thread.

[David In Indy]

I can relate to the pets being a comfort, too. When I divorced, I was devastated. I wouldn't sleep in my bed---just lay on the couch and languished. My sweet beautiful Rottweiller, Raven, took every step I took during the day. She slept on the floor beside the couch at night. I'd have to step over her to get up for the bathroom. She was just there---and she was a great protector,too. I lived alone in the country far away from the closest neighbor, but I was never afraid. A couple of years after the divorce, she died of lymphoma. That was a hard time for me---for several weeks, I'd "step" over her when I'd get up at night. I missed her very badly.
I didn't get another dog, but it wasn't long until someone "dropped off" 2 big pups as people are prone to do---out in the country. I started feeding both of them, naturally---one of them adopted me and the other one ran away--I saw her later living at a house a couple miles up the road. I still have "Rusti" who is a big old teddy bear looking chow/shepherd mix. She will be 11 this year. I named her Rusti because she's reddish and spelled it with an "i" because she's a girl. LOL She is a sweetie. She throws a big old baby fit when she gets groomed---she will get my arm in her mouth, but not bite down.

I'm gonna love this thread.[/b][/color]

Damnit!! Now I'm crying again!!! 

Ya'll stop that!!!     *sniff*



I'm so glad you have Rusti now Shasta!! She sounds like a WONDERFUL member of your family! Cute too! I love the pic of her you posted!   

[Shasta542]

Thanks, David. She's one of "the herd" as my family calls my pets. I'll tell ya about the others too. It's not that I just went out and got a bunch of dogs--all but 2 were strays or rescues or people didn't want them anymore because they had a baby (can you imagine that). I love them all, but no more additions to the family for now!! They all get along and they all mind me (mostly). And they've all been spayed or neutered!! If one of them had babies, I'd want to keep them all, no doubt.

[Lynne]

That's a great picture of Rusti, Shasta.  Thank you for posting it - she's really adorable!  I love that she gets your arm but doesn't 'bite down'.  They KNOW!!!

I hear you about the 'stepping over' for weeks.  I'm sorry you lost your Raven to lymphoma.  Never enough time with them, is there?

And I guess divorce is another thing we have in common, hunh?

Titania likes to sleep on me - usually on my hip.  So when I roll over at night, I reach down to hold her while I move so she's disturbed as little as possible and then she usually settles back to sleep.  I catch myself doing this when she's not there...Must not disturb sleeping kitties - it's a cardinal rule, you know.  

Most mornings with them I awake like I haven't moved all night because it's likely true...

Got the names because I was re-reading it at the time (an English minor in a former life)...I often bury myself in books when depressed...and it just seemed to fit, being they are siblings.  They were rather ridiculous when they were babies, but they've grown into them...usually I shorten them to 'Obie' and 'Tania'.

OK - one more pet story then I MUST go to sleep.  A few years ago, Titania & Oberon look after my Mom.  Usually they sleep with either Mom or me (they've become more 'hers' than mine because she's home with them all day).  So, Mom and I are sleeping and my brother gets home from work around midnight (3-11 shift) and the kitties greet him at the door and mill around the kitchen.  It occurs to him that this is unusual - they are usually in our rooms, so he goes to check on Mom.  Sure enough, she'd gone to the bathroom by herself and fallen, essentially passed out in the bathroom floor.  It turned out to be a mini-stroke.

I got a lot to say over in the Aging Parents thread, but I'm not up for it just now.  I'm glad we have it though, to talk about a lot of these things.

Pets rule.
 

[Shasta542]

Must not disturb sleeping kitties - it's a cardinal rule, you know.   

  LOL

So Titania and Oberon are rescue kitties!! That's amazing. I'm sure they are great company for your mom, too. You've read all the data on pets being good for lowering blood pressure and giving older adults something to look forward to---taking care, feeding, etc. I think it's true.

Have fun on all your travels!!! I see you are going on the train trip as well as to Alberta! That's wonderful, Lynne. Looking forward to hearing about the trips and seeing the pictures.

[mvansand76]

I have two pets; well four pets actually. I have a 3 year old Golden Retriever named Cody, and a black and white Tuxedo cat named Oreo. I also have two gold fish. My animals bring me great joy, especially when I return home from work. I love being greeted by a pair of cute furry faces and wet kisses.

Do you have any pets? If so, please tell us about them!

I'll post some Cody and Oreo stories as this thread grows. 

Great idea for a thread sweetie! 

I don't have any pets now because I have extreme allergy for cats and dogs among many other animals. We used to have an Afghan Hound, Muscha, he is still with me in my heart... I actually still miss him so much, even if it is more than 23 years ago that we had him...

[David In Indy]

Great idea for a thread sweetie! 

I don't have any pets now because I have extreme allergy for cats and dogs among many other animals. We used to have an Afghan Hound, Muscha, he is still with me in my heart... I actually still miss him so much, even if it is more than 23 years ago that we had him...

See now?? Ya'll did it to me again!!!   

Lord, I can't stop crying! 

Yes, you told me about Muscha before Melissa. He sounds like he was a WONDERFUL dog!!! I'm glad you have many good memories of him.