Happy Thanksgiving!

Just awful.

 

What did you choose to do, Bob? Make it from scratch from the turkey gravy?
This is where a strainer does help, but the best backup I know is to keep a few packets of Knorr's chicken, beef or vegetable Bouillon, and you'll soon find out what flavour you like the best. add your mixed corn starch and water, and you'll have a reasonable tasting gravy.

I'm sure your dinner turned out just fine.

 

I knew about Thor losing her cat Samantha a few weeks ago JIC, and she was having a rough time. !6 years is a long time to have a cat. We had a sixteen year old cat too (Jamie) and we had to him down a few years ago. It is sad when you lose a pet you treasure. Glad you had your other animals to help you through this, Thor.

JIC, I can't tell you how sorry I am to hear you lost your apartment to a fire, and also Bandit, your cat. I am pleased you both managed to get out in good time. Must have been a very frightening time for you. Animal Control might have been more sympathetic with your situation. Maybe later on when you feel better, you might consider taking a look at a few little kittens at the local vets, or animal shelter. Take care. You still have each other.

 

Justin--wow--that really really sucks. I'm so sorry to hear about your little kitty. As Thor pointed out, it's been a terrible month for pets. Three nights ago I got a call from my friend John (for those of you who might remember, John is my friend I used to share a house with before I bought my own house--he was the guy who owned Delta the pot-bellied piggy) saying our joint custody golden retriever Suzy died. She was 13 Yo, and I found her back in I guess 94 at a truck stop on my way to work in San Marcos. She had had babies recently but had been dumped at the truck stop without them (the maintenance guy said she'd been there for a few days but he never found the babies)--so naturally I took her in. Well to make a long story short after Delta was killed I was getting ready to move, so John basically begged me to let him keep Suzy because she and his dog Tigger were "a pack." I said okay but of course still took Suzy and Tigger for walks to the park.

Anyway, just three days ago, according to John, Suzy out of the clear blue could barely get up off the floor. John took her to the vet and they discovered a tumor on her spine. It was so far gone they had to put her down. I'll miss my sweet little Snoozy! She was a great dog.

Man we love our pets but saying goodbye really really sucks.

 

Thanks Ella, I'm glad we were both able to get out too - had the guy from downstairs not opened the door into our hallway and set off the smoke alarm on the first floor right when he did, our only remaining fire exit would have been completely blocked by fire. I'm really thankful to be alive.

We weren't planning on replacing Bandit, matter of factly for the first two weeks I basically demanded him back - but Bandit's parents are apparently having another litter so we're debating getting Daisy another little pal, she has a really hard time when we leave her alone now.

 

Bob,
Aww! I'm so sorry to hear you lost a beloved pet too, and so suddenly as well. And it makes it all that much harder to let go when you rescue a pet, the bond is so much stronger.

That's pretty much how I acquired my one kitty. Daisy and her 4 siblings were tossed into a garbage bag and thrown into a dumpster behind Burger King, as fate would have it I was working with a residential cleaning co. and each day I got on the bus at that spot. Had we not forgotten to throw out the garbage at our usual spot I never would have found her. All the other kittens had died and I think she stood on top of them and stuck her nose out the hole to breathe.

Saying goodbye really sucks, and I think it only made it so much worse that animal control didn't even at least put his ashes in a plastic bag or something - they just destroyed him as though he were a stray that nobody wanted. I've been told that it was a "freak occurene" that they didn't get location they were found and tenant information. I just hope it doesn't happen to anyone else.

 

I remember when you lost Delta, BobC. I wasn't registered to post anywhere at that time, but I do remember it well while reading the JonBenet forums. I'm so sorry about the golden. Don't you wish they could live as long as we do?

Thor's death hit me the hardest and I've had many animals in my life. He was my first German shepherd and he was only 8. I'm pretty sure he had cancer. His back legs went out from under him when hubby took him to the vet. It was heartbreaking. Then he came back with no Thor. I put my head down on the sofa and bawled. First tho, I kept telling hubby to tell the vet not to put him to sleep. He kept telling me that it was over, he was gone. I kept telling him to call the vet and not do it because I wanted him to have a special hamburger or something like that. It was nuts. This is how close to that dog I was, I took his name as my nick everywhere and I'm female. I still have my female German shepherd Sasha, but she's 9, so she's no spring chicken. I just love animals.

 

Justin you were an angel to rescue that little kitty and you are so right that rescuing an animal makes them even more special. People may find this crackpot, but I firmly believe animals know when you save their lives. All my animals have been discarded by other people.

Thor that story is so heart-breaking. German Shepperds have sucha human-like quality about them. They are so intelligent and so cool. A guy in my apt complex has a GS puppy and I swear to God I would steal that damned dog if I got half the chance. He is so cool.

 

This is Suzy (and Tigger and Otis as a puppy)

 

Beautiful babies!

 

Thor: I'd want him to have something special too - I don't know what I'd do (other than cry like a baby) if that happened to me. Even with Bandit, after the fire we were told to go in and see what was salvageable - and in spite of being told he was in all probability dead, I left my sweater there on the couch for him, I don't know why.

I couldn't stand leaving the place because I felt like I was leaving him behind.

Thanks Bob, and thanks for sharing the picture of Suzy, Tigger, and Otis. My grandma used to have a dog like Suzy, they're beautiful dogs and very affectionate, I can't believe anyone could abandon such a sweet little thing.

I don't find it crackpot to think cat's know stuff like that - I know Daisy is very greatful - from being such an indepenent cat, she did everything on her own or with Bandit, she really didn't interact with us humans much - but she's been stuck to us like glue ever since the morning of the fire, she won't even sleep unless one of us is in the room. She parks her tush on my pillow and pretends to be a hat at night, she hasn't done that since she was a kitten. For sure, she knows.

 

Okay, you're all making me feel sad and miss my General Principle.

I saved her from death at the pound about 15 years ago. She was full grown then. Basset/?? mix. Good dog. My husband was traveling at the time. There were actually three dogs waiting to be put down and I took them all of course. We already had one dog, but we also had moved to a farm, so it didn't really matter. When my husband came home he asked what I was thinking to take them all. I said it was the general principle.

I was thinking about her all day as I was making dinner - General Tsao's Chicken. (I think turkey is too expected to be good.)

 

JIC - my sincere condolences for your loss of your dear friend. I too believe that animals that have been taken in "know" it. IMO, it makes perfect sense that creatures with the survival instincts animals have know that they have been rescued, and they show love and gratitude beyond what their human counterparts are capable of. We can all learn much from our dear pet friends.

Well, I don't think it was coincidence, but that's just me.

BobC, thank you for posting that picture. You brought back a memory of a dear friend. He was an artist who took in this little scraggly puppy and they loved each other so much. When people would ask him what kind of dog he was, he would say "brown". When he was trying to decide on a name he commented that his legs were so long that it reminded him of an elevator - and the name "Otis" was born LOL. What a nice memory of a dear sweet friend you gave me this morning

If there's something that can bring people together, it's the love of their pets, isn't it?

Little

 

Yes, Little! Sorry if this thread turned a little sad but that's part of life I suppose. I feel so honored to have had all my dogs, piggies, Kitties and sugar gliders.

 

Sorry to hear you too have just lost a pet you loved, Bob. It's amazing how they become a part of your life because they are always there for you when you come in the door. Hopefully further down the road, you may be able to
look after another little pet. What a rotten person to have dumped Suzy because of her pups. It was good of you to take her home when she was treated so badly by her previous owner. Maybe she wouldn't have had all those great years with you if you hadn't found her.

Just saw the photograph of your other dogs. Lovely! Thank goodness you do have the others to help you through your loss of Suzy.

 

Lovely story of Otis, Little.

 

I still have Otis, Ellie and Boo Boo in Austin, and I adopted a dog here in Lewisville as well. Her name is Bailey--she's an old bag of a dog who bit my producer's kid (not hard--she's arthritic and the kid was climbing on her). Bailey is about 10 Yo but acts more like 100.

 

Hi Little!!!

For sure they know it, going from being outside in the cold with nothing to eat and nobody to pet and cuddle with them to someone who rescues them and does all those things. What really angers me is people who think when they're sick of their animals that it's okay to just open the door and set them "free" - two winters ago we found a half frozen kitten in our driveway, we brought her in and she died later that night because she was so frozen.

I don't think it was coincidence either, it was total fate, and I can't see it having gone any other way - even if all 5 of them had been alive, I'd be one busy lady.

Aw, you should open up one of those pet sanctuaries - you're a darn saint, aren't you?

 

How sweet BobC! I might forget people sometime, but I somehow seem to remember every animal I come across, and I think it's amazing that they seem to remember me too. It seems it doesn't matter how long ago our paths crossed, they remember

I try to remember to carry doggy biscuits and kitty treats with me at all times. The beauty is, even if they are in a different coat pocket or I forget to replenish the ones I keep in my car, the dog or cat is sill happy to see me.

Although this thread might make us sad, it's because of a mutual respect and love. I still cry when I think about my beloved pets, or when I read about some poor animal being abused.

JIC - your kitty knew you loved her. That's something she never had before and was a wonderful gift that you gave her.

Thor - you took such wonderful care of your little gal. Not many animals get to see their 16th birthday. My wiener dog Max lived to be almost 17. I swear it's because he didn't want to miss a meal that he hung on for so long.

Ella, you have relayed some sweet stories of your kitty Jamie (?), and how he helped your young son to adjust to all the moving.

My father was raised on a farm, and although their animals were working animals, he had a deep respect for every one of them.

Maybe we are talking about the great uniter here?

Little

 

I'm thinking your food bill must be higher than mine when you go to the supermarket, Bob. You were lucky Bailey wasn't taken away from you. You can't be too popular with your producer now, can you?