Sitting with a cup of coffee. (coffee lovers)

[perchie.girl]

Maybe you need ....... COFFEE.....

 

[saltandpepper2]

That made me laugh so hard.

 

[duluthralphie]

Maybe you need ....... COFFEE.....

I always need coffee.. I only had 8 cups today, so I am running low.

 

[chickendreams24]

@chickisoup So sorry for the time you've been having and for your loss. Last year was a rough one for my family and friends pet's. All told four animals were diagnosed with and lost their battles with cancer, the first one was my 15 year old cat Cassie, we missed her cancer completely because we were battling hyperthyroidism. That moment is one I'll never forget when our wonderful vet told us that her thyroid levels were finally normal but that she was continuing to lose weight and there was a mass in her abdomen. We brought her home and went to the store. We bought everything we could to try to give her a couple good weeks, but three days later her system began shutting down and we had to make that choice for her. She spent the morning outside with me in the sun and the grass (last summer) and then we went and she fell asleep in my arms while my phone played "Into the West" from The Lord of the Rings in the background because I was sobbing too hard to sing it for her. She always loved music and to hear me sing. That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do and less than a month later I went back with my Mom, Aunt and Grandparents to put my Grandma's sheltie down who also had cancer. She was like my dog before I had a dog and we lived with them for over 4 years. We also had an outdoor cat that had cancer in December, and my best friends' family lost a German Shepherd, named Willow too. I'm sorry if this upsets you or makes it harder. I'm here if you want to talk or share pictures and stories. They're not just cats, or dogs, horses, or even just chickens... I think we all know and feel that here to varying degrees. My Cassie, well, she was the sweetest kitty I ever knew and probably will ever know, she was the last of a line descended from the original barn cats from my grandparents' farm, my brothers and I each picked a kitten when we were 3, 6, and 8(I am the youngest.) More importantly Cassie was my peace and my hope, my confidant and a piece of my childhood brought with after my parents divorced and we were forced to move, with a promise from the new owners to care for the cats. The last litter born on the farm before the cats were fixed we chose two kittens to keep. I was never quite sure if I were more her mother or she mine. God Bless you and give you peace. I still find myself waking up searching for her in the dark and I still miss her with all of my heart. But after working at a locally owned no kill shelter for two years I know that there are worse fates than falling to sleep loved beyond comprehension. I also feel down to my very heart that someday God will reunite us, He can do all things and He knows how much I long to hear her chainsaw-loud purr again. Have you heard the rainbow bridge poems? This is my Cassie:

her peaceful last day. Before she was sick.

Chickendreams24 - Thank you so much, that was so very sweet. I am sorry that you know too well where I have been. I have read the rainbow poems and I own the "I will see you in heaven" book that was written by a priest. The worst for me was we were not able to bury her next to best buddy under our big White Pine because we just didn't know how sick she was until it was just too late to be able to dig the grave. I think that hurts the worst, that we couldn't physically bring her home but I know she is here. Thank you again for caring and I'm so sorry for your loss (and your mom's too) Mizia Her name is Polish for "too snuggle or cuddle". Doing her favorite thing in the world, following me around the herb garden.

@chickisoup Thank you. For the hugs and, well, for everything you said. I'm sorry you didn't get to bring your girl home. We had Cassie cremated and I have a box of her ashes. I thought it would be weird but being able to kiss that box and tell her I love her means the world to me on bad days. I have thought of burying the box but I just couldn't do it. Maybe in the future when the pain isn't so fresh. I'm sure you like I are so glad you got to know your girl and I believe with all my heart that they are still loving us and wanting us to open our hearts and share that special love with others both two and four legged. Thank you for mentioning the book I will have to look it up. wishing you peace and love. Idk if you have more than the one kitty but I urge you to keep your heart open and love another kitty when you are ready. I had a two week old kitten I was bottle raising when we lost Cassie, and while Luna was an orphan I got at a day old when her Mom and litter got hit by a lawnmower, she will of course never be Cassie. In those awful first days(after the first 24 hours when I was in no shape to care for her) I threw myself into her care and in those moments when I lost it and sobbed like a child I would sputter out Cassie's name or just say I wanted my "maow"(how Cassie's meow sounded) I would hold Luna and know that Cassie got to meet her and that Cassie would want me to love, BC that's what Cassie was all about. Our home is by no means empty including little Luna we have 5 cats(4 of which were bottle babies), and 3 dogs. They're as much a part of our family as anyone.

 

[chickisoup]

@chickisoup

Thank you. For the hugs and, well, for everything you said. I'm sorry you didn't get to bring your girl home. We had Cassie cremated and I have a box of her ashes. I thought it would be weird but being able to kiss that box and tell her I love her means the world to me on bad days. I have thought of burying the box but I just couldn't do it. Maybe in the future when the pain isn't so fresh. I'm sure you like I are so glad you got to know your girl and I believe with all my heart that they are still loving us and wanting us to open our hearts and share that special love with others both two and four legged.

Thank you for mentioning the book I will have to look it up.

wishing you peace and love. Idk if you have more than the one kitty but I urge you to keep your heart open and love another kitty when you are ready. I had a two week old kitten I was bottle raising when we lost Cassie, and while Luna was an orphan I got at a day old when her Mom and litter got hit by a lawnmower, she will of course never be Cassie. In those awful first days(after the first 24 hours when I was in no shape to care for her) I threw myself into her care and in those moments when I lost it and sobbed like a child I would sputter out Cassie's name or just say I wanted my "maow"(how Cassie's meow sounded) I would hold Luna and know that Cassie got to meet her and that Cassie would want me to love, BC that's what Cassie was all about.

Our home is by no means empty including little Luna we have 5 cats(4 of which were bottle babies), and 3 dogs. They're as much a part of our family as anyone.

There's no other kitty (yet). Hubby says no more cats. I replied " I'm not planning on it " however I know he heard the "BUT" in my voice and he's learned what that means. We gave all the special bags/cans of cat food we had bought trying to help her to our local Humane society but I quietly stored away all the other "kitty" things but Just as the Lord put me in the place just at the time I needed to be to rescue her, He will do the same again in His time for that one special animal that needs just what we have to offer. Who knows? Since I do have some vet training and even worked as a tech for a short time and have worked with/rescued all kinds of critters, (before I met DH) next time it may not be a kitty at all since we have so much room. DH really has no clue what the Lord might really "bless" us with. My poor hubby.

 

[chickendreams24]

Lol well you're gunna think I'm nuts but I can relate to poor dear Hubby or in my case DH2B lol tonight he proved once and for all that he loves me despite my insanity. With 5 cats in the house the last several cold spells with windchills down to -30/-40 have driven field mice into the house courtesy of an old old house with a limestone foundation. Well the cats caught one tonight and started a game of mouse hockey in the kitchen. That poor little bewildered mouse had no clue what he'd gotten himself into. Cassie was our grand mouser, in her younger days (10/11 years) she caught nine move in one night after we moved back to a house that had been vacant for 7 months, our remaining kitties are not as practiced and didn't have mothers to teach them. We only have two kitties currently that have even ever caught a mouse, one of which is emotionally scarred after my brother tried to take her(his cat) to live with him but his wife got a crazy dog and wasn't very nice to her to begin with. Needless to say we took her back and my sister in law got an earful, I don't care who you are animal abuse doesn't slide with me, I could have hit her. My brother was in the army and had no clue what was going on when be was away. Pepper has never been the same since, she's some better now but she'll never be the same. Anyway refocus sorry...
So four cats batting this mouse around the floor and Luna who has no mouse experience keeps grabbing it wrong for instance by a leg. She's holding it ever so gently though BC this new toy is awesome and she doesn't want to break it. Lol I should laugh but I just keep picturing this little drooly mouse hanging from her mouth. She was crazy lol wouldn't let us take her "toy". Finally she picked it up and shook it(we were hoping she or one of the other two would end it but after a while is when we decided it should be taken away so it didn't suffer. Mind you we think this mouse gas been trapped by the cats for three days under the couch in the living room, avoiding our traps no doubt going, "what the heck did I get myself into?!"

Okay finally Luna grabs it and shakes/tosses it right onto the kitchen counter. At this point we(aka me) cover it with a glass and decide it's been tortured and after everything is unscathed and it deserves a chance so we take it to an area by a creek a couple miles away that is wooded and drop it off. Yes I'm crazy but I have a lot of respect for that little mouse after what he went through. It just felt wrong to kill him after that.

 

[chickisoup]

I agree

I would have rescued the poor thing as well and "relocated" it tho after all that I am not sure it would have wanted to return anyway.

 

[perchie.girl]

Mouse relocator here
also:
Spider
scorpion
snake (yep rattlers too)

All within parameters that keep me safe. If it isnt safe Its dispatched.

 

[chickendreams24]

ROFL well I almost never feel safe with spiders involved. I blame my mother for my phobia when I was 9-10 I saw her best herself with a hanger BC she had a spider on her shoulder, before that I was not afraid of them. I have relocated spiders before but I do have size and type restrictions. Lol

Also I'm very glad I'm not the only mouse relocation expert lol and no I don't think that little field mouse will ever ever go in a house again. Besides according to my DH2B I dropped the little guy off with a lifetime supply of food.... Okay I admit I gave him a hard-boiled egg and a cup of chick feed, but let's face it as we think he spent three days hiding from the cats under the couch with no food and no water I'm sure he was starving. When I let him out of the container he was in he didn't want out he didn't even run just looked up at me like you're not gunna let them eat me? Then he got down and started eating chick feed. made me feel good. I mean only one of God's creatures could go through that and still not be terrified or hate you.

We don't have scorpions but we do have snakes and relocate them thankfully though the only rattler I've ever come across(was in our shed- in an open box at eye level) left on its own after I panicked and ran from the shed upon realizing what it was. My Mom collects little wind up toys and that was the box it was in, so when I bumped it I thought I had turned on a toy and promptly gave the box a few smacks trying to turn it off before standing on my tip toes to look over the edge. I was very lucky that day.

I have nothing against mice or snakes in their proper environment I do admit though that I don't care for rats. I've only ever seen one wild one in an ex boyfriend's house. Yuck. I also rescue toads and worms. Last summer every night I had to pull two toads out of the chicken run. I guess they thought it was a pretty nice place, I thought it was a death sentence, but I never saw the chickens pay them any mind.

 

[duluthralphie]

Mouse relocator here
also:
Spider
scorpion
snake (yep rattlers too)

All within parameters that keep me safe. If it isnt safe Its dispatched.

I prefer to help mice go to Mousey Heaven.

I am neutral on spiders and I let every scorpion I see up here walk away unscathed...


But if you want to talk about things that scare people, put bats on the list!


I was bitten by a rabid bat when I was 16 and had to endure the 21 shots in the belly. I was so sick I cannot believe rabies could have been a lot worse..

And back then my belly was about 1/10 the size it is today so the whole thing was bruised from the injections. The injections back then were no fun, they would put the needle in and squeeze half the serum into my belly. They would leave the needle in for a half hour and squirt the rest in. The whole time a nurse sat there and watched me with another needle in the ready in case I reacted to the first needle.

After they emptied the needle I had to sit and wait, with the grumpy old nurse for another half hour..

So I hate grumpy old nurse ( she must have been all of 35.) and bats of any age.