November 10, 2014

Pet Ownership Can Be the Cat's Meow

Owning a pet can be a life altering experience indeed.  In taking on the care of an animal, one must commit to the good and bad, the ups and downs and the yin and yang so to speak.

Make no mistake, the benefits far outweigh the downsides, I'm here to attest.  But, just as there are wide arrays of colors of the rainbow and flavors of ice cream, so too are pet animals and their behavior.

Take, for example, my sister, who several years ago adopted a jet black feline friend whom she dubbed "Lacy".  Lacy was, once upon a time in her youth the kind of cat that would tolerate all manner of attention, graciously living up to her name.  

However, unlike fine wine, Lacy's capacity for decent social interaction diminished as the years unfolded.  She gradually took to lurking under furniture and staking out spots to be on the look out for any possible social intrusions to her peaceful existence.  

Once a confused visitor to their home remarked, after walking past the living room armoire, that something was leaking!  Turns out the disturbance was none other than Lacy who was exuding one of her menacing hissing growls at the innocent, unsuspecting passerby.

The other day, Lacy and her owner paid a visit to the veterinary office because the feline seemed to be suffering some sort of ailment.  Here's what happened, in her caregiver's words:

"Lacy was a terror and the vet never even got close to examining her.  We chased her around the room alternatively trying to throw a towel over her. Really, you would think a vet would have some tricks to retrieve her!  He gave her some pills to take twice a day, telling me that I could wrap them in a meaty 'treat' which of course Lacy won't like."

She went on to relate that Lacy was perfectly calm when returning home (of course), but when confronted with the nasty new food, she tried to bury it.  Go figure!!

As our pets age, their ailments often mirror those of their aging owners.  Mental confusion sometimes sets in as the days wane.  I once had a lovely Springer Spaniel named Annie who was beloved by all who knew her.  Annie never wandered past her yard and lived a long, lovely existence.   

As she reached the end of her life she began to wander into neighboring garages and even tried to visit the day care center at the church across the street.  She became confused and unsure in her old age yet still remained a much loved and cherished pet.  But alas, Annie one day disappeared and was never found.  I contend that wonderful dog did that to spare her owners the agony of saying "good-bye".  

Such a wise dog she was and I still mourn her loss and the fact that I never got to be with her as she took her final breath.  

Another of my sisters and her husband, after losing their beloved "Dukie", a sheep herding dog, found miraculously a younger, nearly identical version of their pet and dubbed him "Little Dukie".  

Little Dukie is a charming, energetic dog, with perky ears and a friendly demeanor.  As his breed often does, Dukie naturally tends to herd anything in sight, so when he is allowed out of doors in the yard, there is a good deal of running in circles involved.

The other day, says my sister, Dukie got a bit out of hand and ram-rodded Fritzie, the couple's aged other dog who was innocently taking in the fresh out-of-door weather.  Here's what happened:

"Today Dukie was running around playing outside and he was going full tilt and ran right in to poor Fritzie who was tooling along like an Edsel when the Dukie turbo-charged 'Vette broadsided him.  I felt so sorry for Fritzie that I ran to him and put my arms around him and hung on to him after righting him back up."

 It's not easy getting older and our animals rely on us for pretty much everything in their tiny worlds.  All I can say is bless the pet owners who have only the best intentions for their beloved animals in mind when they take on the responsibility of pet ownership.  

Signing on as a pet owner means there will be those kind of good byes again and again.  Believe me, though you might think these animals are the only ones reaping the benefits, it is we the pet owners who come out on top every time.