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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Not that she couldn't have picked up some bad language from home - just not this particular kind.
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.
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.
Comments
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'll be facing the same thing with my beloved dog in the not-too-distant future, I'm afraid.)
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.
So sad, they are so much one of the family. 🕯for you all.
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.
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
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)) 🤗
Be kind to yourself - grieving is exhausting.
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.
Not that she couldn't have picked up some bad language from home - just not this particular kind.
* 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.
That's far too polite a word.
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).