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I said goodbye to our little "Frannie" this mornig....

Navy Chief

Navy Chief

Senior Member
I said goodbye to our little "Frannie" this mornig....

My wife and I used to be involved in animal rescue (cats, mostly) a few years ago. One of the first cats we saved was feral, and was living under a used car sales building. We named her "Frannie". She was quite wary of us for some time, but after a while, she "adopted" us too. Frannie always loved being outside, and I suppose that was her feral nature. But there were times she craved attention, which we surely provided.

A few weeks ago, Frannie got sick. We had known for a long time that she was predisposed to symptoms associated with feline leukemia, yet the tests came back negative. Whatever the reason, she simply quit eating much at all. Her weight dropped drastically, and she became dehydrated. My wife and I did manage to get Frannie rehydrated, and she did eat a little. But this morning I couldn't stand it any longer. Frannie was so thin and weak, she could barely walk. It was time.

I took her to the vet at 9 this morning. I was ok until they brought the euthanasia paperwork for me to sign, and then I lost it. I know Frannie is better off, but it's never easy to lose a friend. We have so many of them, and love them all. I held Frannie's head when the process began. She went quietly and quickly, thankfully.

A couple weeks ago, a friend sent me the Pet's Ten Commandments. It was this that convinced me to be there for Frannie, rather than just hand her to the vet:

A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS . . .
1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters

Goodbye Frannie. We miss you.

Navy Chief
 
I know how painful it can be, and I feel for you. I'm sure Frannie had the very best of lives, and you can't ask for more than that.


Mike
 
I'm sorry to hear this sir. Having a few cats in our household I know that it's always hard to see one of the family members pass away. May she be a bright shining star in your memories.

Kudos to the animal rescue work you two or doing or have done in the past!:applause:
 
NC, the Ten Commandments brought tears to my eyes. Thanks, my furry friends mean even more to me. My heartfelt condolences to you for the loss of Frannie, your family member.

Bob
 
I am sorry for your loss NC. They are like kids to us. Family... I feel your pain.


May she rest in peace and may you all meet again in the future.


There is a website called rainbow heaven or something close to that, and its for people who have lost loved ones (pets).


One of the most worst things that have happened to me in years was losing Katya.
 
i'm not really a cat guy, but that still tears my heart. there are 2 dogs gone for a year now that i miss terribly. funny thing was, i didn't know i loved them so much till they were gone, you know what i mean? i knew i loved them, but i wasn't ready to lose them.
 
I am very sorry about you cat. I know hard it is to put a pet to sleep, I have had to do it three times and each time it was painful. Thanks for the the Pet's Ten Commandments, I will keep them in mind during these last years pf my dog's life (she is 13).
 
Navychief

My deepest sympathies to you and your wife. Losing a cherished fur kid hurts deeply and it is amazing how long that hurt can last. The dog in my avatar is Spud, a Basenji/Jack Russell mix who claimed me as his daddy one day in a really crappy pet store. I simply patted him on the head as I walked by him in the play pen area and he knew I was the right man for him. He climbed over a wall that was 5 times his height to get to me....I have no idea how he did it, but he did it.

There was a bond between that little brown and white pup and I that was stronger than any bond I had ever had with any other dog before. My wife says that God made Spud especially for me and that He made me especially for Spud.

If you know anything at all about Jack Russells, you know that they are high energy, mischevious, hyper-active, smart, loyal, fun and playful. Well, Basenjis are like Jack Russells on steroids....ultra energetic, ultra mischevious, ultra-active, ultra smart, ultra loyal, ultra fun and ultra playful. Spud was a dog to the extreme. Smarter by far than was good for him or us. Demanding as a spoiled wife. Destructive as a tornado when not properly exercised.

He left us in January 2007, at the tender age of 17 months, due to sudden onset of seizures. Basenjis are genetically prone to hyper thyroidism and seizures, and this trait can manifest itself in dogs as young as a year. If we had known this fact, a $50 test and a 3 cent per day pill would have kept him healthy and safe.

Spud was only in our lives for 14 months...but his absence is still felt daily, even nearly 2 years after his death. It is rare that I can make it through an entire day without shedding tears for him.

Luckily, we had another dog at the time of Spud's death....Brutus, a Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix. Brutus is a good dog...and I mean good....my wife says that he learned to be a good dog from Spud. Brutus stepped into the void left by Spud as best as he could...bless his little 12 pound heart.

In February, my wife bought me another dog (since Brutus is technically her dog....even though he is bonded to me like crazy)...a little Chihuahua girl. Hazel is now 10 months old...and in many many ways she is Spud reincarnated...only much smaller (8 pounds as compared to 50). Deb (my wife) has said many times that Hazel is so much like Spud that she is convinced that Spud missed me so much that he came back down from dog heaven and took the form of Hazel just to get back into my life.

Now, if you'll excuse me...I'm going to sit here and cry for a while.

OBIO
 
Hi Navychief,
I know how you feel.We have lost 2 of our cats this year.Jeramiah and Mischief.Both went the way you described.We were told by our vet that it was kidney failure.This is the biggest single killer for older cats.It comes on quickly and the cats stop eating,Loose wieght and eventually just give up.
You have my best wishes.Remember this though,You gave Frannie a warm and loving home for the time she was with you.No one could ask more.

Blessed Be.

Buddha13
 
My heart goes out to you, NC. Frannie was loved and you were there for her.

March 6 of this year I lost my 4-legged best friend of 11 years....a one-eyed Texas alleycat that we tamed and named "Whitey". He passed at home after a short illness and was surrounded by those who loved him when he crossed over. I still miss THE BIG CAT as we liked to call him. I miss his quiet company on nights when life crowds in and won't allow sleep to come easily or the poke of a paw when he wanted some attention.

The family grieved for several months but the house was empty because there wasn't a critter sharing it with us, so I went to a local shelter and adopted a kitten, who has the same personality that Whitey did. We like to say that Whitey found a way back to us because the traits are so similar. I can just imagine him in Kitty Heaven, complaining that he was due 8 more lives and that his family needed him, so he got sent back !

THE BIG CAT is still in our hearts but I think that part of his spirit lives on in THE RAZTUS CAT as we call the new little fella.

I like to think that what is described below exists in some form.....




The Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they miss someone very special to them; who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. YOU have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross The Rainbow Bridge together…
 
Thank you all for your comments and sympathetic remarks. Obio, I knew virtually nothing about Basenjiis until I read your post. Spud really sounded like a special friend. I am glad you are blessed with Brutus and Hazel :) Odie, I definitely know about the "Rainbow Bridge". My wife has been active with a website called "Catster.com" for several years now, and the Rainbow Bridge is quite a topic there.

http://www.catster.com/

Matter of fact, this morning, as I held Frannie's little head, I cried and asked her to be at the bridge for me when I die. Such a sweet kitty, Frannie was. A few months after we rescued Frannie, we saved another kitten at the same location. We figure it was a "grandson" of Frannies. We named him "Casey", and he is part of our household family.

In a little while, I'll ask my wife to find a picture for me that I will post. It is the Christmas card picture we used last year, which is a Christmas tree that my wife cut and pasted ALL of our pet's faces on.

Pete
 
Sorry about your loss Chief.

Since I've been in this bungalow, I've lost three cats and two dogs, but the answer is visit the local shelter and get another kitten. They always grow on you, don't they. I have never been without a cat in all of my near 62 years, I love the beasts. Any creature that can make anarchy work has all the admiration I can give it. I have read that having a cat in your lap purring will reduce BP by 15 to 20%.

Caz
 
Chief, I would have posted earlier during lunch at work...but I was kind of glad I work in a remote corner after reading your post.

It's hard to have to say goodbye a loved one, and I am truly sorry for your loss. Pets are truly members of the family. The fact that you were there with her speaks well to that. I will keep you & your family in thought during this difficult time.
 
If cats purring in your lap can reduce BP by 15 to 20%, then it's a wonder I have a BP at all.........

I love cats, and their "purrsonalities".

Pete
 
Just sitting here catching up on the posts in this thread....and looking at the picture of Spud (my avatar). The collar he has on was a point of contention with my wife. She hated it! It was big and thick, wide and had stainless steel "spikes" on it. Looked like something that would be worn by a vicious man-eating dog. Spud was a very gentle natured dog...loved people, adored children, loved other animals...not a mean bone in his body.

One day while out driving around so Spud could enjoy a ride in the car, my wife, Deb, and I stopped in to a small pet store and before I took Spud in I asked Mike, the owner, if it would be okay. He said that he normally did not allow dogs into his store, but as long as I kept him under control and he did not mess on his floor it would be okay. Well, there was a head start class in the store taking a field trip. 15, maybe 20 little kids around 4, 5 years old. They saw Spud and came running. Spud, without being told, sat and held perfectly still while those kids petted him, pulled on his ears, rubbed his nose, looked at and played with his tighly curled tail (a Basenji trait). This went on for a good 15 minutes....and Spud never flinched, never jumped on on a kid....just sat there allowing the kids to handle him every which way and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Eventually the kids tired of Spud and mozied on to look at the fish, the lizards, the snakes. One little red head boy comes up and says, "Do you now what I've been wishing?" I said "No. What have you been wishing?" And the little fella says "I've been wishing that this dog was mine."

After the kids left, Deb, Spud and I walked around the store, checking to see if there were any fish we just had to have. As we were leaving, Mike looked at Spud, came around the counter and nealed down to look Spud in the eye. He petted Spud for a few moments and said that he had never seen a dog that was so well mannered, so well behaved, so social and that Spud was welcome in his store any time.

Yep, today has been one of those days that Spud has been on my mind a lot.

OBIO
 
I feel for you Chief.
It takes real courage to make the right decision and be with your pet right up to the end, but it's the least one can do.
People who care for animals are far better for doing so.
We've had several of our much loved Beagles pass through our lives, but we can still talk about the great times we had with the little guys.

I was never a great 'cat person' until we decided a cat would be a good companion for my 90 year old mother.
Sophie (aka Ms. Wombat) knew of a breeder who specialised in 'Scottish Folds' .......... one look and I was almost converted.
Needless to say, my mother now has a very personable little companion by the name of Tilda, and I'm wondering how a couple of 'Folds' would integrate into our Beagle 'Family'.
:kilroy:
 
I have sit idly by watching this thread all day having known what NC feels right now all too well. Been there a few times. My love for animals has been life long and I can have all the conflicts with humans but rarely if never with animals. My Father says I should have been a Veterinarian. He says I talk to animals like Doc Doolittle and they answer me back in their own way. Only part I couldn't ever used to would be euthanizing them. I had to put down animals in years past who were dying from sickness or injury when there wasn't a Vet's office within range. I hated it every time. Last time, I was so traumatized by what I had to do it nearly gave me a heart attack. My chest became tight and labored to breath and my heart pounded at high rate and my eyes teared non-stop and I couldn't make a word if I tried. After that, I said never again, not by my hand. For as far as my pets past and present, I love them all and remember their names, faces and unique personalities and how they came into my life whether they were born here or I rescued them from the street. Some of you may not believe me when I say it has beed 20 years since I last owned a Dog. The last Dog of mine own was a Warlock Doberman K-9 named Bear who was sadly killed in 1988. Since losing him, I have never had the heart to own another Dog. He was totally loyal to me since he was a puppy until his death and so I remain as loyal to his memory and spirit. If I am so lucky and worthy God willing to meet Kodiak "Bear" the 1st at The Rainbow Bridge someday along with all my other friends, it'll be a day that can't come too soon..........
 
nc...sorry for your loss...reading that made me give my haley a big hug which got me a hiss n a scratch..wish they would understand sometimes...but i shoulda kown not to wake her.....
 
I know how you feel, we had to have our cat put down last January. Sudden illness, turned out to be fluid around her heart and the vet we took her to didn't catch it in time. Finally took her to a different vet and it was to late. she had a long and good life though. The pic I use for my Avatar was my Rose, I lost her suddenly back in 2006 due to a sudden illness.. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about her.
 
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