How many of you have a favorite furry buddy?
Monday, March 16, 2015
Losing a Furry Friend
I have some great new book releases listed at my other site today - The Circle of Friends.
Those of you who follow me on Facebook saw the news last Wednesday - we lost our cat Spunky to cancer. (He’s the one who had major surgery for cancer a year ago.) The poor thing wasn’t eating and several trips to the vet revealed a blockage. When the surgeon opened him up Wednesday morning, she found his intestines riddled with cancer. It was a hard decision, as we were hopeful and didn’t really get a chance to say goodbye, but we had them put him to sleep while he was still under. He would’ve only lived a couple more days anyway.
Those of you who are animal lovers understand that pets aren’t pets. They are family. They are the closest thing on earth to true agape love, as they love unconditionally. Spunky was that kind of cat, too. We didn’t call him Spunky the Love Bug for nothing.
Actually, we had a lot of names for him - Buddy, Captain Fuzzy Pants, Snot Boy (because he liked to rub his wet nose all over us), Pookie Bear, and Buoy. (The latter came from my penchant to say words wrong. Instead of calling him Big Boy, another of his nicknames, I said Big Buoy. My husband thought it was cute and the name stuck.)
I’ve never added a pet to my stories, but I could tell you all the pros and cons. Pros include a constant companion, a purpose, love, bringing life to a home, a guardian, a playmate, a warm pillow, a source of amusement, and someone to cheer you up when you feel down, Cons include the cost (all said and done, Spunky was our $3500. cat), litterboxes/yards, taking care of them when you’re gone, barf, pestering you, waking you up in the middle of the night, illness, and the hole that’s left in your heart when they die.
But I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for the past 9 & 1/2 years we had with Spunky. He brought us much joy and was my husband’s best buddy. And now I’m sure he’s in Heaven, still trying to make friends with Hobbes. (Who was my best buddy.)
How many of you have a favorite furry buddy?
How many of you have a favorite furry buddy?
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50 comments:
I missed this news Diane, I am so sorry to hear it. It does tear a hole in your heart to lose a beloved pet. We lost our last dog whilst living in Bogue and decided not to have another especially as we now live in an apartment. I wouldn't mind having a cat here, but Matt is not too fond of cats. Great pix of Spunky. My sympathies to both of you.
I am so sorry Diane, I once had a cat Tabitha who was diabetic. I had to give her two shots of insulin daily. Well she survived four years after being diagnosed and she was a comfort to me when I lost my husband. But in the end she had gall stones also so I had to say good bye to a dear friend.
May your cat rest in peace and think of all the wonderful memories you have.
It's hard to loose a furry friend,
My thoughts are with you.
Yvonne.
So very sorry for your loss, Diane. Pets are part of our families and I can only guess at the hole in your heart.
My dog has been such a comfort to me as I've gone through my major life changes this year. Pets are definitely worth the cost.
Diane, so very sorry for your loss. Furry four-legged babies can add so much to a family. They are indeed family members, not pets. Hugs and prayers for you and your husband during this difficult time. My your memories give you comfort.
ahhhhhhh...sends love and hugs
I'm so sorry for you and your family. They are more than "pets". Sending you hugs.
I'm so sorry about Spunky! So hard, but you did the right thing. *hugs*
It's so difficult to use them. Our cat was 18 and healthy to almost the end when we lost her over a year ago. My daughter had known her all her life. I still look for her sleeping at my feet when I write. Hugs to you.
Sorry that you lost Spunky. They are family members not pets.
Jo, I'm sorry Matt doesn't like cats. Craig wasn't fond of them until we got Calvin & Hobbes and those two really changed his mind.
Yvonne, that is always hard. Hobbes was diabetic and I gave her shots for seven years.
Karen, it's hard to see them fall apart like that.
Susan, we keep looking for Spunky at the foot of the bed.
I'm so sorry for your loss, Diane. Losing a pet is just so darn hard. Really painful. I still tear up when I think about my furry friends who've moved on. I like to think that my dad who passed several years (that also tears me up) is now the Dog Whisperer in heaven. He doesn't go anywhere without a dog entourage of pets we've loved following him.
This makes me sad. I always smiled when I saw Spunky's cute face on your blog. Hugs to you...I know how painful this can be.
Aw...maybe Sir Poops will become friens in the near future. He's still here but struggling.
Yes, I remember last year and how relieved you were when Spunky came home. He was a beautiful black cat, and I'm very partial to those. I've had several. Unfortunately, they're with Spunky browsing the catnip. Still miss them and their quirky, wonderful "catness."
I'm so sorry, Diane! I lost my cat (Rosie) last year. She was eighteen and I still miss her. She was also a black kitty. I have a feeling Spunky and Rosie are playing together. <3
I'm so sorry about Spunky. Pets are definitely family members and it's tough to lose them.
Hi Diane .. Spunky looks amazing as too Hobbes ... wonderful animals - I had a black and white one when I was a kid, but when I was married we had a Bull Terrier and he was the light of my life ... still miss him and he'd have been gone years now .. I feel for you - with thoughts and hugs - Hilary
Hi Diane. So sorry to hear about your kitty. :(
Hi Diane--I'm so sorry for your loss. Spunky was more than a pet to you, that's easy to see. My thoughts go out to you.
Robin, I'm sure he's followed by many.
Lee and Chrys, there's a pride of black kitties playing in Heaven right now.
Thank you for sharing that with us! I love those pictures. Black cats are so gorgeous. I have numerous names for my four cats as well. Never call them the same name twice. It's obvious that Captain Fuzzy Pants had a wonderful life with your family.
Heather
So sorry, hugs.
So sorry about Spunky. It's always hard to lose a furry friend like this.
I'm so sorry, Diane. Pets like him snuggle into our hearts and never leave. I'm glad you had each other for as long as you did. May you be lifted by warm-loving memories.
I'm sorry about your loss. "Pets" is too weak a word for them. I'm not one for religion or spirituality, but I hope there's a heaven so I can see my pets again someday.
Oh, dear Seems something is going around. We lost our precious Great Dane last week and my daughter lost her 21 year-old cat SPOT. And my grandson lost his dog, too. Mourning together helps. Sending my love to you!
C.
I have dearly loved most of our cats and dogs. But the closest fur buddy for me is Wrangler, who will be ten on April 1. He is my Velcro dog, asleep at my feet as I type this. I call him my guardian angel.
I'm so sorry. Having had the same losses in the past, I know how deeply saddening this is. You gave him a wonderful, loving home for many years. That's what counts.
I have a hard time imagining my house without a cat. One is enough. RIP Spunky.
Aw, hugs and love for your loss.
We have a few kitties, two black ones, the hippie (longhair)and business class (shorthair) and a sweet old lady calico who is still spry, but showing her advanced age. It's the cruddy part of the experience, but having them around is still worth it in the end.
My inlaws lost their cat in a similar way a few months ago. Sorry for your loss. Spunky sure sounded like a keeper. :)
I've had furry family members for most of my life. About ten years ago I lost my treasured yorkie and the year before her brother, a gorgeous flat coated black lab.
After she had passed, I was so alone. I bought a condo that didn't allow dogs. STUPID ME because I hadn't wanted another. Now that I am free from that place and moving to a new life in Florida I will be adopting two more furry friends. I CAN'T wait. It will fill such a void in my life. I will have a "kids" to love and there will ALWAYS be a two happy faces when I come home, even if it's to just pick up the mail...
Take care, Diane. I know how you feel....
So sorry for your loss. Hugs.
We've lost two dogs in three years - so we understand completely how you feel. It's been two weeks since the last one and we still glance over to the spot where she laid on her pillow.
I'm sorry for what you must go through!!
Wifey is allergic to cats but I grew u with them and love cats.
Spunky looks like one of the cats in my recent MS called Midnight. Her real name is Amy Worth (as a human witch) but the protagonist calls her Midnight (as a cat) because she's a black cat.
Sorry to hear of your loss. Pets are more than friends. They are family.
Sorry to hear of your loss. I befriended some stray dogs when I still lived with my parents in Tennessee since there seemed to be a lot of strays in our neighborhood and got somewhat attached. It was sad when they died.
I raised 5 kids so I didn't add any pets to that menagerie other than short stints with a snake and a cat, but the snake died and we gave away the cat.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
I recently gave a friend who had lost her beloved dog a picture of him in a frame that read: "Thanks for everything. I had a wonderful time." I sure, if he could have, Spunky would have told you the same thing.
And I'm reaching down to the little dog bed that sits beside my chair to give Sophie a gentle scratch.
I'm so sorry, Diane. It's so hard to lose a furry family member. They warm our hearts and when they are gone, it's hard to let them go.
Sorry for your loss, Diane. I'd be a worse mess without my two cats to make me laugh every day, even when I don't want to. Hugs.
The loss of a furry family member is never easy, but the memories and the purrs last forever.
I'm so sorry for your loss. Pets are definitely family. I often joke that I couldn't birth a child more like me than my Relli kitty.
We live on a lake where many summer residence bring their cats only to leave them behind when they return to the city at the end of summer. At one stage, we were feeding 7 cats. I have too many stories to mention today, but my heart aches for you. Our cats Marble and Shasta travelled 3000 miles to spend the winter with us here in Bucerias. They're in a wire-fenced yard because I'm terrified something sinister will hurt them. They are indeed family.
Oh, no. I'm so, so sorry to hear it! Spunky sounds like such a special cat, and I know you will miss him very much. Hugs.
I am so sorry, Diane. Been there. Done that. It's horrific.
Hugs. You did the right thing. Bowel blockages are so very, very painful his last days wouldn't have been peaceful for him.
Animals are wonderful. I have way too many of them, but love them all.
Hi Diane. So sorry to hear about your kitty.
It's so hard to lose a furry friend! We have a cat and a dog. They become part of the family. I'm so sorry for your loss!
I am so sad for you and your hubby~
Thinking of you!
Hugs
I'm so, so sorry for your loss. Our furry friends can grow to mean so much to us, it's always heartbreaking to lose one.
Diane, I'm sorry for the loss of Spunky. We've had to say goodbye to pets, through the years. Sad. We have two cats now that we like a lot. They are outdoor cats, but wonderful pets just the same as an indoor kitty.
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