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MarcosLoura

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This is Zelda, along with my wife and son. This is our final photo with her. We took this last night before we had to say goodbye. She was 15-years-old and was an awesome dog from start to finish.

She arrived in our lives without any warning. I was going to go see a friend of mine. On my way down, she called me. Her neighbors had found a dog in a park. They said they couldn't bare to bring her to the pound but couldn't keep her long-term. My wife and I (not even a year into our marriage) had been thinking about getting a dog for a while. My friend knew my wife would be hesitant, despite being a dog lover.

"This is how to do it. You meet the dog first. Then you call (your wife) and let her know."

Right when I met her, she jumped up on me and gave me a kiss. She was absolutely coming home with us. And my wife named her Zelda. 

Right at that time, I was really struggling with my mental health. I had struggled plenty of times before, but this was really bad. It cost me my job at the time. I finally went to a doctor to talk, and I was diagnosed as bipolar and began treatment. Having a new dog gave me a reason to get out of bed -- long walks in the woods by our house, along with cuddling in the field and back at home. She got me through one of the toughest times of my life.

She was a great dog with so many wonderful moments as the years progressed. But the best was when our son arrived just like her. He's adopted, and this is a whole other story, but we got a phone call from the agency on a Sunday night and 16-hours-later he was in our home. He just turned three. He loves dogs and especially Zelda. We're so glad they got to meet and hopefully his earliest memories are with her. And she loved him, too, and used to sit in front of his crib as a loyal protector.

But my favorite thing with Zelda was a near nightly tradition. I usually have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every night before I go to bed. Peanut butter has been Zelda's favorite food since her arrival, so I'd always give her some (a lot.) I'd eat my sandwich, sit down to watch TV, and then she'd usually bark to get me to get off the couch where she would take my place and make me go sit somewhere else.

Her health hasn't been great the past few years. Just various aliments involving her kidney and bladder. Yesterday, she started urinating blood/infection in large amounts. She was generally fine, but we just sensed that this is where her quality of life would really start to go downhill and we did not want to let her suffer.

We took that photo and I took her to the vet.

When there, the staff asked me if I wanted to have anything during our final moments. I told them about our peanut butter ritual. 

They got a big bowl of PB for her... and surprised me with an Uncrustable PB and J. We got to share that together one more time. Then she laid down, and we cuddled just like we did when she arrived, and then she went to sleep. 

I will miss her terribly. But the goodbye we had gave her comfort and me, too. 
 

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Two weeks ago was the first anniversary finding out Rayven had terminal cancer  Diagnosed in May at five, just made her 6th birthday in August and passed away in early September. The day we were told Rayven's diagnosis and the day of losing her were two of the worst days of my life. Losing Rayven was losing family and losing her was worse than losing nearly all my human family members to be frank. Man, I love and miss that dog. Ditto for Ralfie, the bony Westie left in a box in the snow to die who we only had for January-July last year. I'd enjoy making the cunts who abandoned him suffer, really would. Ralfie was a softie considering what I've disclosed.

Edited by The Natural
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We have a cat at the shelter, Bella, who came up in a transfer from Texas six or seven weeks ago.  She's 13 and she was clearly somebody's pet because she had a collar and was declawed, but she was absolutely terrified.  Just growling and hissing at anyone that came near and cowering in the corner of her room.  She's slowly been getting better, but only a little.  She stopped hiding when people came in, but she still hissed and growled.  Then she'd come out and sniff you a little before she would hiss and growl.

And then tonight:

Volume up for some chainsaw purrs

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I love that.  My family calls me "the cat whisperer" because I can make any cat like me.  A couple years ago, we went to the local kitty cafe to play with their kittens.  There was one kitten there that they told us wouldn't come out and hated everybody.  OK, challenge accepted.  Within 5 minutes, he was climbing all over me and purring and getting lots of love.  Good on you for making that kitty comfortable.

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With the shelter cats like 90% of it is having the time and willingness to just sit in a room with them and be quiet until they get used to you or get tired of being angry.

The best was a cat who came in that had big "DO NOT TOUCH! WILL BITE!" notes all over his medical record and within 10 minutes was letting me brush him and purring like a goon.  Cats are weird.

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3 minutes ago, Zimbra said:

With the shelter cats like 90% of it is having the time and willingness to just sit in a room with them and be quiet until they get used to you or get tired of being angry.

The best was a cat who came in that had big "DO NOT TOUCH! WILL BITE!" notes all over his medical record and within 10 minutes was letting me brush him and purring like a goon.  Cats are weird.

Yeah, that's my experience as well.  So many people who think a cat is terrible just don't know how to approach them.  Let them smell you, back off, be calm and quiet, let them smell you again.  Keep your hands in range of their eyes so they can actually see you, don't go for the back of the head and back until they're comfortable, etc.

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May be an image of rabbit

 

My kids' pet rabbit. His name is Roger, but he's mostly called "Mr Hissy Fit" because every morning after he gets fed, he feels the need to kick the food dish over. Our theory is that he wants to believe that he's out in the wild and surviving on his own. So he's forging and gathering the food himself instead of being fed.

Edited by Mike Campbell
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On 5/27/2022 at 2:25 PM, Zimbra said:

Bella got adopted today!  I stopped in to see her and say goodbye last night and she climbed into my lap very briefly so I think she'll do just fine.

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Yep, she's fine:

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These are from her first morning in her new home.  Maybe her problem was she just didn't like us?

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  • 4 weeks later...

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Thinking about Ralfie who we lost a year ago. This is probably my favourite picture of Ralfie taken a day before losing him smiling getting his cow back from the wash. I hate the cunts who left him bony and to die in a box.

Edited by The Natural
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  • 2 weeks later...

Had some excellent cat time last night.  Kermit (the orange boy) was a stray who was abused and shot at on the street, so he is understandably a pretty timid and shy guy.  When he came in he basically got adopted by Kallie (the tortie).  Not only are they inseparable now, she also acts as his bodyguard.  If you try to pet him when he's hiding, or if he shies away from you, Kallie will put herself between you and him and attack your hand.  If you look closely in the first pic you can see him hiding behind his protector.  Once he warms up to you and starts purring she'll leave you alone.

Animals, man...

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Kallie & Kermit got adopted and are going home tonight!  Thankfully Mondays are my normal night at the shelter so I got to hang out with them one last time.

Kermit's proportions continue to be delightfully Heathcliffesque:

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  • 2 weeks later...

15068971_10154050413508862_5509156235383

18th March 2016.

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17th June 2009.

Today's a poignant day as it's Rayven's birthday, she's 7 and it's the first since losing her. On this day I also think about Tess who we lost seven years ago. When it was Rayven's Gotcha Day, we were amazed to find Rayven was born same day Tess passed. We've had some wonderful pets and I love them all but especially the Rayven. Ray' was special.

Edited by The Natural
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  • 2 weeks later...

Ronnie is a neat little cat.  She has short hair everywhere except for her back and tail, so she looks like she has a little kitty mullet.  She also has a bummy eye but it doesn't seem to bother her much.

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