grieving our pets

[Soft*Silver]

Mr Moon, I am sorry for the loss of your dane, too. How sad. Truly sad.

I still miss my beloved Story, the landseer newfoundland, that I laid to rest a few years ago. She was my constant companion while I was in such horrific pain from my surgery and from lost dreams and failed loves. She carried me thru those years of mine and in return, I kept her safe and made her feel secure in her last two years with dementia.

we loved them well, didnt we?

[candy_coated_bitch]

Oh, this thread is so heartwrenching.

Gaige and SnackTime, I am very sorry for both of your losses and for how raw things must feel right now.

I lost my beloved pet rabbit two years ago in April and he really was like a best friend. He was there in times when no one else was, and was too smart for his own good. He drove me freakin' batty trying to chew my apartment down, but he was also incredibly loving. He always knew when I was upset and would sit on my pillow and lick my tears.

I still miss him and still have times of intense pain. It catches me by surprise, actually. He died in a fire when I was moving into a new apartment. I moved him in the day before we would be moving the large furniture because I was trying to protect him from being in the way and possibly getting hurt. Unfortunately, my new apartment burned down that night. I have horrific guilt about that and even though I logically know it's not my fault I still question myself over what if I had done something differently he would still be alive and wouldn't have had to die like that alone and scared in a new place. God, I hate it so much.

I think people who don't own pets can never understand just how real that connection of love and friendship is. Big, big hugs to everyone in this thread.

[Hollylane]

ccb you have me missing my buns. I'm so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine how horrible that must have been.

I lost my bonded pair of buns last year, less than 2 months apart. I miss them very much. They were such sensitive little buns, and so sweet on each other. Buttercup was the first to pass, from stasis, and Parsley shortly followed her, with an inoperable abscessed tooth, caused by malocclusion. He had done so well, for so long, having his teeth filed down once every 2 months. He had many more years in this world, because I was so diligent about his vet visits. I just don't feel like I had enough time with them. Though, it never does feels like enough time...

This photo was from one of their first "dates". Parsley is on the left, and Buttercup the right.

[candy_coated_bitch]

Originally Posted by Hollylane

ccb has me missing my buns.

I lost my bonded pair of buns last year, less than 2 months apart. I miss them very much. They were such sensitive little buns, and so sweet on each other. Buttercup was the first to pass, from stasis, and Parsley shortly followed her, with an inoperative abscessed tooth, caused by malocclusion. He had done so well, for so long, having his teeth filed down once every 2 months. He had many more years in this world because I was so diligent about his vet visits. I just don't feel like I had enough time with them. Though, it never does feels like enough time...

This photo was from one of their first "dates". Parsley is on the right, and Buttercup the left.

OMG, they are so precious!!!!! I am such a lover of bunnies. I really do think bonded pairs fall in love with each other in a sense. It's wonderful to watch. If I knew how to post a pic I would.

[Soft*Silver]

ladies,I am friends with a woman who runs a buns rescue. I bought one of her HellBuns tshirts as a fundraiser. I love what she does...rescues these pitiful creatures who many just dont understand arent LIVESTOCK.

prayers out to you and your lost ones...

[Greyson]

Just a few days ago I was looking at photos of my beloved Bailey, baby dawg. We had to put her down in Jan. 2012. She was 13 years old. I loved her very much, still do. That dog was different from any other animal I had in my life. She just made me light up on the inside and so many others too. I would always get stopped by people to comment on what a beautiful dog she was. She loved people and other dogs but Bailey was a shy one with humans she did not know, yet.

My heart goes out to all of you here and thank you for making it safe for others like me to share my still lingering grief over the loss of my baby dawg.

[NJFemmie]

Mare and I lost our beloved Ember a couple of weeks ago. It was beyond heartbreaking. Mare's composure with most things always fascinated me, but with this loss, She no doubt lost it. I guess I have always known that when that day came, I had to be the one who kept it together. It was rough.

Ember was the sweetest orange cat I have ever known. In fact, he changed my opinion about orange cats after seducing me with his lovable charm. He was feisty when you irritated him (and of course, I had to poke that tiger on occasion), but for the most part, he was the most lovable feline I have ever come across. The house isn't the same without him.

I still grieve the loss of my Charlie and Shaolyn. Even though they died years ago, my heart still hurts knowing I lost the two best-est friends I have ever had. They've been with me through thick and thin, and when I lost them, a little piece of me went with them.

Now, a little piece of me left with Ember.

[Hollylane]

Originally Posted by Miss_Tia

ladies,I am friends with a woman who runs a buns rescue. I bought one of her HellBuns tshirts as a fundraiser. I love what she does...rescues these pitiful creatures who many just dont understand arent LIVESTOCK.

prayers out to you and your lost ones...

My friend got me involved with Bunny Advocates, my bun Parsley came from one of their foster homes. You're right Miss Tia, people do thing think of them as livestock, even though Bunny Advocates repeatedly goes in to train people in bunny care, and in how to screen potential bun parents, nothing has changed.

[Soft*Silver]

Oh Greyson, Bailey sounds like she so much like my sweet newf,Joey. Every single person he met, told me he had changed them somehow. There was something inside,within him, that touched something within each of us. It became such a phenomena that we called him the Buddha Dog.

It makes me believe that there are beings on this earth, that carry the Light stronger than others. We all do, but some exude it more purely than the others. And somehow they do so in mass appeal. Your Bailey surely was one of them.

And Hollylane, our local rabbit rescue does alot of education too. They also use social networking to post photos of these buns in adorable pictures, so people have different images of buns other than in wire cages at county fairs.

Speaking of livestock, even livestock need to be handled with care and appreciation. We have lost our connection with our food sources. We buy it in plastic and cardboard.. Rarely do we connect with the animals that feed us, therefore, we allow the meat industry to do inhumane things to slaughter animals. I was raised by a farmer, who tenderly cared for his livestock, named them, played with them in the open fields, and come the day they were to go to auction, would spend time with them, thanking them for feeding his family. We knew the animals that fed us and instead of grossing us out, made us appreciate our meals and taught us to not objectify our food. Breathing animals gave their lives for us. Food chain, yes, bottom line. But it was a sacred lesson my father taught us....

sorry for off topic/on topic chat. Hugs to everyone with losses...

question....has anyone NOT adopted a new pet after the loss of their pet? Was the loss that huge that you just could not do it again?

[Mr. Moon]

Originally Posted by Miss_Tia

Mr Moon, I am sorry for the loss of your dane, too. How sad. Truly sad.

I still miss my beloved Story, the landseer newfoundland, that I laid to rest a few years ago. She was my constant companion while I was in such horrific pain from my surgery and from lost dreams and failed loves. She carried me thru those years of mine and in return, I kept her safe and made her feel secure in her last two years with dementia.

we loved them well, didnt we?

Thank you Miss Tia. I took care of Taylor near 24/7 with kidney failure. I finally knew when it was time. She took care of me through my hardest time and didn't want to leave me. Poor baby's body just gave out. We loved them more than words can say!

[girllikeu2]

I still get weepy thinking about my babycat who left me in 2008. I Got him when he was 3 weeks old and was his Mama for the next 18 years. I miss him still though I have 2 new babies ... who though they are their own brand of wonderful will never replace my Robcat. <3 to all mourning fur kids.

[deb0670]

my ex and i rescued a dog from the Humane Society a few years back. He was a wired haired terrier mix of some kind. Small little guy about 6 yrs old or so.. Out of all the animals in the shelter, he was the only one who just sat still and watched me. Didn't bark nor jump around. I got down on my knees in front of his pen and looked at him and whispered hello and he just sat there and tilted his head and wagged his tail a little bit. i reached my hand up to the door of the pen to let him sniff and he lightly licked my hand and i was hooked. We adopted him that day. i named him Scrappy cause he was so unkempt looking and it just fit. After we brought him home, i was petting him and loving on him, and looked at his face head on and realized he had no upper front teeth and his bottom jaw was cocked to the side a little. What horror when i realized that this poor sweet lil guy was kicked hard enough in the head.. or something to cause that kind of damage..
He was my lil guy.. we bonded more than i have ever bonded with another animal. He was my shadow.
i won him in my divorce with my ex( like he could have taken Scrappy from me) and Scrappy was with me and my daughter for another two years. When my daughter and i had to move from Arkansas to Seattle, i knew that would have been too hard on Scrappy, so i left him with an elderly lady who had grown quite attached to him.. It was the hardest thing i ever had to do. I found out about a yr later... he had to be put down due to just being too sick.
i will never forget him, nor will i ever be as close and love another animal as much as i did Scrappy.
my puppy(Peaches) that i have now, runs a close second ..
i miss Scrappy as much now as i did 4 years ago.

[Mr. Moon]

Just when you think you're doing so well.....

This was the first anniversary of Taylor's passing....and I tried my best to ignore that fact and thought if I didn't think about it, it would pass....

Work drama from my total dysfunctional asshat boss was the biggest it could have been this week......everyone was anxious.

I came home anxious and even my new beautiful boy rescue, Foster Grant (almost 2 years old) could feel the anxiety. I kept trying. I remained calm and had a pretty decent day today, even with the continued work drama.

I came home early, and realized I had given Foster a bath and he needed more brushing to take care of his shedding...I knew I had brushes that I hadn't removed that were used with baby Taylor Dane....I used one before with Mr. Foster..so I thought I'd clean the other of her hair, zip lock it in a baggie......

Am I stupid??? I lost it, big time! OMG...it had been so long since that stabbing grief had hit my heart like that. Holy crap.

I'm just sitting now...figured posting and letting this out might help. Foster Grant curled up and let me cry.....kissed my tears.....Love HIM! but I still feel like my heart has been ripped apart.

It takes sooo long.....

I hope you all are doing well.

-Moonie

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by Mr. Moon

Just when you think you're doing so well.....

This was the first anniversary of Taylor's passing....and I tried my best to ignore that fact and thought if I didn't think about it, it would pass....

Work drama from my total dysfunctional asshat boss was the biggest it could have been this week......everyone was anxious.

I came home anxious and even my new beautiful boy rescue, Foster Grant (almost 2 years old) could feel the anxiety. I kept trying. I remained calm and had a pretty decent day today, even with the continued work drama.

I came home early, and realized I had given Foster a bath and he needed more brushing to take care of his shedding...I knew I had brushes that I hadn't removed that were used with baby Taylor Dane....I used one before with Mr. Foster..so I thought I'd clean the other of her hair, zip lock it in a baggie......

Am I stupid??? I lost it, big time! OMG...it had been so long since that stabbing grief had hit my heart like that. Holy crap.

I'm just sitting now...figured posting and letting this out might help. Foster Grant curled up and let me cry.....kissed my tears.....Love HIM! but I still feel like my heart has been ripped apart.

It takes sooo long.....

I hope you all are doing well.

-Moonie

No you are not stupid at all.

My vet cut a lock of my Bishon's hair for me when she died. She died April 19th, 2011 and I will always keep it. It also is in a Baggie.

I will always miss her.

My GF said she is my forever dog and that she is, and always will be.

My cock-a-poo passed August 6th, 2011, so another anniversary is coming up soon.

We will never forget any of our fur-loves.

[Hollylane]

Originally Posted by Mr. Moon

Just when you think you're doing so well.....

This was the first anniversary of Taylor's passing....and I tried my best to ignore that fact and thought if I didn't think about it, it would pass....

Work drama from my total dysfunctional asshat boss was the biggest it could have been this week......everyone was anxious.

I came home anxious and even my new beautiful boy rescue, Foster Grant (almost 2 years old) could feel the anxiety. I kept trying. I remained calm and had a pretty decent day today, even with the continued work drama.

I came home early, and realized I had given Foster a bath and he needed more brushing to take care of his shedding...I knew I had brushes that I hadn't removed that were used with baby Taylor Dane....I used one before with Mr. Foster..so I thought I'd clean the other of her hair, zip lock it in a baggie......

Am I stupid??? I lost it, big time! OMG...it had been so long since that stabbing grief had hit my heart like that. Holy crap.

I'm just sitting now...figured posting and letting this out might help. Foster Grant curled up and let me cry.....kissed my tears.....Love HIM! but I still feel like my heart has been ripped apart.

It takes sooo long.....

I hope you all are doing well.

-Moonie

When my best friend, Count Basie, passed, about 5 years ago, I snipped a little clump of hair from behind his ears (a silky soft spot, where I rubbed him to his heart's content). I wanted a paw print, and I couldn't find anything other than a tube of lipstick, so I rubbed it all over one of those big clodhopper feet, and pressed his lipsticked pad against a piece of cardstock paper. When I finally let them take him from me (I had a vet come to the house, so that he could pass in the comfort of home), I had them make a clay disk with his paw print in it, before his cremation. I also purchased a local artist's urn, and it is truly beautiful. I had another local artist create a stone plaque, with his image airbrushed onto it. I still have his photo as the background of both my work and home computers. I have a special box with his jingly tag filled caller, the snipped hair, his paw prints, and his favorite toy, that I get out once in awhile.

So, no. You are not being stupid. I will never forget my Basie Boy, and at times I still find myself feeling that utter and complete sense of loss.

[Mr. Moon]

Thanks everyone for your honest and...well raw (?) responses. Maybe I'm the one who feels raw, who knows.

I have all Taylor's things still out, some in baggies (I am preserving her smell....which is part of what happened with the hair...I took a wiff..oy). I have her two favorite toys out next to her wooden urn....Holly - one is a small Raven's football. I used to take her toy every day and kiss her box with it, just like we used to do kissie face with it...she loved that. This all will sound pretty awful to people who have no clue what we all are going through with the loss of our babies. (I still do kissie face sometimes LOL)

My new pup Foster is very tolerant of all this, like he knows....but he's a special boy and senses everything....which is good and bad

Thanks for the safe space to write and read. I have come and read all your stories, not often in the last year because it dredged up my horrible grief, but I have read them.

I think we're all special people to allow these special loving animals in our hearts and souls....

That would make me smile on some days I guess.

Bless you all, really, and thanks again for being here.

-Moonie

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Hollylane

When my best friend, Count Basie, passed, about 5 years ago, I snipped a little clump of hair from behind his ears (a silky soft spot, where I rubbed him to his heart's content). I wanted a paw print, and I couldn't find anything other than a tube of lipstick, so I rubbed it all over one of those big clodhopper feet, and pressed his lipsticked pad against a piece of cardstock paper. When I finally let them take him from me (I had a vet come to the house, so that he could pass in the comfort of home), I had them make a clay disk with his paw print in it, before his cremation. I also purchased a local artist's urn, and it is truly beautiful. I had another local artist create a stone plaque, with his image airbrushed onto it. I still have his photo as the background of both my work and home computers. I have a special box with his jingly tag filled caller, the snipped hair, his paw prints, and his favorite toy, that I get out once in awhile.

So, no. You are not being stupid. I will never forget my Basie Boy, and at times I still find myself feeling that utter and complete sense of loss.

Willow Anastacia passed years ago when I was in FL. I also had her cremated and have a paw print of her. She was such a special kitty and comes with me wherever I go. Since FL, she's been to WA and TX and is now in RI with me.

♥

[NJFemmie]

We rarely let the cats outside, and when we do, they usually stay confined to the front porch with no desire to wander off. The day Ember died, Mare engulfed Herself in gardening to keep Her mind occupied. As She as working, a small tuft of Ember's hair was found in the tulips - an area where he never wandered. I told Her that was his way of letting Her know that he is with Her.

That tuft of hair and his collar is now encased in a small metal heart. A small memento of a cat who spent many years comforting Mare, especially when She couldn't sleep. Last night was one of those nights for Her. She was always able to hug him close and he willingly allowed it accompanied with loud purrs.

Ember was extra special to Mare because She got him at a time when he needed to be bottle fed. He was literally Her baby.

I'll miss the nights "arguing" with him about getting off my pillow because it was my bedtime. Or, park himself on my side of the bed and look at me with those big, soulful eyes guilting me every time I had to move him along. He was certainly royalty in this house and he will be an incredibly hard act to follow.