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Animal companions in our happy homes

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  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    It has taken Aroha less that 3 days to detach the ball of sheepskin from hers new climbing tower. She is relentless.
  • Today was the day that Maisie the mother cat made her last trip to the vet. We will bury her tomorrow and try to be glad we had the privilege of serving her, rather than be sad that her glory days are done.

    No more looking behind us when we walk out of the gate, lest she be following (she would follow for a long way, yelling disapproval all the while). No more “help” with the gardening. No more yellow eyes following every spoonful of ice cream and demanding she at least be allowed to clean the bowl. No more dead rabbits either.

    We held her as she fell asleep and assured her that her legend would live on.
  • I'm so sorry to hear that, Cathscats. :heartbreak:

    (I'll be facing the same thing with my beloved dog in the not-too-distant future, I'm afraid.)
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    edited October 2020
    Oh, what a lovely cat! I'm sorry. You will miss her. (Does "mother cat" mean you've got her kittens?
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    edited October 2020
    I am so sorry Cathscats. It sounds like she will leave a gap larger than her physical presence.

    Is Maisie the cat pictured on your avatar? If so she looked like the late Georgie-Porgy fat'n'fluffy a cat who knew where her foodbowl was.
  • Molly the dog seems to have been traumatized. She was on our bed when Mr. Image had a series of seizures, then she was locked in another room when the paramedics arrived. When she was let out Mr Image was gone for a day. As I am not yet comfortable leaving Mr Image alone she is not getting her regular morning walk. The result is that during the day she seems okay although she follows me around. Mr. Image says that she cries when I go outside to empty the trash or such. She will get in Mr Image's lap as well, but come evening she runs from room to room, will not take a treat, hides in the backmost part of the closet and pants. We try to coach her out but she will not have any of it. She does still come and get on our bed when the lights are out. Any suggestions will be most welcome.
  • I'm sorry, Cathscat. Maisie sounded such a splendid cat!
  • Maisie is not the cat in my Avatar, that is her daughter Domino, who is less than a year younger than her mother, but has waxed fatter and more confident as her domineering (but so sweet) mother has declined. I couldn’t find a really good picture of Maisie, who shared the whole family’s aversion to having her picture taken (cathskitten being the exception that proves the rule). Maisie was a fit, fat and Fluffy tortishell in her prime, with a tail that was amazing and a most vocal presence.
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    I love fluffy cats' tails. They seem to float on the air.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    So sorry to hear about Maisie, Cathscats. RIP pussycat.
  • So sorry.
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    Cathscats wrote: »
    Today was the day that Maisie the mother cat made her last trip to the vet. We will bury her tomorrow and try to be glad we had the privilege of serving her, rather than be sad that her glory days are done.

    No more looking behind us when we walk out of the gate, lest she be following (she would follow for a long way, yelling disapproval all the while). No more “help” with the gardening. No more yellow eyes following every spoonful of ice cream and demanding she at least be allowed to clean the bowl. No more dead rabbits either.

    We held her as she fell asleep and assured her that her legend would live on.

    So sad, they are so much one of the family. 🕯for you all.

  • Molly the dog seems to have been traumatized. She was on our bed when Mr. Image had a series of seizures, then she was locked in another room when the paramedics arrived. When she was let out Mr Image was gone for a day. As I am not yet comfortable leaving Mr Image alone she is not getting her regular morning walk. The result is that during the day she seems okay although she follows me around. Mr. Image says that she cries when I go outside to empty the trash or such. She will get in Mr Image's lap as well, but come evening she runs from room to room, will not take a treat, hides in the backmost part of the closet and pants. We try to coach her out but she will not have any of it. She does still come and get on our bed when the lights are out. Any suggestions will be most welcome.

    Lots of cuddles and time?

    Our dog has been affected by the much-less-traumatic event of our son leaving home to go to college. It took four/five weeks before she would play tug-of-war with me again. I think she believes we put him in a kennel and haven't picked him up again.
  • Molly the dog seems to have been traumatized. She was on our bed when Mr. Image had a series of seizures, then she was locked in another room when the paramedics arrived. When she was let out Mr Image was gone for a day. As I am not yet comfortable leaving Mr Image alone she is not getting her regular morning walk. The result is that during the day she seems okay although she follows me around. Mr. Image says that she cries when I go outside to empty the trash or such. She will get in Mr Image's lap as well, but come evening she runs from room to room, will not take a treat, hides in the backmost part of the closet and pants. We try to coach her out but she will not have any of it. She does still come and get on our bed when the lights are out. Any suggestions will be most welcome.

    Lots of cuddles and time?

    Our dog has been affected by the much-less-traumatic event of our son leaving home to go to college. It took four/five weeks before she would play tug-of-war with me again. I think she believes we put him in a kennel and haven't picked him up again.

    Our dog was a working dog for our youngest, and when she grew out of the need, he was devastated. He couldn't figure out why she was going to school every day without him. He'd hang around the door with a pitiable look on his face and mope.
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    edited October 2020
    Molly the dog seems to have been traumatized. She was on our bed when Mr. Image had a series of seizures, then she was locked in another room when the paramedics arrived. When she was let out Mr Image was gone for a day. As I am not yet comfortable leaving Mr Image alone she is not getting her regular morning walk. The result is that during the day she seems okay although she follows me around. Mr. Image says that she cries when I go outside to empty the trash or such. She will get in Mr Image's lap as well, but come evening she runs from room to room, will not take a treat, hides in the backmost part of the closet and pants. We try to coach her out but she will not have any of it. She does still come and get on our bed when the lights are out. Any suggestions will be most welcome.

    I would make a ‘den’ for her where she feels safe. Maybe your closet or under a table or borrow a dog crate (keep the door open), fill it with blankets and her favourite toys, feed her treats in there during the day when she’s calm - she may then use it as a bolt hole in her anxious moments. I would do the opposite of coaching her out - this could add to her anxiety as you are wanting to take her out of the ‘safest’ place in her eyes.

    I would also suggest more walks and training sessions during the day, when she’s calm. Using her brain for sniffy walks and training will help her into a calm tiredness.

    Here are some great, very affordable resources for training ideas - https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/good dog



  • Thank you all for your suggestions for Molly. I will indeed pay her more attention, while also having to watch over Mr. Image. I am guessing as some have suggested time will heal.
    I was able to take her for a short walk today by having Mr. Image wait in bed where I knew he was safe until we returned.

  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    I am going away tomorrow so had to put Aroha in the Cattery this morning. I wondered how she would react. I took her out of her travelling cage and put her on the scales and she curled up for a sleep. Then I carried her to her cubicle and she climbed up so she could look out the window - I felt totally superfluous, and relieved at the same time.
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    Thank you all for your suggestions for Molly. I will indeed pay her more attention, while also having to watch over Mr. Image. I am guessing as some have suggested time will heal.
    I was able to take her for a short walk today by having Mr. Image wait in bed where I knew he was safe until we returned.

    Hopefully the walks will be good for you too.

    ((hugs)) 🤗

  • Molly did a bow and took a treat today. Progress. Still hiding in the evening.
  • After losing Truffles last month, I find myself glad of the company of a large spider. Not sure what it’s called though.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Robert - after Robert the Bruce's wee friend?
  • Boris, for certain music fans, or in our house, Fred.
  • Piglet wrote: »
    Robert - after Robert the Bruce's wee friend?
    Nice one!

  • I had to say goodbye this morning to my best friend of 16 years. She's been fading fairly rapidly. Yesterday we went to see our wonderful Vet, and it was pretty clear that it wouldn't be much longer. This morning she (my dog) told me the time had come. So it was back to the Vet, and a very calm, peaceful goodbye. She's in a better place with no more pain or unhappiness.
    :heartbreak:
  • I'm sorry for your grief.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    So sorry to hear that, Pigwidgeon. RIP, wee dog. :cry:
  • So sorry to hear that Pigwidgeon. They are indeed dear to our hearts. May happy memories of your time together soothe your soul.
  • Thank you, all. My heart is feeling rather broken and empty, but I'm very glad that I listened to her when she was "telling" me that the time had come, and that her wonderful Vet (who coincidentally is a friend from my church) was available and went out of her way to make the situation as calm and peaceful as possible.
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    Well done on listening, I'm glad you have a good Vet. Sorry for the dog-shaped hole in your life.

    Be kind to yourself - grieving is exhausting.
  • So sorry for your loss, @Pigwidgeon, and well done for being such a sensitive dog listener. A furry companion hole is a big one, take care.
  • Hearts break for members of our family of whatever genus. So sorry @Pigwidgeon.
  • Ah @Pigwidgeon ......
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    @Pigwidgeon I'm so sorry. You were a kind and good companion to her, especially when she needed you the most.
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    So sorry to hear of your loss @Pigwidgeon.
  • Thank you, again, to all of you who have sent such kind messages. It was very strange waking up this morning in an empty house. However, I did not wake up worrying about my little friend, and I know she's in a happier place. She is deeply missed.
  • SarasaSarasa All Saints Host
    So sorry to hear about your dog @Pigwidgeon . I remember you talking about her when we had a ship meet in London years ago.
  • Sarasa wrote: »
    So sorry to hear about your dog @Pigwidgeon . I remember you talking about her when we had a ship meet in London years ago.

    I remember sitting with you and chatting, Sarasa. I don't remember talking about my little friend, but I wouldn't be at all surprised. That was 2013, so she was a lively nine years old.
  • So sorry for your loss, Pigwidgeon.
  • Thank you, NicoleMR.
  • I'm so sorry, Pigwidgeon
  • Thanks, North East Quine.
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    Since I brought Aroha home from the cattery I've noticed a change in her behaviour. She has definitely become louder. If I take longer preparing her evening feed she doesn't give a mew, she positively yowls at me. I feel like a parent whose child has picked up some swear words from preschool. :naughty:

    Not that she couldn't have picked up some bad language from home - just not this particular kind.
  • BelisariusBelisarius Admin Emeritus
    edited October 2020
    Reminds me of when my family and great-aunt babysat each other's dogs in the course of a year. They wound up corrupting each other. Our golden retriever learned how to whine instead of bark,* while the miniature schnauzer learned how to beg at our dinner table (though not how to catch food we threw at her--we wound up hitting her in the face several times).

    * Our retriever also got upset enough to have an accident when we drove away from my aunt's house, insisted on sleeping in her bedroom, and stole all the schnauzer's toys (even though we left his own)--not a very good houseguest.
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    Piglet wrote: »
    Aravis wrote: »
    ... She was rescued from a house with 31 cats ...
    Crikey! :flushed:

    That's far too polite a word.
  • AravisAravis Shipmate
    Mick, our previous cat, used to come back from the cattery with a different “accent” every time depending on what other cat he’d been near. But he did have an unusually good ear, demonstrated by his strong preferences in music.
    Our current cats don’t seem to change their voices when they go to the cattery, though they don’t sound like each other anyway (they’re surprisingly unalike for a mother and daughter).
  • I can tell which one of our two is miaowing at me by their tone. Mother and son, but different body shapes. Not that Maisy is very vocal: she normally comes and hovers and gives me The Look of Disapproval when she is hungry.
  • I’m holding my breath waiting to be interviewed over FaceTime.... I’ve applied to rehome a 1 year old white cat and have passed the initial phone interview, astonishingly only around 5 minutes after I submitted the online application.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Good luck! :)
  • Hope you can exhale with a wild yippee!
  • At 4 this afternoon I have a WhatsApp video call - I guess it’s a bit of a virtual home visit, so I’ve (gasp) done a bit of tidying up.
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