For all pet owners............

The Ten Commandments (pet version)

1. My life is likely to last ten to fifteen years. Any separation from you will he painful for me. Remember that before you buy me.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me - it's crucial to my well-being.

4. Don't be angry at me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your entertainment and your friends. I have only you.

5. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand your words, I understand your voice when its speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I'll never forget it.

7. Remember before you hit me that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones of your hand but that I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate or lazy, ask your self if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, or I've been out in the sun too long, or my heart is getting old and weak.

9. Take care of me when I get old; you, too, will grow old.

10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch it, or, "Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I love you.

Add one more . Give your pet dog or cat a hug . Have you hugged your dog today? We have a local adoption/foster program called Friends for life . Getting a pet should be a commtitment to your pet for his or her life .:)

9 & 10 made me cry at work!

9 & 10 made me cry at work!

I'm a big sap. I was going to read it to my hubby, but couldn't so had to cut/paste and send it.

Thanks for sharing that. Makes you choke up a bit.

9 & 10 made me cry at work!


Boy, no kidding on #9. We had brother/sister cats that lived to 20 and 19 respectively. One of the toughest decisions in any pet owner's life is when you decide to say goodbye to an old friend. Someone told me that pets never seem to die in their sleep. Usually, it's the owners that make the call when enough is enough with an elderly pet. It's pure torture. It's like losing a member of the family. :(

I know 9 and 10 personally, when I worked for an aviary ! My boss ( phil) tool a vacation to Baja for a month, with me in charge of all of the birds and his dog Reddy , a 16 year old golden retriever, while he was gone she passed away and I had to make the decision to bury her ( the poor girl ) I laid her to rest under the old apple tree . When he got back I told him the bad news and he said " I thought that she might go while I was gone :eek: , I was so angry at him for not telling me that he knew how bad off she was:mad: , everybody told him how rotten it was of him to let that happen to her and to me :( . I have never forgiven him for doing that to her, she was a wonderful dog and deserved a whole lot better . I said a doggy prayer for her as I laid her to rest, that was the least that I could do for her .

Whenever I watch " All dogs go to heaven " I cry:(

Great post, banjo. With regards to #5, I have found that if you speak to your dog often, over time you will be amazed at how much they do understand, not to mention how well they understand how you feel even when no words are spoken.

The Ten Commandments (pet version)

1. My life is likely to last ten to fifteen years. Our bunnies' life is only 5-8 yrs.

4. Don't be angry at me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. The bunnies have the run of the house and now own the master bedroom. We sleep in the guest room because of my allergies. They still have their doorless cages to do their business in. Also, they have each other and are very happy with that.

9. Take care of me when I get old; you, too, will grow old. One of the bunnies is getting very old. He now sleeps on his side with his feet up in the air so we have to check him to be sure he's still alive sometimes.

10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch it, or, "Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I love you.
Our first bunny waited until the morning when I could pick her up before she gave out her last gasp of life. I'm convinced she waited as long as possible.

RO3

RO3,
Having had 2 house rabbits I understand. Stewart passed while we were out getting some groceries and we did not expect it and our Maxwell stayed by his cage the whole time given the depressed look he gave us upon our return. Our Tofu was nearly 10 years old when he passed and got ill while I was away on a fishing trip in New Brunswick for 5 days. My wife didn't have the heart to tell me when we spoke on the phone each evening and he hung in until my return. When he heard my voice he perked up for several hours and lasted the night but passed soon after breakfast the next day. While those written are for dogs they may certainly be adjusted for any of our non human friends for I cannot leave any of them out they all take hold of our hearts and attention.

#10 for sure ...

My german shepherd Asta had to be put down about 7 years ago. She was hit by a car. She survived the hit and would have recovered from her injuries had we not discovered what we did from the xrays. she was riddled with cancer polyps. We never knew. Even if she recovered from the accident, the cancer was poised to take her in a matter of months. i made the decision to have her put down. i held her before, during, and for a long long time after. the part that really kills me is her last act was to lick my face before she went.

The part that really kills me is her last act was to lick my face before she went.

Very Touching.......

TL

#10, yeah... tearing up thinking about it again.

The last thing my Gracey saw was my face and the last thing she heard was "do you wanna go for a walk?" - her ears perked up and then she was gone... she walks with the angels now.

Milehigh- that's a very touching comment. We knew for a week that we had to put our 20yr cat to sleep (a true member of the family). It was so tough to make that final drive to the vet (in the Ridgeline). My wife decided to hold Blake rather than transport him in the cat carrier. As weak as he was, he was still looking out the windows with great interest since he had never traveled in such a way. We have since replaced him with an energy-filled kitten that is so much like Blake that we often joke that he is Blake-reincarnated. New pets really help to relieve the pain of loss.

DenvrFan- I appreciate the comment - it was the single most difficult thing I had to do. My cat passed away in my arms at home about 5 years ago (kidney failure) - I was very close to him as well.

I have a new pup coming - I'm slated to pick her up May 20. That in itself was a hard decision to make as well since it took some time to understand I wasn't replacing Gracey, but opening myself to a new relationship that will be filled with its own unique memories. Today, I am now looking forward to bringing her home.