PETS

Posted by Herb7734 7 years, 10 months ago to Humor
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I realize that there are many weighty things to discuss. However, I think that some lighter subjects should be brought front and center now and then. I was out and about today and eating lunch in my car. While doing so, I observed a man sitting at an outdoor table and as he was eating, he was dropping scraps accidently on purpose for his dog, a beautiful mid-sized all white mutt. I call that type of dog food, floor d'ouvres.

It started me thinking about pets. I live in a 165 year old village, but in the new section (30 years old). There are 285 homes and at least half of them contain dogs, and many cats a lot of them feral. I was impressed by the fact that the entire area didn't smell like a cesspool. Apparently, the pet lovers actually picked up after their dogs. we have every kind, from giant mastiffs, to little lap dogs like Yorkies. I own a beagle which I love dearly. Being a mini-hound the only way to get her on your lap is to put food there, but be careful, she might eat the buttons off your shirt.

This brings me to my topic. I wonder how many Gulchers have pets and who has dogs, or cats or something else, and why. Just curious. But in may be insightful -- about what, I'm not sure.

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  • Posted by Herb7734 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Mine was murdered at the age of 38.
    we still grieve every day. But we also move on. I could go on about him, however a graphic novel will be published about him in the fall. My little dog has done more for me than any shrink could.
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  • Posted by ycandrea 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I lost a son too. He was 27 years old. I understand that kind of grief also. A part of me died with him and it is something I have never gotten over and I carry a sadness inside that is matched by nothing else in my life.. I just live with it and go on and focus on all that I do have. I can and do still have happiness and joy, but he is so missed. My grandkids and my doggies are so important to me.
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  • Posted by Dobrien 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Condolences to you sir,
    Thank you Herb.
    Our pets are family to us , you do expect to out live them. Not your kids. Alex was a wonderful son and it was our good fortune to love him.

    Jezebel, Bootsie, Tasha, Max, Kirby, Callaway. true best friends from my past.
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  • Posted by Kittyhawk 7 years, 10 months ago
    I've had a constant stream of stray dogs and cats in my life since I was old enough to remember. When finding one, we put up signs, placed ads in the paper in the old days (now we place ads online), and very few were claimed by owners. It's a semi-rural area, and I suspect people drop off unwanted animals thinking they'll "find a home in the country." A few of the unclaimed animals we found homes for, but many stayed.

    We currently have a German shepherd mix, and a Chow mix who appeared as strays and found their forever home. The Shepherd mix has taken a dislike to cats, even though she was raised with them, so no cats at the moment.

    The latest, and strangest, stray to show up is a young Bearded Dragon (lizard) we found in the backyard last fall and gave a home to.
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  • Posted by DrZarkov99 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    We kept a female pit for a friend on vacation, and my small standard poodle bullied her at every opportunity. All Daisy would do in response was exhibit her gargoyle grin and roll over - a real sweet, mild mannered dog.
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  • Posted by ycandrea 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    When I got my dog Molly I let my boss know she was coming to work with me. I did not adopt her to leave her home alone. She behaved well at work and everyone loved her. It got me out walking at breaks.
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  • Posted by ycandrea 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    My Molly dog is 17 years old now and is getting a little senile and she has had two mini strokes. The vet says they were mini strokes but no damage. She gets up in the middle of the night and wanders around the house and twice she has screamed out in terror as one of these strokes hit her. She is stiff, paralyzed and loses control of her bladder and bowels for a few minutes and so scared. We just sit next to her and talk soothingly and pet her til she comes out of it. Very heartbreaking to see my little dog go through this.
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  • Posted by $ allosaur 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Today Moocher ate a rare whole can of cat food within two hours and has been begging for scraps ever since..
    It usually takes six hours for it to eat all its cat food and sometimes I wonder if another cat or the neighborhood fox finished it off. I live right next to a large woods and deer has been known to walk out of it.
    Some days it only shows up late in the evening.
    Twice its been gone all day, leaving me to wonder if animal control got it like a previous cat I fed, but nope there it is the next day mooching away.
    Oh, make that three time I touched Moocher's nose. Today I tried to reach farther to pet it but the shy thing backed off.
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  • Posted by mccannon01 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Greetings O. A.

    Strange, but at first being "free" like that was an odd feeling. It didn't take long to LIKE it, though! I think the trick is to get out and DO something with your new found time. My wife and I have discovered we really are still best friends and do stuff together all the time. Gosh, wish we had this "freedom" when we were 30... heck even 50, LOL!
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  • Posted by lrshultis 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I treat my house cats to a small amount of tuna each day. Some say that it is like cocaine for cats. After years of doing so, there appears to be no effect from the small amount of Hg in canned tuna fish.
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  • Posted by mccannon01 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Hi Herb7734.

    We did have a dog for a while, which strayed into our driveway and wouldn't leave. The poor thing was loaded with fleas and other problems so we took her to a vet and got her back to excellent health. We asked around the neighborhood and no one knew where she came from. That may have been just as well because her "attitude" was that of a dog that was treated poorly by her previous owner. I think she was a cross between a poodle and a Cocker Spaniel. This was after our children were gone and we were both working (not traveling much then) and loved having her with us and her "attitude" improved immensely, too. Then a neighbor said the dog cried all day while we were working, so I would come home for lunch every day and found the neighbor was right. It was cruel to leave her so lonely IMO, so after about 8 months we found a family with children that would love and take care of her and gave her up.
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  • Posted by lrshultis 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I am down to 4 neutered female house cats and feed up to 4 neutered feral cats along with several raccoons and whoever else eats cat food. I find that it is true that you cannot out stubborn a cat.
    About the article's mention of drug usage. Would Rand have said that her drug usage of tobacco and amphetamines was being objective or not?
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  • Posted by $ SarahMontalbano 7 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    They are the sweetest big dogs I've ever seen. My mother is a veterinarian and she was the one who artificially inseminated the mother of our pup... making her the daddy? Anyway, the mother is a wonderfully sweet dog, and going over to their house once a week to play with the puppies was wonderful. There was 12 (it was nuts when they all woke up from a nap), and they were all called for really quickly. Several are undergoing service dog training now.
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