tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post1328177716247854834..comments2024-03-29T07:18:41.334-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: This blog is going to the dogs, Day 26 Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-79055151500566036922016-08-28T21:50:13.318-04:002016-08-28T21:50:13.318-04:00Absolutely nothing wrong with getting a rental cat...Absolutely nothing wrong with getting a rental cat. I know many shelters have a foster program that puts up cats temporarily until they can be adopted, especially if it looks like it's gonna be a while until they get adopted.<br /><br />Courageous Orange went into a foster home after her surgery because she needed inside care. (We couldn't give it to her, alas.) She was in there for a few weeks while she healed. No way she would have healed as well or as quickly in the shelter.<br /><br />If it wasn't for unsociable Inside Cat, we would have taken in Courageous Orange (Outside Cat) and given her the care she needed.<br /><br />If it wasn't for unsociable Inside Cat, we'd also foster other pets. But she's a skittish thing that DOES NOT tolerate other creatures (unless they're edible or give her edibles).Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Knealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818060864422019573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-11477247864994334342016-08-27T09:20:03.064-04:002016-08-27T09:20:03.064-04:00KDJames: How right you are. My husband fashioned o...<b>KDJames:</b> How right you are. My husband fashioned one from an old dresser drawer, painted it white, and used a router to engrave Amazon's name on the top. We walked her to the top of a mountain and sent her off with a bagpipe rendition of "Day is Done."<br /><br />"Lucy" is a chain fitness store, and when our Lucy put herself in this bag, it was too cute not to capture on camera.Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6959151227386836872016-08-27T00:50:01.039-04:002016-08-27T00:50:01.039-04:00Oh dear. Yes, excessive eye moisture here as well....Oh dear. Yes, excessive eye moisture here as well. Get a bunch of writers to talk about love and loss, that's going to happen.<br /><br />Joyce and Karen, I'm so sorry for your losses. Been there more than a couple times. Give yourselves the time you need to heal and mourn, whatever that means for you. Karen, I can't help but think it must have been easier to find a bag (or a box) to match the name of your dearly departed cat than it was for Lucy. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-35236761404750784242016-08-26T23:33:48.733-04:002016-08-26T23:33:48.733-04:00Have to confess, I couldn't read many of the c...Have to confess, I couldn't read many of the comments today - not a day for sad stories. Big (((hugs))) to everyone who has lost a pet, the loss never goes but the pain does ease. AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-73798736213029368172016-08-26T20:15:55.695-04:002016-08-26T20:15:55.695-04:00Catherine That was PURRRFECT!
It made me laugh, ...<b>Catherine</b> That was PURRRFECT!<br /><br />It made me laugh, and I'm sure it made everyone else laugh too - and that's just what we needed! Phew. *Wipes tears* (not the sad kind)<br /><br /><b>Colin</b> (((hug)))<br /><br />Everyone ((((hug))))Donnaevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09026536210749494257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7635286064367494362016-08-26T19:41:51.768-04:002016-08-26T19:41:51.768-04:00Catherine: This bodes well for Donna's upcomin...<b>Catherine</b>: This bodes well for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Education-Dixie-Dupree-Donna-Everhart/dp/1496705513/ref=sr_1_1" rel="nofollow"><b>Donna</b>'s upcoming novel</a>. Be sure to pre-order Kleenex too! ;)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58637487043283910262016-08-26T19:26:18.999-04:002016-08-26T19:26:18.999-04:00Sympathy hugs to Layla’s and Amazon’s humans.
(S...Sympathy hugs to Layla’s and Amazon’s humans. <br /><br />(So I calls this number, 1-800-GOOD-CRY, and Donna answers!)Catherine Vignolinihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09510314864021769210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6277691961467636492016-08-26T18:08:09.600-04:002016-08-26T18:08:09.600-04:00Ah, these stories! Layla and Lucy are lovely, I&#...Ah, these stories! Layla and Lucy are lovely, I'm so sorry to hear of Layla's and Amazon's passing. <br /><br /><b>Joseph</b> stories like those give me the chills, in a good way. I'm glad you have peace. <br /><br /><b>Donna</b> -I love that. <br />Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31483758149453807642016-08-26T16:37:25.334-04:002016-08-26T16:37:25.334-04:00Thanks, Karen!
Diane: I was with all the pets I&#...Thanks, Karen!<br /><br />Diane: I was with all the pets I've lost growing up, and that's the only thing that brought me comfort in their passing--that I could provide them passing in theirs. When the time comes, that's my greatest wish for me and Riley. <br /><br />Aaannd I can't talk about this anymore. <3Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05332570278984058081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-18736211435759422482016-08-26T16:07:05.110-04:002016-08-26T16:07:05.110-04:00Thanks, everyone. I do plan on getting a cat somet...Thanks, everyone. I do plan on getting a cat sometime in the future, just not quite yet. Of course, if one showed up on our doorstep, I wouldn't turn it away!Joyce Tremelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00498392016497131719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-38592250937305932862016-08-26T15:45:41.217-04:002016-08-26T15:45:41.217-04:00Such sweet kitties and sad stories. I know how you...Such sweet kitties and sad stories. I know how you feel, Joyce. When I lost my previous cat, Sedro Woolly, I thought I would have to wait a while before re-enlisting. But then an acquaintence told me about this kitten from a litter she knew, and when I met Mehitabel (8 weeks old, calico and incredibly fluffy) I could not resist.<br /><br />She is now 20 + and while I am not saying never again, I need to wait awhile before I add another furchild to my home. I don't know how long she has left. She probably has some medical issues, but she seems happy, eating, drinking, sleeping and all the rest, so no extreme measures are planned for her. I'm hoping she tells me when her time is up so I can do the right thing. Making her suffer through pain or treatments will not serve her well at 20.<br /><br />Lucy is absolutely adorable! I thought no cat could take the place of Woolly, but Mehitabel just was so relentlessly cute, she took over in no time flat. <br /><br />The love we get from animals seems so pure and untainted. It's kind of hard to get that from people, so that must be why we turn to our animal friends.<br />Cheers to cats and dogs.Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29095426268736317672016-08-26T14:50:19.001-04:002016-08-26T14:50:19.001-04:00A bit off topic, but still on topic of pets: 10 MU...A bit off topic, but still on topic of pets: <a href="http://www.mutts.com/news-post/10-mutts-comic-strips-remind-us-why-we-love-dogs" rel="nofollow">10 MUTTS Comic Strips that remind us why we love dogs</a><br /><br />This little dog is SO much Little Girl Dog.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67188749946582073582016-08-26T14:37:30.955-04:002016-08-26T14:37:30.955-04:00Well y'all, I sure didn't mean to make fol...Well y'all, I sure didn't mean to make folks cry, but every time I read that Last Will & Testament of a Dog, boy oh boy.<br /><br />Although Bella was put to sleep at the vet she'd been going to for 12 years, she hated that place. So, when I think about her last moments there, it just sort of sends me off the edge. But I was with her, and maybe that's all that matters. With Kiwi, (three weeks later) I'd had her at the Specialty hospital the day before (for a 2nd opinion)and that's where she was put to sleep. So different than little Bella Boo Boo. It was dimly lit, there was a couch, rug, chair. Soft music.<br /><br />They sent me a card. Now, I'm not trying to be the the Donna Downer here today, but honestly? The words truly mean so much to me; the ones I shared above, and the ones in the card:<br /><br /><i>Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears,<br /><br />but laugh and talk of me as if I were there beside you<br /><br />Do not let the thought of me be sad<br /><br />For I am loving you just as I always have,<br /><br />You were so good to me! I loved you so…,<br /><br />Twas heaven here with you.</i><br /><br />~Isla Paschel Richardson~ <br /><br />Okay. Must go tend to the leaking eyes.Donnaevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09026536210749494257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-16728546213620309442016-08-26T14:06:57.818-04:002016-08-26T14:06:57.818-04:00Joyce, Layla was such a beautiful cat, and obvious...Joyce, Layla was such a beautiful cat, and obviously a big inspiration in your life. I'm so sorry about her loss. It's okay to decide not to get another pet, but don't be closed to a pet that comes along. Sometimes fostering can fill the void (though beware - sometimes fosters come to stay) (((hugs)))<br /><br />Karen, Lucy is gorgeous! I'm so glad your hearts were open to adopt - and I'm sure you are, too. Amazon must have been a wonderful cat. (((hugs)))<br /><br />Our pets are part of our hearts. It can hurt so much to lose one, but there's a terrible hole without one.<br /><br />I was lucky. I got Little Girl Dog a few years before we lost Koko. She was 2, he was 12, at the time. He was nearly 16 when he left us. I would have been too heartbroken after losing Koko to get another dog, and she's been an immense comfort and companion in the three years since he's been gone.<br /><br />Regarding vets and the worst part of their job: When I took Koko in his last day- and I knew it would be his last day, because he'd had 4 minor seizures in 28 hours - I was so happy that his favourite vet and vet tech were there. We'd spent a lot of time at the vets the years prior, while he got subcutaneous fluids and whatever other care he needed. The vets and techs at that clinic were so wonderful, and he loved going there, even 3 times a week. Both the vet and the tech were crying with me as Koko slipped away - they were so wonderful about it all, and I'm so grateful. And now I'm crying, too.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-37655838727263440452016-08-26T13:13:26.338-04:002016-08-26T13:13:26.338-04:00Beautiful cats. My condolences to Karen and Joyce ...Beautiful cats. My condolences to Karen and Joyce and all of you who have shared your stories of losing your feline friends. I'm shedding a few tears for you. <br /><br />I'm also smiling at Lucy-in-the-bag, and the visitor in the night leaving behind clumps of fur, and all your lovely stories of the way cats have touched your lives. <br /><br />"Freedom -- that's just some people talking -- your prison is walking through this world all alone." Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-36353291103839517432016-08-26T12:02:17.851-04:002016-08-26T12:02:17.851-04:00I'm so sorry to hear about both Layla and Amaz...I'm so sorry to hear about both Layla and Amazon's passings. And though the animals we invite into our lives don't live nearly long enough, when you've loved and been loved by an animal, you are a lucky person. <br /><br />Over the years, we've lost cats to diabetes, kidney disease and -- the luckiest ones -- to old age. Each passing left a hole in our lives. We try to fill them by celebrating the cat who's left us; laughing about funny things he or she did, the amazing feats of athleticism, their quirks and habits. Eventually we wind up adopting another rescue cat -- not because the cat who's passed can be replaced, but because having cats in our lives brings us joy. <br /><br />Again, so sorry about your losses!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06611656982367077903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-25898397064578089802016-08-26T11:21:22.814-04:002016-08-26T11:21:22.814-04:00So much sadness today about lost pets. It's a ...So much sadness today about lost pets. It's a reminder how dependent our animals are on our love and care, and how dependent we become on their loyalty. Today's babies are beautiful! The stories are sad. Enough said.Sherry Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04326605891373049617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30553168377602839452016-08-26T11:16:22.533-04:002016-08-26T11:16:22.533-04:00Joyce and Karen, thank you for sharing your photos...Joyce and Karen, thank you for sharing your photos and stories with us. Layla and Amazon sound like they were wonderful companions, and I'm sorry you had to say goodbye to them. The photo of Layla and her snowy white bib is beautiful, and although we didn't get to see Amazon, I'm sure she was equally gorgeous. <br /><br />Karen, I hope you have lots of fun with Lucy. She has a mischievous twinkle in her eyes! Claire Bobrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15666082441972111293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-57860865643589288712016-08-26T11:05:49.518-04:002016-08-26T11:05:49.518-04:00Susan, thank you.
The death of every animal I hav...Susan, thank you.<br /><br />The death of every animal I have ever loved is always with me, but I don't mean that like a bad thing, or even a sad one. Because I was with THEM. My dad put our dog to sleep himself when I was ten, it was the first time I can remember him weeping. But he was kind to do it at home, to do it with his hands. My own first pet only lived two years; he was a breeding mill baby and had FHIV or Leukemia. Tests were mixed up, he lost the use of his legs, he was just a baby; I had to let him go. After that was Byshe, organ failure. I held him, and his body was so heavy. Smike, who was diabetic, and who died long and hard and cruelly, and tried and tried to live. Sidney-la. She was fourteen and had a good life. I hope.<br /><br />Being alone, and tangentially attached to someone who recently died alone and her pets died after her, I have to think about the time that may come, when I can't indulge that heartbeat in the house any more. For me to die alone is one thing, but for animals to die of starvation or thirst: I hope I will not leave that legacy.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-36734224012238944762016-08-26T10:48:52.065-04:002016-08-26T10:48:52.065-04:00Oh, what beautiful kitty photos and stories! (And ...Oh, what beautiful kitty photos and stories! (And I'm a dog person...)<br /><br />Joyce, our friends' son and daughter-in-law recently had a baby named Layla, and the doctors and nurses in the delivery room serenaded her with Eric Clapton's song! I'm sure your kitty Layla is dancing to the tune over the Rainbow Bridge.<br /><br />I'm so very sorry for your losses, Joyce and Karen. Unfortunately, I know exactly how you feel. Donna, you made me cry. Hugs to everyone here who has lost a pet. It's very hard. They are members of the family. <br /><br />I have a hunch my pet will be featured last because the best is always saved for the last, isn't it?Barbara Etlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07190731838738606727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-8833780608815431712016-08-26T10:38:51.691-04:002016-08-26T10:38:51.691-04:00Thank you, Susan! I'll be thinking about your ...Thank you, Susan! I'll be thinking about your Riley, and hoping for the best.<br /><br />"Cement themselves on your heart." A beautiful phrase, and so true.Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65738378336124516512016-08-26T10:29:16.631-04:002016-08-26T10:29:16.631-04:00Joyce: I am sorry for your loss but I must ask you...Joyce: I am sorry for your loss but I must ask you to not close yourself off. Don't say that you won't get another cat. You don't have to go looking for another, just keep an open mind. You don't want to miss the chance you enrich yourself.<br /><br />You never replace a pet. They all have their own quirks and foibles so they can never fit into the mold left by another. There is something else out there looking for one such as you. Let it in.<br /><br /><br />Karen: Have fun with Lucy. Every Maine Coon Cat I have met had personality by the bagful.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7098995474815768212016-08-26T10:28:50.826-04:002016-08-26T10:28:50.826-04:00Joyce and Karen: I'm so sorry for your losses....Joyce and Karen: I'm so sorry for your losses. What beautiful cats. Karen, I'm glad you opened your heart back up to Lucy.<br /><br />Diane: "It may be because I am alone, and the heartbeat in the house is necessary to my life..." This is gorgeous and exactly what I feel. When I lost my cat unexpectedly two years ago, even though I still have my dog, Riley, the house felt emptier, like it was missing that heartbeat. I adopted Moxie about a month later. Nothing fills the void of losing an animal, but another animal sure helps you heal.<br /><br />Donna: Well that just did me in! <br /><br />Two weeks ago, I had a cancer scare with my Riley. I was mentally preparing myself for the worst, especially since my cat's unexpected passing was pretty traumatic for me. I wasn't ready to let him go, even though someday I know I'll have to. Just not today. The test came back negative, thank goodness, but we won't know for sure unless they do a biopsy of the lymph node. I'm struggling with whether or not to put him through that, especially since he's a senior dog. His quality of life is more important time than anything. I really don't want to put him through that kind of pain. These animals, man. They just cement themselves on your heart. Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05332570278984058081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-75417295227794522272016-08-26T10:20:18.645-04:002016-08-26T10:20:18.645-04:00Karen: In future, any references to cute bags of f...<b>Karen</b>: In future, any references to cute bags of fluff 'n stuff might be about you or Lucy. I'll leave it for you to determine which. ;)<br /><br />I can't imagine being a vet and having to relieve beloved pets of their suffering like that. I know it's merciful, and the best thing for them, but still... This is why I went vegetarian 26 years ago--I couldn't justify eating animals I know I wouldn't have the heart to kill. And I'm not guilt-tripping y'all. It's a personal thing between me and my conscience. I really don't judge anyone else about it.<br />Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-8453868741277073972016-08-26T10:10:28.293-04:002016-08-26T10:10:28.293-04:00Cynthia: Xena the Warrior Kitty! What a beautiful ...<b>Cynthia:</b> Xena the Warrior Kitty! What a beautiful soul. Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.com