Time Marches On
16 April 2025, 07:50 AM Filed in: Thoughts
I just looked back to see when I last wrote a post here and was shocked it was so long ago. Where did the time go? I also looked at my list of topics I had planned on writing about here. Seeing the list inspired me to write about something a little more serious. Don’t worry, though. I will try my best not to get too sappy or sad.
Today I want to talk about losing a pet. We’ve all been there. We all hate it. As pet owners, it’s one the hardest things we face.
I stated in an earlier post that I have a small zoo at home. Because I married a pet-loving person and I love them as well, we have had a zoo of some kind for many years. That translates into going through the pain of losing them very often.
While 2023 was a fun year for many reasons (a family cruise and seeing a favorite singer in two different cities), it was filled with a good amount of losing pets-five in total. In March, we said goodbye to our sweet little Chihuahua , Elsa. She had spent a few years with limited mobility and in the middle of the month, her spark for life was gone.
We were good for a few months. July started with us finding our cat Matilda (who was found here by the pool many years ago), acting very listless and feeling cool to the touch. My wife, Jennifer, took her to the emergency clinic to find out Matilda had some type of mass and there really weren’t any options except saying goodbye.
In August, we said goodbye to Wilbur, another cat that was found here in the bushes as a kitten. He had been diabetic for nearly a year and was acting like he was having a hypoglycemic episode. However, it turned out he had blood clots in his head. He hadn't shown any issues so it was a little bit of a shock to us.
In September, Josie, the sweet old dog I mentioned in my last post, decided that at 18, she was tired. Josie was a joy to have around. We’re glad we were able to give her the best life ever for the last two years.
In October, we lost our amazing girl Penny. We had Penny since she was about 5 months old. She was about 17 1/2 years old. Penny’s appetite started to wane. And she wasn’t as peppy as she always was before. One evening, after not eating for over 24 hours, she had respiratory distress. I was the one who got to hold her as she left this world.
You may have noticed that we lost a pet every month for four months. It was incredibly tough. I am not kidding when I say as November passed, I was worried. At the close of November, I breathed a sigh of relief that we got through a month without losing one of our beloved furry kids.
Our household is pretty busy with the comings and goings of three teenagers, my wife, and I. However, when we lose a pet it is very noticeable. For example, we lost our little Chihuahua Olaf this past February. When ushering the dogs outside, I often have said, “Come on ladies and gent.” Now I just say ladies since Olaf was the only boy.
One of the things I love about dogs and cats is they are all so different. We will never have the exact same experience twice-it’s an on-going adventure! Even if you had two different Labradors at two different times, each dog will have its own personality. It makes it easier to keep going.
Our losses in 2023 were huge, but there were rainbows as well. Matilda the cat was really fond of Jennifer and would sleep on her pillow each night. When we lost Matilda, Jennifer, missed her so much, she started thinking of adopting another kitty right away. Long story short, we adopted a wonderful calico from the San Pedro shelter. She was an owner surrender because she was pregnant. We named her Willow and she is so full of personality! She shares many traits with Sulley, a kitty we lost in 2019. But she’s her own sweet self.
In September, between losing Josie and Penny, we met a litter of kittens that were abandoned during Tropical Storm Hilary. A co-worker of Jennifer’s found them and bottle fed them. Jennifer fell in love with an orange Tabby male but when she went to bring him home, she decided we also needed one of his sisters. Emmet and Lucy have been such a fun, crazy addition to our zoo. They love to run and chase each other. We have vinyl flooring, so often they run and slide. They have provided hours of entertainment! Emmet (left) and Willow (right) are trying to share a bed together in the picture above!
I have met many people over the years that never get a new pet after they lose one, citing it is just too difficult to lose them. As of right now, I doubt I’ll ever be in that group. I hate to say goodbye, but I also hate to be without a cat that cuddles up next to me or a dog that greets me with a wet kiss when I get home. The joy they bring me is so much more than the pain of losing them.
Today I want to talk about losing a pet. We’ve all been there. We all hate it. As pet owners, it’s one the hardest things we face.
I stated in an earlier post that I have a small zoo at home. Because I married a pet-loving person and I love them as well, we have had a zoo of some kind for many years. That translates into going through the pain of losing them very often.
While 2023 was a fun year for many reasons (a family cruise and seeing a favorite singer in two different cities), it was filled with a good amount of losing pets-five in total. In March, we said goodbye to our sweet little Chihuahua , Elsa. She had spent a few years with limited mobility and in the middle of the month, her spark for life was gone.
We were good for a few months. July started with us finding our cat Matilda (who was found here by the pool many years ago), acting very listless and feeling cool to the touch. My wife, Jennifer, took her to the emergency clinic to find out Matilda had some type of mass and there really weren’t any options except saying goodbye.
In August, we said goodbye to Wilbur, another cat that was found here in the bushes as a kitten. He had been diabetic for nearly a year and was acting like he was having a hypoglycemic episode. However, it turned out he had blood clots in his head. He hadn't shown any issues so it was a little bit of a shock to us.
In September, Josie, the sweet old dog I mentioned in my last post, decided that at 18, she was tired. Josie was a joy to have around. We’re glad we were able to give her the best life ever for the last two years.
In October, we lost our amazing girl Penny. We had Penny since she was about 5 months old. She was about 17 1/2 years old. Penny’s appetite started to wane. And she wasn’t as peppy as she always was before. One evening, after not eating for over 24 hours, she had respiratory distress. I was the one who got to hold her as she left this world.
You may have noticed that we lost a pet every month for four months. It was incredibly tough. I am not kidding when I say as November passed, I was worried. At the close of November, I breathed a sigh of relief that we got through a month without losing one of our beloved furry kids.
Our household is pretty busy with the comings and goings of three teenagers, my wife, and I. However, when we lose a pet it is very noticeable. For example, we lost our little Chihuahua Olaf this past February. When ushering the dogs outside, I often have said, “Come on ladies and gent.” Now I just say ladies since Olaf was the only boy.
One of the things I love about dogs and cats is they are all so different. We will never have the exact same experience twice-it’s an on-going adventure! Even if you had two different Labradors at two different times, each dog will have its own personality. It makes it easier to keep going.
Our losses in 2023 were huge, but there were rainbows as well. Matilda the cat was really fond of Jennifer and would sleep on her pillow each night. When we lost Matilda, Jennifer, missed her so much, she started thinking of adopting another kitty right away. Long story short, we adopted a wonderful calico from the San Pedro shelter. She was an owner surrender because she was pregnant. We named her Willow and she is so full of personality! She shares many traits with Sulley, a kitty we lost in 2019. But she’s her own sweet self.
In September, between losing Josie and Penny, we met a litter of kittens that were abandoned during Tropical Storm Hilary. A co-worker of Jennifer’s found them and bottle fed them. Jennifer fell in love with an orange Tabby male but when she went to bring him home, she decided we also needed one of his sisters. Emmet and Lucy have been such a fun, crazy addition to our zoo. They love to run and chase each other. We have vinyl flooring, so often they run and slide. They have provided hours of entertainment! Emmet (left) and Willow (right) are trying to share a bed together in the picture above!
I have met many people over the years that never get a new pet after they lose one, citing it is just too difficult to lose them. As of right now, I doubt I’ll ever be in that group. I hate to say goodbye, but I also hate to be without a cat that cuddles up next to me or a dog that greets me with a wet kiss when I get home. The joy they bring me is so much more than the pain of losing them.
