I never really thought about it, until recently, but isn't it a bit quirky how our pets become a huge part of our lives? I never really understood this until I got my cat about 18 months ago and have endured costly vet bills ever since. My family keeps telling me he's just an alley cat and to get rid of him and get another. I can't help but think, in a twisted sort of way that he's like a child to me, and you surely wouldn't think of trading in a child with a heart defect because it was costly to try and maintain some standard of living, right?

I was looking forward to my cat being a long companion in my household and hope that somehow he overcomes the odds that face, afterall he doesn't seem to have any idea that he has a heart problem... he still does all the normal things cats do, you know, sleep most of the day without a care in the world, chase shadows, play with paper and boxes, and purr softly when I rub that certain spot beneath his chin.

I've heard the same things about my sweet little pug. When I got her she had a hernia and a problem with her jaw, partly because her tounge is so big. I had those fixed as best as they could be and had her spayed. Then we found out she has sever hip displaysia and we had that treated early enough that her doctor think she won't have a huge problem as she gets older. She has cromic ear infections and allergies to certian dyes in her foods and treats. People tell me all the time that it's just a dumb dog and to put her to sleep. My reply is usualy if you kid had something wrong with them would you put them to sleep? They just give me a weird look but i know they don't understand and i feel sorry for them to not have the unconditional love that an animal can give.
I'm sure your cat will be fine, if not do what i do and try to make the time they have here the best. (((((hugs)))))

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"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

I would do anything possible to keep any of the pets in my house alive and comfortable. One of the worst things I ever faced was having a cat put to sleep because he had leukemia and there was nothing the vet could do for him and I never want to go through that again.

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Put me on wheels and I'll turn tricks.

Clever? Nah, I ran out of that years ago. But if you find this, let me know, k?
"The road goes ever on..." ~ Tolkien

In memory of my friend skip...
Go then, there are other worlds than these

try sending pictures of the "grandkids" to their "grandparents"! the "grandparents" really love that, especially if they don't have "real" grandkids!

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one for all, and all for me!

TCF, too cute!!!!!

Aqua, my sympathies to you, had to do the same thing 2 thanksgivings ago to our one cat, absolutely broke my heart! We have pics of her around and we will hang her stocking up again this year! I know, sounds silly to others, but I'm sure all here understand.

Maddy, I agree 100%. We got our other cat (fifth Avenue) at an auction, she came free with a box of $.99 cat food. Never realized how expensive that box of cat food was! But, she is still with us 17 years later and we both love her to death! She is truly our kid!

DG, you are so correct about the unconditional love! I know that when I get home, the fiffer will climb up in my lap and just start purring away and the rest of the world goes away for those few minutes!

TCF, your cat looks quite similar to mine except mine has more white and his orange isn't quite so pronounced... okay so really they are only similar in specie

I'm convinced when my parents spend a week with my cat at Christmas they will learn how much more loving he is than their yip yip spoiled rotten Pom.

I am an animal lover and I admit it freely! Maddy, I had a cat with a heart problem, which was what turned out to be a murmur and he lived to be 13 years old. Everynight after the kids were put to bed, he would go spend a few minutes with each of them (they were very small at the time), then come to me, climb up on my lap and lay there to be petted. One night, after he crawled up in my lap, he curled up and died quietly. It was, at the time, a horrible experience. However, now that time has passed I can see how lucky he was to have such a peaceful death and how lucky I was to be with him when it happened. I will never forget him.

Now I have a very, very, very spoiled mutt. He is 6 years old and I have had him since he was 3 weeks old, when I rescued him, his 8 brothers and sisters and his mom. Maybe because of the very precarious start he had in life and how hard I struggled to keep him alive, I feel in my heart that he is one of my kids.

I have always found it hard to trust or like someone who doesn't like animials. How can anyone not love them? Here is a not so clear shot of my third child! lol

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I like the bed I'm sleeping in, just like me it's broken in; it's not old -- just older.
Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans, this skin I'm in it's alright with me; it's not old -- just older.....Bon Jovi

LMAO. My mom CLAIMS all she'll ever have is a grand-kitty.

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Life is too short not to love and be loved....preferably multiple times in one night.

I think men talk to women so they can sleep with them and women sleep with men so they can talk to them. ~ Jay McInerney

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I can relate to you, Maddy. My mom has two cats that I adore (though fiance wont let me keep cats in the house). Don't you listen to those people that tell you he's just an alleycat....Maybe that's true, but you wouldn't throw something out because it wasn't "good enough". I was just amazed at that. I love animals of all kinds, and we have lots.

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It's a BOY!!

won't LET you?! unless he's allergic i'd bring three or four home!

(you can nver have too much pussy around the house!)

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one for all, and all for me!

^^^ lol

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It's a BOY!!

http://home.hiwaay.net/~bar/Guffin_flyingmonkey_04.jpg

http://home.hiwaay.net/~bar/turkey1.jpg

http://home.hiwaay.net/~bar/roxyhart2.jpg

http://home.hiwaay.net/~bar/geisha1.jpg

All the Scotties
http://home.hiwaay.net/~bar/costumes.html

Yeah hand made my dearest likes to sew for the furkids even the wings 4 foot wingspan hand feathered took about 1.5 hours each.... I'll get more pictures of the kimono it was soooo cute, she even learned to tie an Obi for the costume contests

Kyttn

yeah you all know my house is devoted to my animals. I have 12 dogs living in the bedrooms, 18 cats living in the kitchen and den areas and two rats living right next to me and my computer ..... they grab me and scare the shit outta me when I lean too close. in the quarentine pens we have 10 dogs that are rescues that need training to be brought up to date on shots, sterilization, or to get over their mange.

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-Seems we got here just in the nick of time. Whats that make us?
--Big damn heros Sir.
-Ain't we just.

Just how big are those Aussie goldfish?
lol



Your feeling are only going to grow deeper Maddy, and when they pass after 18 years, like our cat Happy or 16 for my girl ............. you WILL have lost a member of the family.

DreamGurl understanding of “unconditional love” from something that shares our lives is something that money CAN’T BUY, and unfortunately, few humans can really get past the lip service part of that. Like TinTenn says, people’s attitude towards animals is helpful in sorting out, the otherwise hard task, of who you can trust in life.

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