Posts Tagged ‘cat’

Cat and dog owners can safely assume a person in reasonable health will outlive their pet.

The facts don’t change the feeling of loss when your senior pet dies, yet there’s more to consider when letting go of aging pets. My guardians were enlightened by their veterinarian in a discussion about the elderly dog who was in our family before me.

The dog was near her natural end of life with serious health complications due to aging that could not be reversed. Besides vital functions shutting down she was incontinent. Within weeks she stopped eating and could not walk.

After a thorough examination and comparing notes from recent visits, the vet advised a humane and peaceful end.

The facts about pets and pain which the vet shared helped the guardians in their decision. Dogs are stoic meaning they tolerate pain without letting you know. This is true of cats, as well. Here’s a quote with a link to more information about how dogs and cats handle pain.

Dogs’ responses to pain vary. Some dogs are very stoic, and will show few outward signs even when in extreme pain.
Source: Dr Barchas, DVM http://drbarchas.com/pain

Letting go of aging pets is not easy. Seek professional advice from your veterinarian to know the right thing to do and when. Understanding the stoic nature of pets, extending their life by all possible means may not be in their best interests if they’re in agony.

Appreciate your pets every moment of every day while you can. Supress selfish feelings and let them go peacefully with dignity when the time is right. Finally, as you heal and consider another pet, please adopt from a local shelter. Millions of abandoned yet healthy cats and dogs are waiting.

The photo below from January 2009 is me, Corky the Shelter Dog, shown held in my wire cage before being adopted and joining my forever family, and now my mission is to promote pet rescue.

The insert shows me cleaned up and groomed 9 months later, and much much happier.

The number of unwanted pets in animal shelters worldwide is alarming! Those that don’t become adopted like me are euthanized, and not all get a full week waiting period. Sometimes it’s just days! Those euthanized in the USA are estimated upwards of 6 million loving animals each year, so imagine how many pets are lost worldwide.

Unless you have the mindset to look into the facts behind those numbers, you cannot appreciate the risk to perfectly healthy pets.

As my website grows, the plan is to add more and more content about pet rescue efforts and little things people can do for animals, and not just cats and dogs. For now we are studying how to implement a database of adoptable pets, so our website visitors may search real time for a pet to adopt near where they live.

Stay tuned for progress updates on adding pet adoption search, and as we continue our mission to promote pet rescue.

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and many older dogs available in shelters are overlooked or ignored by would be guardians just like humans placed in institutions. The advantage of age, wisdom, maturity, and self-discipline in older dogs (and people) should not be overlooked.

The wonderful pet shown here is April, my guardian’s former dog adopted at age 4, who passed over the rainbow bridge to doggy heaven at 14 before I became a member of this family. Portraits and memories of April make sure she is not forgotten for her gentle ways and the 10 years of loyal companionship.

April proved that old saying wrong about “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” because she excelled in learning new hand signals and voice commands well into her senior years. Combining both in her training proved helpful for communicating as her hearing and other functions lost their edge. In some cases she was selectively hard of hearing to make a point which proves dogs DO have a sense of humor.

When ready to add a loyal companion to your home, visit the local shelter and take a moment to consider those older dogs or cats before rushing by to the next cute puppy or kitten. A housebroken and well mannered adult dog will have less trouble adjusting to your home and is less likely to chew up your valuables than a rambunctious puppy.

Sam, our cat, is 10 years old and tolerates this puppy though I admit we’re getting friendlier every day. It was time to feature him in My Little Older Brother video on YouTube. (Playtime: 43 seconds of fame)

For some time when I was first adopted I couldn’t get his name right. I thought it was Sam Malone. I’d chase him trying to get him to play and Mom would say “Leave Sam Alone”. Get it? Sam Malone. Haha.