INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

Jazzygirl

Loveroflife- so many colds going around right now. Feel better soon!

Spookiesmom

awwww Shy. We're sorry you lost your fur baby. We know how much we mean to our mom.

Spookie and Kris

sas-schatzi

Shy, this is a time for us to remember our lost ones. Growing up my parents had Cindy a purebred Collie that was bred many times. Loved when all the pups were around. Cindy herded us kids. Moms babysitter in the yard. The stories that occurred outside the yard, I will leave out, but she twice saved my brothers life.She protected amazingly. One day she disappeared. No idea why. Later in life around my 30's I readdressed it with my Mom. Did they have her put to sleep and think it easier on us kids to think she was lost. No. A loss. Cindy is still in my life. I can feel her. I can see her. I can't smell her. She taught me so much.

They're were dogs after Cindy that made an impact, but not like her. Until Max. When DH Greg and I got married, I said to him one day " I want a kid, a house, and dog and I don't care in what order, but it's going to happen". We worked on the house and it happened. He was against the dog b/c he had never had a dog.

Then on a trip. We stopped at a friends house in Erie Pa. His dog was a Brittany. She laid her head on Greg's knee, then laid on the floor with her paws crossed. DH Greg said "If I could have a dog like her I would have one" Jimmy said " I'm breeding her and you can have a pup" I said "Yes". Greg said "I think I have been setup". We bought Lady with the intention of breeding. Two litters. Lady was killed by a car. We had Brittany's for a total of twenty years. Stories too many. Max though was incredibly special. I still should write a children's book of Max stories.

Max's son was JB. Registered as Jimmy Buffet Maximillian Turk. Great dog, but not Max. Then a stray wandered in and it was this muffin of a dog. DS Stephen asked if we could keep her. I took one look and said yes. We named her Rascal. She was a rascal. Found the owners and returned her. She was a runner. Out of the yard before I even left. What a trial she was. By finding the owners we learned that she was an intentional cross of a beagle and a schnauser. The first litter was unintentional i.e. they got under the fence. But she came to us when she was 6 months old. Lived for 15 years. Died two weeks after Greg died.

Then Schatzi. DS Stephen wanted his own dog. I was impressed when I heard his story. He had gone to the local SPCA and the pound in the county that Florida State University was in for 21 weeks in a row. We got her on the day of his graduation In 2007. But life is hard on young ones with changes in living arrangements etc. She lived with him, then with us, back and forth. When Greg died and Stephen moved to Tampa, I said I can't lose Greg, you, and her. I kept Shats. Sounds awful that I kept his dog, but he was in non-dog apartments.

Schatzi will be with my ashes....................

Wren44

Shy, So sorry for your loss. It's harder with fur babies because the relationship is so pure. Pure love on both sides. Hugs. It will be tough for a while. Try to remember all the good things you did together.

sas-schatzi

Shy, I've shared my life story of my loves. Please tell us of your baby, your gentle giant. Please I want to hear it all........

Cubbie2015

Shycat, I'm sorry you lost your pup. They are very much members of our family. I had a border collie mix when I was a kid, and I always miss him around Christmas time. He knew all about Christmas, and knew there was always a present under the tree for him. I'd get him some kind of chew bone, and he'd "bury" it by hiding it under the furniture somewhere. It was an annual ritual.

luvmygoats

Shy - I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet "mutt" as you called him. Not " just a dog" for sure. Hugs sister.

And one goat avatar "Nellie". <---- Over there

Sassy - we had a boxer growing up. Early 1960s. Went thru the screen door one day chasing after a salesman. Never did that b4 and never did it again. He got to the end of the driveway and sat down. Sure scared my usually unflappable mother. Crime was rare but she and I'm sure King felt he had bad intentions.

shycat

As requested, the story of my forever puppy:

Early July 2003, my husband and I went to the local animal shelter to drop off newspapers, towels, and a check, with no intention of adding to our two-dog household. But I can't resist walking through the shelter to see the dogs and cats, so as I walked down an aisle, a small gray paw reached through an upper cage and touched my shoulder. A 19 lb. gray/tan stray puppy, reportedly a bit sore after being knocked about by a car, with sad eyes and a hopeful expression, stole my heart right then and there. There's always room for one more, right? Just medium-sized, after all.

The next day, after his neuter surgery, we brought Loki home to Rikka, my brilliant beloved German Shepherd, and Balto, our goofy mellow Siberian Husky rescue, who immediately accepted him as their puppy to raise. The next day, our vet examined our new puppy, gave him his next shots, and assured us he'd be fine after the bruising/soreness abated. Two days later I rushed a very sick puppy back to the vet. Loki had distemper and I was heartbroken, thinking I would lose him so soon, but amazingly he pulled through with supportive care and soon came home to his very relieved human and canine parents.

Besides leaving him forever (what we called) "puppy-brained", the lingering effects of the distemper included brown spots on his teeth (which only made his beautiful smile more interesting) and occasional seizures. So he was never going to be a dog genius, but he was the sweetest, happiest goofball. The distemper certainly didn't stunt his growth. A DNA test showed his lineage included Akita, Malamute, Chow Chow, Doberman and Cocker Spaniel, and a whole lot of unknown. There had to be a Mastiff in there somewhere.

Loki took inspiration from his namesake, the Nordic god of mischief, taking chewing destruction to a whole new level. Oh well, I wanted new living room furniture any way. We also discovered that he was very literal. It didn't do any good to point towards the books in the bookcases and say "NO". I had to point to each individual book he could reach and say "NO" to each one. "Ah, now I understand! I'm not supposed to chew that one, or that one, or that one..." Tedious but effective, my books were finally safe. We had to do the same thing with every targeted shoe or slipper.

My beautiful German Shepherd was a great Mom and taught Loki well. One day, when I walked in on Loki chewing something, he immediately dropped the offending article and looked up with the most innocent expression he could muster. Rikka rushed to his side, sat down and dropped a plush toy in front of him. Loki quickly picked up the toy and grinned up at me, while Rikka smiled sweetly. That was her patented "How to Get Out of Trouble" move, making it impossible to stay mad. The next time it happened, Loki improved on her trusted method: he grabbed a nearby plush toy, walked dejectedly into the kitchen and sat himself down facing into the corner of the cabinets, and then turned his head to look sadly over his shoulder at me. OMG, it was all I could do not to bust out laughing.

In 2006, we lost Rikka to cancer (splenic hemangiosarcoma), shortly after she turned seven. I was heartbroken and cried many tears into Loki's neck. Four years later, our husky Balto succumbed to old age, leaving Loki an orphan. He was lonely, so we quickly adopted another mutt from the shelter, and not long after took in a neighbor's Border Collie mix puppy that they were going to surrender to the shelter for being too rambunctious. So we were back to being a 3-dog family, and Loki was a tolerant and protective Dad to both. A couple years later and we found ourselves bottle-raising an orphan kitten born in our woodpile, weighing only 3.4 ounces when we rescued her. Max was growing up in a dog pack (even rushing to the front door with the rest when the bell rang) and just when we were discussing adopting another kitten to provide her feline company, a mom cat brought her sick kitten to our house. While mom watched from the nearby bushes, we scooped up the poor kitten and rushed her to the vet. She recovered and joined the pack with the name of Jinx, showing our orphan Max how to behave more like cat. Later that year, another neighbor abandoned a young tom cat named Sam, who smartly decided we were his new family. So, three dogs and three cats, it was getting a little crowded here, but last winter when a neighbor's teenager found herself at odds with her parents over her own three cats, we took them in also as fosters. Thought it was temporary but now I'm not so sure.

Loki's health took a steady decline this last year. it became increasingly hard for him to get up from the kitchen floor, so we covered the linoleum with non-skid mats. After not having a seizure in over two years, he had one in August, two in October, and then six in just five days in November. We started having to use a sling to help him up and down the stairs. And our chowhound lost his appetite. Mealtimes often involved spoon feeding, cajoling and bribing with tasty lunchmeats. When the seizures stopped again and he started eating better, I had hope. But after an almost three week break, he had two seizures in 13 hours, and then started having trouble breathing and walking. With the vet's help, he passed away peacefully with our arms around him, telling him he was such a good boy, our one and only Loki Pokey, loved always and forever.

And now I'm crying again.

kathindc

Shycat, I'm crying with you. Such a beautiful story about your beloved Loki.You and your DH are wonderful parents to your furbabbies.

Smaarty

hi guys, got home today with a cold. Bahumbug! Will get the tree up later.

My DGD had a Guinea pig, actually she had 2. I knew one had died about a month ago. I found out today, that she explain to her father that they couldn't bury her outside because if they moved, she wouldn't go with them. He asked what were they going to do? She said she had to be cremated so that she would go with them, like all the others. You dont leave family behind. So DS had her cremated, cost $170! Can't argue with that kind of logic from a 10 yr old. So Marina the Guinea pig is with 3 cats, 2 dogs and Em'sgrandmother.

Jazzygirl

Shy- that is a beautiful story about your Loki. Tears help us to heal. Sending you virtual hugs across the miles.

queenmomcat

Crying with you, ShyCat. Really.

susan3

queenie, my friend knits a ton. And she us an awesome seamstress.nshe sews all her knits together,

. I will get the info for you.

Also, to bad you don't live closer. I client of mine is an opera singer, I am sure you two would love to chit chat. And a very dear close fiend is a concert pianist...she is fabulous, and her daughter is a prodigy child violinist. They all play at our house often. You would love it. Hubby and I are usually lost...lol

Night night all

Hope you are home and well patty

magdalene51

Shycat, I think I can safely say that on this thread you will never see the words "it's only a dog." We are on numbers 6&7 now and they are inseparable. 1-3 lived to be 15, 4&5 lived to 17. Our two now are 9 & 10. The older one is going deaf. He was a rescue, and has always been prone to ear infections so that's probably why. Loki will be waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge along with Rikka and Balto and all the others.

Zillsnot4me

Shycat. So sorry about Loki. Beautiful story.

Hootie hoo Patty. Hope you are sprung! And enjoying the Christmas preparations.

I can't sew. Post some pix. Good luck. Asking a museum is genius. You want to preserve it.

Chevyboy

Ah geez.... so many heartfelt stories...... It's okay for all of us to cry because of our pets... I still do, thinking of Lacee... and YOU Shy! That was such a sweet story about your pets...

I don't think I want to fall in love with another little dog... If I don't have one, then it won't hurt when we lose them.... And besides, we are both 78, and it is harder to think of walking and giving them all of our attention.... I'll just love all of YOUR pets.... okay? I love kittens and cats, but I am really allergic to some of them.... I told you all this before, I know.... How I even got allergic to the FISH tanks I used to have...

It might happen someday, accidentally , but just not right now......

Going for my physical..... I cancelled it, I thought, but the recording must not have paid attention....! So they called with a reminder Friday, and I'm going this morning... I caved! There is nothing wrong... but I'll ask for a skin-check.... I think that's all I need... And they'll do blood work.....

My Doc scared me 1/2 to death when I saw her last.... She let her hair go WHITE! I mean WHITE !!!! But I didn't say anything.... She is younger than I am.... EVERYbody is younger than I am... but I just ran to buy more hair color.... At least I can "fix" that.... And I can take something for these aches and pains.... so I am really lucky I think!

Chevyboy

I can't find Peppermint ANYwhere! Have you gals heard from her... She was supposed to go home from the hospital 2 or 3 days ago.......

Jazzygirl

Chevy- good luck with the physical. I hope nothing comes up. A skin check is a good thing. I had a basal cell on my scalp that had to come off the summer of 2014. Better to catch that stuff before it becomes something more.

I have not seen Patty anywhere either. Hopefully she is home resting and we will hear from her soon.

sas-schatzi

Sky, Thank you for your story, what a wonderful family. I agree with Mags, we are all furbaby lovers. Never worry about boring us with stories of Loki, Rikki, Balto, Max, and Jinx. Bless you and Hugs.

sas-schatzi

Chevy in your pocket for your exam I'll bring the hot chocolate. It's cold, damp, and cloudy today 64*. It's what Greg and I called an Akron day. Peppermint will pop in.

Mema thinking of you. Hoping the pains better Puffiness too.

Jacfin thinking of you too. How is it downunder?

Smaarty

Chevy, you're not to old for another dog! My mom got a doxy puppy about 3 mos after my dad died. She was 82. The dog is spoiled rotten but keeps my mom happy, especially after her boxer had to be put down this year. I'd get a dog that's 1-3 years old, if I got one. And the doxy will go to my son when my mom is gone.

Hi all. Got a nice (yeckky) head old. So can't go see my mom, or grandson since his sx is next Monday. It's the pits! 😷

Everybody ready for Christmas? I'm not! This time last year I had everything done by the 4th. Where has the year gone.

shycat

Oh my, you all are so sweet. Having been blessed with a bunch of furry characters through the years, I could relate stories for hours. To make up for causing tears, here's one that won't:

When Rikka was a young lass, she encountered a large box turtle while out in our backyard with my husband. Inquisitive as always, she bravely approached this mysterious creature and gave him a good exploratory sniff. At that exact moment, a squirrel overhead dropped a beechnut on her head, smack between her eyes. Poor puppy tore back into the house and told me all about the sneaky, wicked-fast monster in the backyard! Smartie that she was, she wisely gave the frequent visitor a wide berth after that.

Years later, Loki discovered that he could terrorize Rikka by simply picking up the box turtle and chasing her. She would tear back into the house to find me, with Loki prancing behind her, proudly holding his prize gently in his mouth. Trying not to laugh, we would rescue the turtle, who was remarkably unfazed by the proceedings, and return him safely to the other side of our fence. Each time, Loki was so proud of himself, Balto was baffled, and Rikka was embarrassed and in great need of reassurance that there's no dishonor in retreating in the face of such a terrifying monster. Oh, fun times.

Zillsnot4me

Chevy. I'm worried about Patty too but we should give her a few more days?

Shy. Love that story!

Jazzygirl

Patty posted last on Death and Dying thread on 12/4.

Loveroflife

Shy, thank you for sharing....very sweet. There has to be pets' heaven. I think you might beat Rose in the number of pets adopted at one time. Bless your heart.

queenmomcat

Susan: interesting to hear about the seamstress/knitter. First I have to sort out all the pieces I have and what yarn remains to me to see if it's worth even trying to knit the missing pieces. (Yarn manufacturer long gone!) I'd probably turn my husband loose with your friends--he's the opera buff.

Now back to readying for cosmetic tweaking surgery on Thursday--hopefully the last surgery for me for a while!

Spookiesmom

Shy, brave pup!!!

Does anybody have Peppermints contacts?

Loveroflife

Queenie, how big is your pocket...enough room for all of us to jump in so we can keep an eye on the surgeon for you

Loveroflife

I think Ms. Sas might have it.

queenmomcat

Lover: I can always make a temporary pocket out of the bedspreads. Plenty of room.