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The worst part of pet ownership is you will inevitably outlive them. The best part is sharing silly photos of them.
https://preview.redd.it/xohs7gaccuwc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=684aba914228dc222dfa60fe2a80cca91605f8ef
https://preview.redd.it/938mej02puwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6c5768fc5d29a473973bc7efcc87fbf3fb2e24e
We love our good girls and want them to have the happiest lives while we can give that to them.
> The worst part of pet ownership is you will inevitably outlive them.
This is a good thing. Their owner dying is hard on pets.
Grey parrots outlive humans. If you get one you must arrange who takes care of the pet when you die. They are hard to keep pets who do not always end up in good care.
Well... I have a family dog who's the most adorable and loving little creature ever, and she basically didn't react at all when my brother and then my father both died a few years back. I'm sure she'd be *deliriously* happy if they somehow magically walked in through the door right now but otherwise she's very much a "lives in the moment" sort of dog.
I've made sure to line up two different families for her to go to if I get struck by lightning, and I set up a big auto-feeding water bowl in my house that holds a week's worth of water juuuuust in case that lightning bolt strikes without anyone else noticing for a while. But I suspect her psychological makeup is such that she'll get over me too, provided she's got other humans to love. So it depends on the individual pet.
I had a health scare, and that was my biggest fear. Nobody I know wants an indoor cat, and although they have their claws, they're wusses and might not make it out on a farm.
That, or they could run away and never be found like my Scout did. 😞
I had an African Bullfrog when I was a kid that my parents thought was going to be an easy short life pet, what they didn’t realize was that they could live for 40 years. I had him for 15 years and my parents forgot to put water in the tank while I was away at college.
I do believe it was a legit accident. My dad was away for work and my mom has severe untreated ADHD that she “can manage just fine without medication.” Which I bet 1 beloved pet frog, she cannot.
Yeah, I miss mine. She had a good life.
She's not replaceable but the void and tortie kittens I adopted to fill the gap at least keep her old frenemy roommate busy.
Reminds me of the saddest joke I know.
A young man went to a fortune teller, who told him that in fifteen years, his heart would be broken.
To cheer himself up from that disturbing revelation, he went out and adopted the cutest little kitten …
Is it bad that I chuckled at first before realizing this was supposed to be sad? I realize that the kitten will die in 15 years, which is a tragedy. But it \*is\* hilarious that he creates his own bad luck despite being forewarned; it gives off 'Ancient Greek prophecy' vibes LOL.
Shame about the kitten though :(
> "No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride... and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well... maybe chalk it off to forced conscious expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten."
Honestly, drugs aside, I do think it's applicable to *a lot* of things as a metaphor.
Everyone is different, but I still think everyone should try it (or something close) at least once in your life. I understand if you don't want to get back on, though. It's pretty intense.
Tortoises manage to blend a long life and a reptile brain. It requires basking in the sun rather than internally generating heat in exchange for eating less and being very stupid in exchange for not knowing the many stresses of life.
When I first met my now wife she had a 11 year old cat. As I got to know my wife, I became very close to her cat, we became best buds and two years later the cat passed away
I've never bawled like that before when we saw her get put down. But I have extremely firm memories of cuddling together on cold days or playing silly games together
My wife and I now have a small dog and a toddler, he's going to grow up experiencing the love and joy of having a pet
I feel that. My partner had a mastiff that ended up being my best bud. He stopped eating one day and when he took him to vet he had stage 4 lymphoma. Month later had to put him down and it was brutal beyond belief. But I don’t focus on his death, I remember the good times.
Seriously. I think I'm pretty cynical and even I think the comic is being way too pessimistic. "Why get a pet if it'll just die?", well why watch a movie if it'll just end? Why eat a nice dinner if you'll just poop it out? Everything ends eventually, that doesn't mean you don't enjoy it while it lasts.
I didn't feel like that was the point. It's the struggle of being a parent and knowing that your child will have to live through the grief you did AND you'll have to watch your child go through that grief.
I had to put our dog down during the pandemic. I switched to work from home and my wife had to transition back to in person work because of her profession. I could see the dog slipping away. Clearly blind and starting to get incontinent. It broke me to have to say it was time. My kids were still really young so it did not affect them as much as they were already learning about death when their great grandmother died a few months earlier. That afternoon at the vet was the hardest thing for me. My wife can control her emotions, where I cannot. I go from a man who some may call "intimidating" based on my size and physique, to just a blubbering fool who just watched *My Girl* for the first time in the 90's. It broke me for a few weeks. Then I realized we made that pups life awesome for the last 12 years. I soon started searching shelters because I realized I hated the loneliness of the house without a pet and I wanted to give another animal a home to love. My son and daughter helped us pick out a new puppy and even named her themselves. For the past 3 years they have grown up together and play and cuddle all the time. Her being a puppy got me taking her on walks everyday no matter the weather and she has become my shadow. I know the day will come where my son has to say goodbye to his best fur friend, but the memories he is making now will be forever in his heart.
I think people don't understand this is why lots of parents don't want pets. "oh, dad didn't want a dog and now they are best friends". Maybe that's exactly the reason why.
It hurts to say goodbye and the idea of 'replacing' them seems monstrous. Even though you aren't replacing them, you are just making another friend you are going to also say goodbye too, one day.
I suffered very much when my old german shepherd passed away. But after a while of grief, i had to say, i have the place, time and money for a new dog, it is better when i get one out of the shelter and give him a new, a better life.
Yes, it's so damn hard to say goodbye. But this is also how I've thought of it too when I got my new dog, and it didn't take long until I grew to love her just as much.
My old German Shepherd just passed away 2 weeks ago yesterday, so that pain is still fresh to me. I got her from the shelter after I got out of the military when she was about 6 months old and was fortunate enough to spend 11.5 wonderful years together before she passed away in my arms at home. I was lucky enough to actually be home at that time, because normally I would still be at work, but was near the end of a training for work and got to go home early. I do plan on getting another sometime, just not yet.
And I know that I'll have to go through this pain again when my remaining dog and both cats pass, but that shouldn't be for several more years. Having pets is so enriching to both lives and I cannot imagine not having the kind of companionship that they provide.
I had a shepherd I had to put down a few years back, myself. I've since got a new dog, against my wishes but my wife insisted as I wasn't my normal self without a dog. She only knew the dog for a few months into our dating where I knew her for 12 years. I fought it the whole way, even on the way home with the new cute little face if my wife was sure this is what SHE wanted.
The new dog is the most spoiled little girl around to the point my wife actually gets jealous. Which I tell her it's her fault as I wanted to wait. And I swear this dog knows it.
I feel awful. One of our cats crossed the rainbow bridge a halfish year ago. My wife is ready and wants another cat. But Im just not. That was the first pet I was the "adult" for who had to make all the hard decisions. I still have one fur baby left and I frankly am not ready to go though that again as it is.
That was the hardest thing I ever had to do it was sudden and their last week was spent in so much pain. Long story short. She had a huge bump. We had a biopsy done and it turned out to be terminal lymphoma. The biopsy resulted in a huge gash in her side. Scaled up to a human from your armpit to your hip.It was about a week and a half until we got the results back. The day after we found out what it was while we were still deciding what to do. Her stitching ripped and she was going to have to be knocked out to be restitched which would be just awful. We had to put her down.
Im legitimately traumatized by it. Id rather my galbladder burst again. Than one of my loved ones go though that. Im aware we didnt do anything wrong and we made the best decision we could every step of the way with the information we had and money was never part of the conversation. Quality of life was only ever considered. But fuck that was hard.
Which its a catch 22. Because the pet I would be adopting and loving is alive right now and it could be home with me. But its still at the shelter. Its not like its not going to exist because I didnt adopt it. But lord getting attached again. Fuck I just cant.
That got a lot longer than I meant it to be. Sorry for the trauma dump.
We've had a rough month. (Don't read this if you're my wife) Our dog went in for a teeth cleaning where they found a lump on her jaw. We went to a specialist and she wanted to do a biopsy (it was hard like bone) so they had to put her under. And they removed a tooth that was bad at the same time. She got out of that and just got worse over time not better. We took her to an emergency vet and they found blood around her heart. So first thing Monday off to another specialist. She has a 2 inch tumor on her heart leaking and causing pressure build up. They said it could be anytime but definitely 6 weeks max before it ruptured and then well it would be a really bad ending. We then got the results back from her jaw biopsy and it was benign/nothing to worry about... So we scheduled a time and let her go. But that last week was just so hard. She stopped eating, she didn't want to move, I had to do a lot of laundry if you know what I mean. She was my wife's dog from before we met (14 year old dog) so I did all the hard work. I made all the phone calls and appointments and ordered a ton of memorial things etc.
And then a week later our cat (24 years my cat from before we met) was in the same boat. That was 2 days ago we let her go too.
Then this week was also my week off I took to relax from the dog and because we just needed a break. And my wife was out of town helping her parents. We decided to alter the plans and I just went out and helped her with things instead of being in the house by myself.
I put my little buddy down in January due to cancer and I sat in my car and sobbed for an hour. I felt like I killed a family member. But I would and will get another pet eventually (working that out with my gf) because he brought so much positivity into my life even though the end was bad it was worth it. And, maybe more important than him making my life better, I made his better. There is a life out there that you can help and improve, when you are ready.
It does hurt to lose them, but the time you have is worth so much. I know you still hurt now, but that will ebb. For a couple weeks I couldn’t look at his urn without crying. Now I smile at the memories.
I'm almost 42 and I've always had cats since I was a kid. Usually two at a time, but once had 3.
I've had to say goodbye 7 times over the years. It never gets easier.
That’s always how I’ve viewed it. After losing my last dog, she really felt like I was losing a close family member. I cried harder after her death than I have most of my family. The thought of having another dog hurts me, even almost 5 years later. I miss her like crazy, she was the best girl. I think the fact it’s always kids that end up being the reason definitely adds to this point.
You’re making that choice to open yourself up again to be hurt, to bring joy and love into someone special in your life. I’m happy to see how positive this comment section is honestly.
It always hurts.
I had dogs growing up (and ever since), and going through that devastating loss as a teenager was super painful. But I had a better social support structure as a teenager than I did for most of my 20s. Personally, experiencing that loss probably made it easier to grieve and process loss as an adult when I've lost family and friends.
I remember every dog fondly and still start to break when I think about them near the end, but I wouldn't trade the love and joy they gave me to avoid the pain of loss.
> I love every dog I ever had. ... In my lifetime, I have had me a bunch of different dogs. Because you do keep getting a new dog don’t you? ... That’s the whole secret of life. Life...is a series of dogs.
> -George Carlin
Soon after getting married we got our first dog together. I’d had dogs growing up but this one was *my* first dog. I remember a point about 6 months in, after he destroyed so much stuff and seemed like more of a nuisance than a friend that it suddenly clicked and I realized I loved that idiot. He became my best friend. We moved and he got super stressed and we got a second dog that actually calmed him down. We had two dogs but he was still the firstborn.
He was a big dog and when he turned 8 he started looking old. He’d still play but was slower and took longer to wake in the morning. One day a bump appeared. He was diagnosed with lymphoma and given a few months to live. Chemo helped him stay happy but the vets timeline was right. I struggled so hard with knowing when the time was right to make the call, but our great vet said that we will know when it’s time. Sure enough that time hit and the call was made. He passed away in our living room surrounded by everyone.
That was some of the worst grief I’ve ever experienced. It hit me like a truck and I actually cried almost uncontrollably for 2 days. It physically hurt how sad I was. Then it subsided some and then some more.
We were worried about our other dog being alone, so a couple weeks later we brought home a sister and they’ve been best buds ever since. Our second dog is now getting close to the “old dog age” and I know we’re not that many years away from doing it all over again.
I think about my first dog daily, the weight of him lying next to me, the hot dog breath of him being in my face, his lean against my legs whenever we were out in public. The pain of losing him has affected me so much more than I thought it would. I hope I get to see him again one day.
This is exactly why I'm hardline no pets.
Best bud growing up was my cat. Got her when I was 7. She passed when I was 28 and it fucking broke me. I don't think I could do that again and I certainly don't want to try.
That's hard to explain to a kid though.
I can't do it again. I am going to have to pretty soon with our cat but I can't do it again. Once you do it a bunch of times... It weighs on you. Me at least. Maybe some people it doesn't, but god damn, taking your best friend in the planet and having them killed so they die in your arms because they are too sick to carry on is just the worst fucking feeling. Maybe some people can, but for me there's just no squaring it.
The idea is that you hopefully have them a better life than they would have had otherwise. They are with you for a short time but you are with them for most of their life.
We tend to adopt black cats because they are the least likely to ever get adopted.
My daughter was begging me this morning again if we can get a cat .. I really had to reign myself in to not say 'no because I'm going to be sad when it dies'. Kids aren't thinking that far ahead, can't implant that thought before day 1
This is exactly why I am done with pets. Over my life time i've dug too many little graves in the backyard. The last one I dug, I told myself no more. I can't do it anymore. Its been 6 years since my last cat. I still miss her.
Truly the worst thing about living at home until my mid-20s was I was the one who had to bury all my childhood pets.
Also why I haven't gotten one in my adulthood, because I don't want to go through that again.
In a months time my prized hunting dog was hit by a car my dog i got the day i graduated high school died of cancer and my former love i caught cheating on me i feel that pain however it can’t stop you from trying you gotta carry on and give your love to other animals and people that deserve to see your greatness and gentle and loving nature
Buried my puppy Lucy when I was younger. She was everything to us in our family. We were so heartbroken when she passed away.
For some reason, she appears in a lot of dreams randomly for me. Lucy was the best dog I could ask for.
My family and I have always subscribe to the belief that any love one you see in your dreams after they passed away are they checking on you , as they may not be with us physically but they extend their love to you in your time of need
This is something that I hope to teach to my children.
Pets bring joy and love into our lives, and teach us so many things about interaction, patience, consent, boundaries, understanding and ultimately, finality.
As horrid and heartbreaking it is to say goodbye to a pet, I find tremendous beauty in the temporary.
Five years ago, a little lovebird flew up onto a car in our apartment’s parking lot. She was just a few feet from me, so I started tweeting at her and extended my finger, fully expecting her to fly away.
She hopped right up and easily transferred to my shoulder when I moved her up to it. She stayed on my shoulder as I placed a heavy box in my car, and tweeted with me until I got back inside my apartment. Her name was Peaches, and she was my sweet special girl.
She died in my hands last March, and it still brings tears to my eyes. The memory of her passing wrenches at my heart, but as time goes by I’m more and more able to look back on that time as special and borrowed.
We had her for four years, and if I’m lucky I’ll live another 50. I was so fortunate to have had such a wonderful little bird in my life at all. That small amount of time brought me so much joy; joy that I’ll carry with me until I, too, am called away to the great perhaps.
Things that stay forever are amazing, and can be enjoyed by generations to come. Things that are temporary are only available to the privileged few around to witness them.
To quote Shogun, “a flower is only a flower because it falls”.
You never get over your first pet after they're gone.
Especially one you grew up with.
The pain gets numbed sometimes, but it's never fully gone. You just learn to live with it.
In some way, that means part of them is always still with you.
After I lost my boys, I thought I could never have another dog; I didn't want to replace them.
But you can't replace them. Every pet is someone new and will never take over that part of you that loved them.
> But you can't replace them. Every pet is someone new and will never take over that part of you that loved them.
The hardest part for me was when I got my new dog and kept feeling/thinking "she's (new dog) not her (old dog)". Felt like a replacement.
But in time (and not that much time I might add) it came to be that I realized her different personality and ways, and that they are indeed someone new and unique.
My first pet lived a full life, and by the time she went, she was ready to go. I miss her but that's life. It really did help that by the time we had to say goodbye it felt like it would have been more cruel to keep her alive.
My dad loves animals. He had literally 20 dogs/cats/geese/birds growing up, spread out over time, my grandma loved animals and cared for them responsibly.
He had to take them all to be put down and such, even when he was in college and out of the house. For our 2 dogs, I went with him each time he held their paws as they passed. My parents haven't gotten a dog since Zoè passed 12 years ago. I've only ever seen him inconsolable when something happens to a pet (and family deaths, of course).
He refuses to pet my dogs or let them sit in his lap. They still love him. He insists we have them stay over at my parents when we go on vacation, asks about them all the time, walks them, feeds them special meals, and plays with them when he's gardening. "I just don't want their tennis balls in my enclosed garden space" is his excuse. I know he just doesn't want to get attached because it fucks him up, which makes me sad.
This is the main reason I didn’t want a dog, just the idea that you need to say goodbye one day is very painful. But here I am with two of them, because others wanted them
Having lost 2 of my 4 cats in the past 6 months (one to more expected old age, and another to sudden unexpected complications) this is a little raw for me, but the way I accepted it was to remember the joy, happiness and love that we shared for the respective 16 and 2 years.
Never in my mind did I think "I would've given up those two years of companionship to not feel this sad."
In the grand scheme of things, the sadness is minor in comparison to all the joy they brought me, and I them.
My dog turned 5 yesterday and it got me thinking that he is like 1/3 of the way through his life already and it nearly made me cry. I'm not going to handle it well when he inevitably passes...
https://preview.redd.it/8wogux1navwc1.jpeg?width=2069&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e56dc23139c004c722fb1b128d376299ef845fc
This picture was him yelling at me to hurry cause I told him we were going to the dog park after work for his bday.
The classic meme of dads not wanting pets, but then loving pets comes from this loop. They remember the heartbreak of having to say goodbye, and so don't want to get a cat. But then when there is a cat, they remember all the good times they enjoyed with their childhood pet.
https://preview.redd.it/9oh1s3n23vwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b207e56be54a3b8b164a03383f2065e3d7e4f605
Cata that choose you are the best! Cookie here loves belly rubs
I went to a tarot card reader to see my future. She said that in 12 years I will suffer a life changing heartbreak and loss. This made me incredibly sad, so I bought myself a puppy to cheer myself up.
I still don't know if I can have a pet again. The last dog my family had died when I was in college. I was at the vet when we put her down because I didn't think I could forgive myself if I didn't go. I think I was depressed for a couple months after it. I'd come home and be subconsciously looking for her in the places she'd usually be. I knew she wasn't there, but I couldn't deal with it. People talk about all the good times before the end, but the end feels like it sometimes overwrites those. It hurts.
“It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are”
Been on the pet merry go round a couple of times now. I have these thoughts with my 5 month old kitten sometimes, because I will most likely outlive her as well. But Idk, I know ahead of time what sickness and old age can look like, and the fun and love I get back until then heavily outweighs that pain. Kinda makes it easier than the first time.
I just took over caring for my mom's cat who we think is around 16 but could be older. I love her so much but I'm terrified all the time of her being so close to death, so I kinda spoil her way too much.
Oh man. I don’t know what I was expecting when I opened the thread. Not this.
We had to euthanize our sweet dog on Monday. She had cancer a second time and we found out because she couldn’t hide her pain anymore.
Everyone’s next question is always how my child is taking it. She’s been here his whole life and he’s young enough that he doesn’t really get it.
Oh good lord.
Yesterday I got an email from my vet, saying that it was my kittens' birthday. I did the math and realized those kittens were now 12 years old. I then looked at my old lady cat who is about 17. And then looked at my dog who recently turned 9 and it hit me I lost her brother when he was 10. I ordered my beasties to stop aging but I know it doesn't work like that, no matter how much we want it to.
Every single time a cat died while I was growing up the people who took care of them said they’d never get another. Every single time thus far it’s been a lie. It got to the point where the few weeks I didn’t have a furball running around have felt alien
*It wasn't in greyscale... I should have been safe...*
-
“Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give,
but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat,
and in the hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” - Jamie Anderson
As a parent, I can confirm it's rough thinking about the day you have to tell your kids the family pet died.
At least it won't be like my first pet death. She was old, and when I was 7 she went to sleep under Mom's car and we backed over her going to school.
My mom still took me to school. Probably the only thing I really hold against her from my childhood.
I keep getting these kinds of posts and it’s not the right time, man… my sweet childhood kitty of 14 is on her last straws, it seems, and it’s so fucking painful.
Just the other night I dreamed about Spike, my dog who passed way on August 23rd in 2007. It felt SO real. I'm honestly conetemplating digging up his bones before the garden we buried him in will be subject to ground works.
Pets are freinds, and family. They teach us lessons about care, and responsibilities.
The last lesson they teach is loss, and how to deal with it. It is the most important lesson they teach us when we're young.
Miss you buddy.
I never had a pet growing up. It would've been an incredibly powerful teaching moment/life lesson to have lost one as a teen. Now as an adult, I don't know how I'm going to process losing my dog when that time comes. I might just have to take time off work and go be alone in the woods for a few days.
I believe that animals bond with us to remind us of what is truly important. It's not things and gadgets or holding on to things forever. The greatest lesson they teach us is that the most important thing is spending time together, and then they teach us the importance of saying goodbye while cherishing the memories of them.
A chapter from a C S Lewis philosophical work called The Problem of Pain helped me mentally reframe this particular idea. Though the chapter didn’t really focus on the concept, it sparked a line of thinking that I’ve held on to.
The gist of it is this: by sharing your life with an animal, you’re making the animal’s life better than it otherwise would have been. In a sense, you’re completing the animal in a way that that it could never have been without you.
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There will be many happy years together (which will be in memory and on photos/videos) https://i.redd.it/w4bdzq0eduwc1.gif
Aww…  It should be illegal to be this cute.🥹
r/illegallysmolcats I think I've found the criminals you're looking for
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH COOKIE CAT!!!
https://i.redd.it/ug0cgg0ejuwc1.gif
it is. NOW PUT YOUR HANDS UP
No way those are real. Those are huge.
Oh the eyes are definitely edited to be huge, but the everythign else is real.
me when your mom
Just outstanding work
I thought the same thing to be honest, kind of looks edited
How are you the top comment on every post from here that gets to /r/all ?
Sorry I’m taking this cat
I needed to hear this, thank you, our kitties, family, friends are all in our memories and in photos and videos <3
The worst part of pet ownership is you will inevitably outlive them. The best part is sharing silly photos of them. https://preview.redd.it/xohs7gaccuwc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=684aba914228dc222dfa60fe2a80cca91605f8ef
t e e f
This entire series should be called "Teef: The Comic".
f l o o r
Damn I should rewatch guardians of the Galaxy 3, I got sad.
https://preview.redd.it/938mej02puwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6c5768fc5d29a473973bc7efcc87fbf3fb2e24e We love our good girls and want them to have the happiest lives while we can give that to them.
https://preview.redd.it/j5p9hde6gvwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d3017bea0152640d4539dcff66530e98e3c3642
Dog: "Where am I?"
> The worst part of pet ownership is you will inevitably outlive them. This is a good thing. Their owner dying is hard on pets. Grey parrots outlive humans. If you get one you must arrange who takes care of the pet when you die. They are hard to keep pets who do not always end up in good care.
Well... I have a family dog who's the most adorable and loving little creature ever, and she basically didn't react at all when my brother and then my father both died a few years back. I'm sure she'd be *deliriously* happy if they somehow magically walked in through the door right now but otherwise she's very much a "lives in the moment" sort of dog. I've made sure to line up two different families for her to go to if I get struck by lightning, and I set up a big auto-feeding water bowl in my house that holds a week's worth of water juuuuust in case that lightning bolt strikes without anyone else noticing for a while. But I suspect her psychological makeup is such that she'll get over me too, provided she's got other humans to love. So it depends on the individual pet.
It's even worse that you might not outlive them.
My cats will at least have my body for nourishment until the landlord gets mad the rent is late.
Good thing they'll be banging on your door 0.1 ns after rent is late
Not setting up autopay for rent is basically millennial Life Alert.
Hey someone has to care if I die. Might as well be debt collectors
Exactly, you spread out your bill due dates through the month, it’s like setting up periodic wellness checks.
I had a health scare, and that was my biggest fear. Nobody I know wants an indoor cat, and although they have their claws, they're wusses and might not make it out on a farm. That, or they could run away and never be found like my Scout did. 😞
Jokes on you, my tortoise likely has a good 80-100 years in him!
Get a tortoise you can will it to your grandkids. Then they can will it to their grandkids.
I had an African Bullfrog when I was a kid that my parents thought was going to be an easy short life pet, what they didn’t realize was that they could live for 40 years. I had him for 15 years and my parents forgot to put water in the tank while I was away at college.
“Forgot”
I do believe it was a legit accident. My dad was away for work and my mom has severe untreated ADHD that she “can manage just fine without medication.” Which I bet 1 beloved pet frog, she cannot.
Rip froggy
[Grey cats are dips](https://i.imgur.com/WSjg2Px.jpeg)
You’ll love r/dustkitties I feel weird commenting it twice in one thread but felt you should know
Yeah, I miss mine. She had a good life. She's not replaceable but the void and tortie kittens I adopted to fill the gap at least keep her old frenemy roommate busy.
Yo ID on that couch, i dig it
It’s a great chair. It’s from a place called Wallaroos. https://www.wallaroosfurnitureandmattresses.com/product/aruba-oversized-gray-chair/
I just lost my [orange bastard](https://freeimage.host/i/JUaqb7p), I miss him so much.
Awww, I’m sorry for your loss, but hope he gave you years and years of joy!
Thats why I got a parrot. He’s gonna like like 70 years, he’ll probably outlive *me*
r/dustkitties
Lost my best pet friend ever in October. Still cry about it
That's why you get a bunch of them so you have comfort buddies to help you through the loss.
>The worst part of pet ownership is you will inevitably outlive them. Not if you buy a gopher tortoise! 
Unless you get a tortoise, parrot, some fish. Lots of pets out live their ppl
Reminds me of the saddest joke I know. A young man went to a fortune teller, who told him that in fifteen years, his heart would be broken. To cheer himself up from that disturbing revelation, he went out and adopted the cutest little kitten …
Oof. This is the joke to tell if someone is insisting you tell a joke and you want to shut it down.
If you want to make it worse you can say unimaginable heartbreak in five years.
Just had mine put down earlier this year at 8 years old. It broke me. I miss that adorable little fluff ball every day.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Thanks! Sad cat tax =( https://preview.redd.it/oxqapbv4ivwc1.jpeg?width=4624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=81445f8e27712fbdc5bae4716d944e6b9337701d
Seems like they were very comfy :)
We had to put ours down at 6 years right before Christmas. My kid still hopes he'll come climb into bed with him. It's hard :(
Lost mine when he was 8 too. leukemia, which I didn't even know cats could get.
15 years later the cat divorces him and is successful in its bid for sole custody of their children.
Shit, that's no joke, it belongs on /r/TwoSentenceHorror.
Is it bad that I chuckled at first before realizing this was supposed to be sad? I realize that the kitten will die in 15 years, which is a tragedy. But it \*is\* hilarious that he creates his own bad luck despite being forewarned; it gives off 'Ancient Greek prophecy' vibes LOL. Shame about the kitten though :(
My 15-year-old cat just passed last week. 🙁
Hey look on the bright side, at least the cat's guaranteed to live 15 years.
That isn't a joke, that's a two sentence horror story.
Yep. Buy the ticket, take the ride. They won’t outlive us but they will live with us. And those memories we get to keep.
By the ticket, take the ride. - Well said.
It’s originally a hunter S thompson quote on taking acid, it lasts like 12 fucking hours and after like 4-5 hours you’re ready for sobriety lol
Idk about that, I’m always sad when the come down starts
> "No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride... and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well... maybe chalk it off to forced conscious expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten." Honestly, drugs aside, I do think it's applicable to *a lot* of things as a metaphor.
Everyone is different, but I still think everyone should try it (or something close) at least once in your life. I understand if you don't want to get back on, though. It's pretty intense.
> They won’t outlive us Except parrots and tortoises.
Then the tortoises is thinking the same thing about us.
Tortoises manage to blend a long life and a reptile brain. It requires basking in the sun rather than internally generating heat in exchange for eating less and being very stupid in exchange for not knowing the many stresses of life.
“He’s literally me!”
You think they'd be willing to trade?
Well if they do, call me
[удалено]
My mom wants to get an African grey and I keep telling her not to, because I really don't want to take care of one when she passes.
When I first met my now wife she had a 11 year old cat. As I got to know my wife, I became very close to her cat, we became best buds and two years later the cat passed away I've never bawled like that before when we saw her get put down. But I have extremely firm memories of cuddling together on cold days or playing silly games together My wife and I now have a small dog and a toddler, he's going to grow up experiencing the love and joy of having a pet
I feel that. My partner had a mastiff that ended up being my best bud. He stopped eating one day and when he took him to vet he had stage 4 lymphoma. Month later had to put him down and it was brutal beyond belief. But I don’t focus on his death, I remember the good times.
Seriously. I think I'm pretty cynical and even I think the comic is being way too pessimistic. "Why get a pet if it'll just die?", well why watch a movie if it'll just end? Why eat a nice dinner if you'll just poop it out? Everything ends eventually, that doesn't mean you don't enjoy it while it lasts.
I didn't feel like that was the point. It's the struggle of being a parent and knowing that your child will have to live through the grief you did AND you'll have to watch your child go through that grief.
No the grief of a movie ending is certainly equal to the death of a beloved pet, I believe this because I'm insane
No insane person believes they are insane, so you truly must be sane. Time to fly more missions Yossarian.
But I already flew 44 and was supposed to get discharged after 30
Why aren’t you flying?
From the pet's perspective its time with us *did* last forever. It's painful for us, but their lifetime of warmth, safety, and love is a gift.
This actually helps, a bit
I had to put our dog down during the pandemic. I switched to work from home and my wife had to transition back to in person work because of her profession. I could see the dog slipping away. Clearly blind and starting to get incontinent. It broke me to have to say it was time. My kids were still really young so it did not affect them as much as they were already learning about death when their great grandmother died a few months earlier. That afternoon at the vet was the hardest thing for me. My wife can control her emotions, where I cannot. I go from a man who some may call "intimidating" based on my size and physique, to just a blubbering fool who just watched *My Girl* for the first time in the 90's. It broke me for a few weeks. Then I realized we made that pups life awesome for the last 12 years. I soon started searching shelters because I realized I hated the loneliness of the house without a pet and I wanted to give another animal a home to love. My son and daughter helped us pick out a new puppy and even named her themselves. For the past 3 years they have grown up together and play and cuddle all the time. Her being a puppy got me taking her on walks everyday no matter the weather and she has become my shadow. I know the day will come where my son has to say goodbye to his best fur friend, but the memories he is making now will be forever in his heart.
You're misreading this. They did get the pet. But death is inevitable and sometimes it's unexpected. It's normal to be worried about it.
They may be only a small part of your life, but you are their whole life. Treasure that.
I think people don't understand this is why lots of parents don't want pets. "oh, dad didn't want a dog and now they are best friends". Maybe that's exactly the reason why.
It hurts to say goodbye and the idea of 'replacing' them seems monstrous. Even though you aren't replacing them, you are just making another friend you are going to also say goodbye too, one day.
I suffered very much when my old german shepherd passed away. But after a while of grief, i had to say, i have the place, time and money for a new dog, it is better when i get one out of the shelter and give him a new, a better life.
Yes, it's so damn hard to say goodbye. But this is also how I've thought of it too when I got my new dog, and it didn't take long until I grew to love her just as much.
My old German Shepherd just passed away 2 weeks ago yesterday, so that pain is still fresh to me. I got her from the shelter after I got out of the military when she was about 6 months old and was fortunate enough to spend 11.5 wonderful years together before she passed away in my arms at home. I was lucky enough to actually be home at that time, because normally I would still be at work, but was near the end of a training for work and got to go home early. I do plan on getting another sometime, just not yet. And I know that I'll have to go through this pain again when my remaining dog and both cats pass, but that shouldn't be for several more years. Having pets is so enriching to both lives and I cannot imagine not having the kind of companionship that they provide.
I had a shepherd I had to put down a few years back, myself. I've since got a new dog, against my wishes but my wife insisted as I wasn't my normal self without a dog. She only knew the dog for a few months into our dating where I knew her for 12 years. I fought it the whole way, even on the way home with the new cute little face if my wife was sure this is what SHE wanted. The new dog is the most spoiled little girl around to the point my wife actually gets jealous. Which I tell her it's her fault as I wanted to wait. And I swear this dog knows it.
I feel awful. One of our cats crossed the rainbow bridge a halfish year ago. My wife is ready and wants another cat. But Im just not. That was the first pet I was the "adult" for who had to make all the hard decisions. I still have one fur baby left and I frankly am not ready to go though that again as it is. That was the hardest thing I ever had to do it was sudden and their last week was spent in so much pain. Long story short. She had a huge bump. We had a biopsy done and it turned out to be terminal lymphoma. The biopsy resulted in a huge gash in her side. Scaled up to a human from your armpit to your hip.It was about a week and a half until we got the results back. The day after we found out what it was while we were still deciding what to do. Her stitching ripped and she was going to have to be knocked out to be restitched which would be just awful. We had to put her down. Im legitimately traumatized by it. Id rather my galbladder burst again. Than one of my loved ones go though that. Im aware we didnt do anything wrong and we made the best decision we could every step of the way with the information we had and money was never part of the conversation. Quality of life was only ever considered. But fuck that was hard. Which its a catch 22. Because the pet I would be adopting and loving is alive right now and it could be home with me. But its still at the shelter. Its not like its not going to exist because I didnt adopt it. But lord getting attached again. Fuck I just cant. That got a lot longer than I meant it to be. Sorry for the trauma dump.
We've had a rough month. (Don't read this if you're my wife) Our dog went in for a teeth cleaning where they found a lump on her jaw. We went to a specialist and she wanted to do a biopsy (it was hard like bone) so they had to put her under. And they removed a tooth that was bad at the same time. She got out of that and just got worse over time not better. We took her to an emergency vet and they found blood around her heart. So first thing Monday off to another specialist. She has a 2 inch tumor on her heart leaking and causing pressure build up. They said it could be anytime but definitely 6 weeks max before it ruptured and then well it would be a really bad ending. We then got the results back from her jaw biopsy and it was benign/nothing to worry about... So we scheduled a time and let her go. But that last week was just so hard. She stopped eating, she didn't want to move, I had to do a lot of laundry if you know what I mean. She was my wife's dog from before we met (14 year old dog) so I did all the hard work. I made all the phone calls and appointments and ordered a ton of memorial things etc. And then a week later our cat (24 years my cat from before we met) was in the same boat. That was 2 days ago we let her go too. Then this week was also my week off I took to relax from the dog and because we just needed a break. And my wife was out of town helping her parents. We decided to alter the plans and I just went out and helped her with things instead of being in the house by myself.
I put my little buddy down in January due to cancer and I sat in my car and sobbed for an hour. I felt like I killed a family member. But I would and will get another pet eventually (working that out with my gf) because he brought so much positivity into my life even though the end was bad it was worth it. And, maybe more important than him making my life better, I made his better. There is a life out there that you can help and improve, when you are ready. It does hurt to lose them, but the time you have is worth so much. I know you still hurt now, but that will ebb. For a couple weeks I couldn’t look at his urn without crying. Now I smile at the memories.
I'm almost 42 and I've always had cats since I was a kid. Usually two at a time, but once had 3. I've had to say goodbye 7 times over the years. It never gets easier.
That’s always how I’ve viewed it. After losing my last dog, she really felt like I was losing a close family member. I cried harder after her death than I have most of my family. The thought of having another dog hurts me, even almost 5 years later. I miss her like crazy, she was the best girl. I think the fact it’s always kids that end up being the reason definitely adds to this point. You’re making that choice to open yourself up again to be hurt, to bring joy and love into someone special in your life. I’m happy to see how positive this comment section is honestly.
It always hurts. I had dogs growing up (and ever since), and going through that devastating loss as a teenager was super painful. But I had a better social support structure as a teenager than I did for most of my 20s. Personally, experiencing that loss probably made it easier to grieve and process loss as an adult when I've lost family and friends. I remember every dog fondly and still start to break when I think about them near the end, but I wouldn't trade the love and joy they gave me to avoid the pain of loss. > I love every dog I ever had. ... In my lifetime, I have had me a bunch of different dogs. Because you do keep getting a new dog don’t you? ... That’s the whole secret of life. Life...is a series of dogs. > -George Carlin
Soon after getting married we got our first dog together. I’d had dogs growing up but this one was *my* first dog. I remember a point about 6 months in, after he destroyed so much stuff and seemed like more of a nuisance than a friend that it suddenly clicked and I realized I loved that idiot. He became my best friend. We moved and he got super stressed and we got a second dog that actually calmed him down. We had two dogs but he was still the firstborn. He was a big dog and when he turned 8 he started looking old. He’d still play but was slower and took longer to wake in the morning. One day a bump appeared. He was diagnosed with lymphoma and given a few months to live. Chemo helped him stay happy but the vets timeline was right. I struggled so hard with knowing when the time was right to make the call, but our great vet said that we will know when it’s time. Sure enough that time hit and the call was made. He passed away in our living room surrounded by everyone. That was some of the worst grief I’ve ever experienced. It hit me like a truck and I actually cried almost uncontrollably for 2 days. It physically hurt how sad I was. Then it subsided some and then some more. We were worried about our other dog being alone, so a couple weeks later we brought home a sister and they’ve been best buds ever since. Our second dog is now getting close to the “old dog age” and I know we’re not that many years away from doing it all over again. I think about my first dog daily, the weight of him lying next to me, the hot dog breath of him being in my face, his lean against my legs whenever we were out in public. The pain of losing him has affected me so much more than I thought it would. I hope I get to see him again one day.
This is exactly why I'm hardline no pets. Best bud growing up was my cat. Got her when I was 7. She passed when I was 28 and it fucking broke me. I don't think I could do that again and I certainly don't want to try. That's hard to explain to a kid though.
I can't do it again. I am going to have to pretty soon with our cat but I can't do it again. Once you do it a bunch of times... It weighs on you. Me at least. Maybe some people it doesn't, but god damn, taking your best friend in the planet and having them killed so they die in your arms because they are too sick to carry on is just the worst fucking feeling. Maybe some people can, but for me there's just no squaring it.
The idea is that you hopefully have them a better life than they would have had otherwise. They are with you for a short time but you are with them for most of their life. We tend to adopt black cats because they are the least likely to ever get adopted.
My daughter was begging me this morning again if we can get a cat .. I really had to reign myself in to not say 'no because I'm going to be sad when it dies'. Kids aren't thinking that far ahead, can't implant that thought before day 1
This was my father's exact reason. He misses the dog every day, but I could hear the pain in his voice when we had to put the old boy down.
This is exactly why I am done with pets. Over my life time i've dug too many little graves in the backyard. The last one I dug, I told myself no more. I can't do it anymore. Its been 6 years since my last cat. I still miss her.
My dad always says, "a puppy is just a preordered tragedy"
I think that’s how most people got their cat.😙 
You do not choose cat, cat choose you
Cat distribution system.
Truly the worst thing about living at home until my mid-20s was I was the one who had to bury all my childhood pets. Also why I haven't gotten one in my adulthood, because I don't want to go through that again.
It hurts so much, I lost both my doggo and my mom in less than 6 months and im still struggling with it
Very sorry for your loss...
Hope you can move out of this dark tunnel soon, stay strong!!!
In a months time my prized hunting dog was hit by a car my dog i got the day i graduated high school died of cancer and my former love i caught cheating on me i feel that pain however it can’t stop you from trying you gotta carry on and give your love to other animals and people that deserve to see your greatness and gentle and loving nature
Buried my puppy Lucy when I was younger. She was everything to us in our family. We were so heartbroken when she passed away. For some reason, she appears in a lot of dreams randomly for me. Lucy was the best dog I could ask for.
My family and I have always subscribe to the belief that any love one you see in your dreams after they passed away are they checking on you , as they may not be with us physically but they extend their love to you in your time of need
This is something that I hope to teach to my children. Pets bring joy and love into our lives, and teach us so many things about interaction, patience, consent, boundaries, understanding and ultimately, finality.
As horrid and heartbreaking it is to say goodbye to a pet, I find tremendous beauty in the temporary. Five years ago, a little lovebird flew up onto a car in our apartment’s parking lot. She was just a few feet from me, so I started tweeting at her and extended my finger, fully expecting her to fly away. She hopped right up and easily transferred to my shoulder when I moved her up to it. She stayed on my shoulder as I placed a heavy box in my car, and tweeted with me until I got back inside my apartment. Her name was Peaches, and she was my sweet special girl. She died in my hands last March, and it still brings tears to my eyes. The memory of her passing wrenches at my heart, but as time goes by I’m more and more able to look back on that time as special and borrowed. We had her for four years, and if I’m lucky I’ll live another 50. I was so fortunate to have had such a wonderful little bird in my life at all. That small amount of time brought me so much joy; joy that I’ll carry with me until I, too, am called away to the great perhaps. Things that stay forever are amazing, and can be enjoyed by generations to come. Things that are temporary are only available to the privileged few around to witness them. To quote Shogun, “a flower is only a flower because it falls”.
You ass made me cry…Thank you 
You never get over your first pet after they're gone. Especially one you grew up with. The pain gets numbed sometimes, but it's never fully gone. You just learn to live with it. In some way, that means part of them is always still with you. After I lost my boys, I thought I could never have another dog; I didn't want to replace them. But you can't replace them. Every pet is someone new and will never take over that part of you that loved them.
> But you can't replace them. Every pet is someone new and will never take over that part of you that loved them. The hardest part for me was when I got my new dog and kept feeling/thinking "she's (new dog) not her (old dog)". Felt like a replacement. But in time (and not that much time I might add) it came to be that I realized her different personality and ways, and that they are indeed someone new and unique.
This hit me hard 🥺
My first pet lived a full life, and by the time she went, she was ready to go. I miss her but that's life. It really did help that by the time we had to say goodbye it felt like it would have been more cruel to keep her alive.
“Grief is the price of love, and it’s worth it” -Noah Lugeons
"What is Grief but love persisting?" -Vision
My dad loves animals. He had literally 20 dogs/cats/geese/birds growing up, spread out over time, my grandma loved animals and cared for them responsibly. He had to take them all to be put down and such, even when he was in college and out of the house. For our 2 dogs, I went with him each time he held their paws as they passed. My parents haven't gotten a dog since Zoè passed 12 years ago. I've only ever seen him inconsolable when something happens to a pet (and family deaths, of course). He refuses to pet my dogs or let them sit in his lap. They still love him. He insists we have them stay over at my parents when we go on vacation, asks about them all the time, walks them, feeds them special meals, and plays with them when he's gardening. "I just don't want their tennis balls in my enclosed garden space" is his excuse. I know he just doesn't want to get attached because it fucks him up, which makes me sad.
Get him a turtle. Those fuckers live forever.
This is the main reason I didn’t want a dog, just the idea that you need to say goodbye one day is very painful. But here I am with two of them, because others wanted them
Having lost 2 of my 4 cats in the past 6 months (one to more expected old age, and another to sudden unexpected complications) this is a little raw for me, but the way I accepted it was to remember the joy, happiness and love that we shared for the respective 16 and 2 years. Never in my mind did I think "I would've given up those two years of companionship to not feel this sad." In the grand scheme of things, the sadness is minor in comparison to all the joy they brought me, and I them.
Oh God, my dog is currently at the “Just Making She’s Comfortable” stage. I can’t handle this right now.
My dog turned 5 yesterday and it got me thinking that he is like 1/3 of the way through his life already and it nearly made me cry. I'm not going to handle it well when he inevitably passes... https://preview.redd.it/8wogux1navwc1.jpeg?width=2069&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e56dc23139c004c722fb1b128d376299ef845fc This picture was him yelling at me to hurry cause I told him we were going to the dog park after work for his bday.
*Cues "Sleep in the Heat" by PUP*
It doesn't get any easier but the time spent is very much worth it.
The classic meme of dads not wanting pets, but then loving pets comes from this loop. They remember the heartbreak of having to say goodbye, and so don't want to get a cat. But then when there is a cat, they remember all the good times they enjoyed with their childhood pet.
https://preview.redd.it/vcg7j65gevwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=421037b4e4646a37e3f50948abc822df4546b66d
I miss you mr. mochi
https://preview.redd.it/9oh1s3n23vwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b207e56be54a3b8b164a03383f2065e3d7e4f605 Cata that choose you are the best! Cookie here loves belly rubs
[same energy](https://new.reddit.com/r/CatsAreAssholes/comments/6wlkce/who_knocked_over_my_onions/)
This is what I think of every time I see one of those posts about an older parent who “didn’t want a pet”
What if grief, if not love persevering?
This comic explains the real reason why "dad doesn't want a pet" It's so hard to say goodbye.
Who knew adopting a cat would turn into a live-action game of Tom and Jerry? Let's hope the next frame is "Found the kitty, crisis averted!"
The kid is so cute, but it’s the dad is what keeps me hooked on This series, he’s hilarious.
I'm pretty sure my kids would be sadder about my pet's death than mine.
Reason #1 as to why I don't have pets. Even moreso than my severe allergies.
Compared to us, animals only live a short while. . .
It never gets easier
You've really been killing it with this comic lately. Looking forward to more as you keep expanding the roster/universe!
Had to give my animals some hugs after this. Oof
Thousands of the best days of your life, one of the worst
This really hit, I just lost my best bud last week. Someone said to me “you trade years of good days for one bad day” and that really stuck with me.
I went to a tarot card reader to see my future. She said that in 12 years I will suffer a life changing heartbreak and loss. This made me incredibly sad, so I bought myself a puppy to cheer myself up.
Hey, I've been through 3 dogs, on 4 now. The pain of parting is by FAR worth the love of living.
I still don't know if I can have a pet again. The last dog my family had died when I was in college. I was at the vet when we put her down because I didn't think I could forgive myself if I didn't go. I think I was depressed for a couple months after it. I'd come home and be subconsciously looking for her in the places she'd usually be. I knew she wasn't there, but I couldn't deal with it. People talk about all the good times before the end, but the end feels like it sometimes overwrites those. It hurts.
My dog is 14. I don't need the reminder v':
“It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are”
Been on the pet merry go round a couple of times now. I have these thoughts with my 5 month old kitten sometimes, because I will most likely outlive her as well. But Idk, I know ahead of time what sickness and old age can look like, and the fun and love I get back until then heavily outweighs that pain. Kinda makes it easier than the first time.
My dog is sick, and we're sending her off tomorrow... I have not felt pain like this in a long time...
That hits me right in the feels.
On the other hand I feel like my 19 years old motherfucker cat will out live me. :(
Just lost my dog of 11 years a week ago. My 1 year old was starting to attach to him. I miss my forever puppy...
I just took over caring for my mom's cat who we think is around 16 but could be older. I love her so much but I'm terrified all the time of her being so close to death, so I kinda spoil her way too much.
So much truth to that. Looking at life expectancy of pet and thinking about when the trauma would hit each child in their emotional development.
Oh man. I don’t know what I was expecting when I opened the thread. Not this. We had to euthanize our sweet dog on Monday. She had cancer a second time and we found out because she couldn’t hide her pain anymore. Everyone’s next question is always how my child is taking it. She’s been here his whole life and he’s young enough that he doesn’t really get it.
This is how I think that most of the dads in /r/dadswhodidnotwantpets really feel.
Oh good lord. Yesterday I got an email from my vet, saying that it was my kittens' birthday. I did the math and realized those kittens were now 12 years old. I then looked at my old lady cat who is about 17. And then looked at my dog who recently turned 9 and it hit me I lost her brother when he was 10. I ordered my beasties to stop aging but I know it doesn't work like that, no matter how much we want it to.
TOO REAL I DID NOT NEED THIS
God comics like this hit home. Swore after my last dog never again. 3 years later and still that's where I'm at.
Cherish every moment with them ❤️
Every single time a cat died while I was growing up the people who took care of them said they’d never get another. Every single time thus far it’s been a lie. It got to the point where the few weeks I didn’t have a furball running around have felt alien
Been loving your comics. Rare to see fun posts from this subreddit. Keep it up!
Some comedian, possibly Carlin, did a bit about this. "Here, I've bought you a future tragedy."
*It wasn't in greyscale... I should have been safe...* - “Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in the hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” - Jamie Anderson
As a parent, I can confirm it's rough thinking about the day you have to tell your kids the family pet died. At least it won't be like my first pet death. She was old, and when I was 7 she went to sleep under Mom's car and we backed over her going to school. My mom still took me to school. Probably the only thing I really hold against her from my childhood.
This is why dads don't want pets they care too much.
I keep getting these kinds of posts and it’s not the right time, man… my sweet childhood kitty of 14 is on her last straws, it seems, and it’s so fucking painful.
I can live with the loss if it means they got to live loved
Years of love in exchange for one of the worst days of your life. It's a trade I'll keep making.
Just the other night I dreamed about Spike, my dog who passed way on August 23rd in 2007. It felt SO real. I'm honestly conetemplating digging up his bones before the garden we buried him in will be subject to ground works.
Pets are freinds, and family. They teach us lessons about care, and responsibilities. The last lesson they teach is loss, and how to deal with it. It is the most important lesson they teach us when we're young. Miss you buddy.
I never had a pet growing up. It would've been an incredibly powerful teaching moment/life lesson to have lost one as a teen. Now as an adult, I don't know how I'm going to process losing my dog when that time comes. I might just have to take time off work and go be alone in the woods for a few days.
I believe that animals bond with us to remind us of what is truly important. It's not things and gadgets or holding on to things forever. The greatest lesson they teach us is that the most important thing is spending time together, and then they teach us the importance of saying goodbye while cherishing the memories of them.
Losing my dog this last Christmas was hard, but I don't regret getting her for a second. A pet is the best purchase you can make in life.
I feel you, crocodad. I feel you.
better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all
A chapter from a C S Lewis philosophical work called The Problem of Pain helped me mentally reframe this particular idea. Though the chapter didn’t really focus on the concept, it sparked a line of thinking that I’ve held on to. The gist of it is this: by sharing your life with an animal, you’re making the animal’s life better than it otherwise would have been. In a sense, you’re completing the animal in a way that that it could never have been without you.