Pet grief?
 

A stray cat turned up at my flat one day & she adopted us. I had never considering having a pet because as a student you never know where you might be from one year to the next.
Over the last eight months during my thesis write up I grew fond of the feline we named C@D (pronounced Cattie). But I never expected to feel so sad now that she’s gone. Worse of all I fear she met her end by my Rover.
Pet grief is a hard thing to understand given they're just furry creatures that don't comprehend.

I've been petless since Barney died. He was a stray German Shepherd pup I found in the middle of Birmingham, trying to avoid traffic on the Hagley Road, this tiny little bundle scared out of his wits and causing mayhem. I could have killed myself rescuing him and should have taken him to the RSPCA, but I took this little pup home and my other dog, also a German Shepherd called Poppy, instantly started mothering him so I just couldn't do it.

Last year, after outliving his step-mum by a couple of years and being the most loyal, annoying, fractious, loveable, entertaining pet, he passed away. I just can't consider having anything else after those two, not even a goldfish.

Well, we've have had 5 of our brood born 16 years ago in Malta, they are getting old now and 1 passed away not long ago and it was very sad for all. I also have one which I found sitting in the middle of the road in Chch NZ, poor chap was virtually blind - I stopped the car in the middle of the road, nursed him back to health and here he is sitting next to me 12 years later!! He's well travelled - stopped off in Hawaii on the way to live with us in Montreal, then here in the UK :)

Cats are very interesting - if enigmatic - creatures, I have a lot of time for them :)

I cried when I learnt of the death of our dog Oscar when I returned from travelling a few years back. He was a border collie, a rescue dog. and the most wonderful friend. Couldn't have another dog now.
My wifes cat is now 14. Our house is up for sale. and she's sad that she'd allways thought the cat would live out her life in this house and be buried under the apple tree at the end of the garden.
I told her this could still be arranged. ;) Only joking.

Some people just don't understand the Loss of a Loved pet.
When our last Dog Oscar died at 14 and half years old I and my wife were devastated.
He was a part of our lives, kept us great Company and went on all holidays with us.
He went loony when I returned from work trips.
It took some time to get another dog as Oscar was such a "human" character.
They are more reliable, Faithful, Intelligent and friendly than the Children!!

That’s a lovely picture!

I thought I had injured my cat under the wheels one day as I had left for work. About 30 minutes into the journey I got a distraught call from the wife. On the journey back I gave myself a real hard time about checking under the car more carefully but now we think he had either had fallen from the roof or been hit by a car (the vets diagnosis from his claw damage).

Cost me £1,000 to sort out – normally that amount is only available for the Rover. He’s now insured – just as well as he incurred another £250 bill for eye damage recently.

However, he’s now back to his normal self, making the Lurcher’s life a misery!

I thought many of you could empathise for my loss of a pet. But I only had the cat for less than a year. In the posts above some had their pets for over a decade.

I'm pleased I didn't discover my cat injured because there probably would've have been anything I could've done. & if there was it would've cost $$$$.

I'm still having trouble understanding myself. For example cats don't talk, don't have a sense of humour, are uneducated.... yet they can be funny, & entertaining company. What is with the human condition that we relate to these animals? Now to get real philosophical the reason we get attached to their animals is because we imprint ourselves onto them. We anthropmorphise pets & attach feeling & emotions to pets that they don't really have.
Anyway, I've largely recovered now. I've just got to get used to the fact I don't have to leave my window open anymore. Not sure if I'll get another cat, but one may just turn up.. you never know.

Sadly these reason I won't let the kids have a dog now, had dogs when I lived at home till I was 20 broke my heart when the last one had to be put to sleep at 15 (can't even say the name)

Like losing a member of your family every few years, unfortunately I'm not strong enough to do that:(

I do have 2 cats but no offence to any cat lovers I really can't stand there selfish ways, never been able to able to love a cat like I love dogs.