Contemplation – Week 10

Desley’s post this week is a tale (or is that tail) or woe. Poor Little Gidget (her beloved companion and fur baby) was injured in an incident last week. I personally spoke to Desley several times checking in and making sure she and Gidget were both doing OK. You see Gidget got away, ran into traffic and ended up with a broken foot………things could have been so much worse. Desley spoke of that small part inside dying as she grappled with the possibility of losing her precious one.

I’ve been there, I am sure we are not alone, the 1000’s of pets lost each year, in fact possibly each day is horrifying. So this week’s theme is simple;

This week: how has a pet impacted your life?

I have a whole raft of animals, my fish meh? I lose one –  I replace it (I realise there are people shaking their fist at me right now, I’m sorry but I have no real attachment to my fish), let’s scale up from there to the two turtles……Sheldon and Crush are amazing and fun, and I have only had them for a year, add you cannot really cuddle a turtle. If anything happened I would be sad and upset, but not devastated.Life would go on.Perhaps in time this may change?

Next in line are the cats…………..don’t get me wrong I love the cats, Zorro (aka Black cat) he belongs to my youngest daughter and as much as he does give me cuddles and annoys ME for food, he is at best aloof. Teddy is Moth’s cat, same again I love him dearly, but he really is aloof. I am more of a dog person……..dog people will get it. Sure when they go, it will be sad and quite difficult; although possible more for Moth and my Daughter.

Then we come to the dogs; Buddy belongs to my eldest daughter and is her Fur baby…..I am not looking forward to the day we lose him. He is sweet and funny, and dopey, and clumsy and such a wonderful companion, Buddy and my Daughter dote on each other. He always wags his tail when I come home and gives me kisses (great kisser…not the slobbery kind with lots of tongue either!). He entertains me, and protects me (well all of us really), I am his Grandma and we have a special relationship, he is a one of a kind and such a good dog, even if stupidly clumsy with those big paws of his!

That brings me to MY Miss Chloe………it brings a lump to my throat just thinking about her leaving my side. She was bought for me 10 years ago, after losing my other once in a lifetime dog Tisha; but Chloe has become so much more. I have always had big dogs, she is small (less 5kgs), she is quick and agile, she is super ridiculously smart, she is funny and playful and loves me and Moth to distraction; as we do her. She really is our fur baby. She broke all the rules, our other dogs slept outside, were never allowed on the furniture, did not sit at the table and rarely went in the car. Chloe sleeps not only inside but on our bed. She always sits on our lap and occasionally eats from the table (I’m sure some of you are horrified). She is pushy, bossy, occasionally nasty (all just like me lol), but has a heart of gold, bigger than her whole body and the cuddles I get when I get home, make my day. And if I am home late I usually pay for it with a slap across the face (gently usually).

Chloe

As she hits her 10th Birthday, she is getting a little slower, a little less agile, and some days grumpier, she aches and needs to stretch a little more in the mornings. She still races around like a puppy most days, but I see her aging and worry.

She did a similar thing to Gidget many, many years ago and thinking about it still upsets me. I did not have the best hold on her lead and she suddenly pulled away from me to chase a damn cat! She ran across peak hour traffic on a very busy road and managed to get to the other side without getting hit (A true miracle), cars honking and slamming their breaks on as she raced across, all with me screaming her to stop, she eventually did on the other side, turned back and must have realised how close she came to getting hit and literally dropped to the ground whimpering. With my heart in my throat (as I couldn’t really see her) I thought she had been hit and was laying dying on the side of the road, I made my way to her side and she launched into my arms shaking uncontrollably and crying, as was I.I collapsed to the ground in relief, bawling my eyes out, I just sat there holding her til we both calmed down.

People all got out of their cars to see if we were OK, eventually I had to stop making such a spectacle and made out way home……….holding her leash very, very tightly.We were so very, very lucky all got Chloe received was a big fright, no injuries at all (unlike poor little Gidget and her broken foot).

Some people (like Desley) will understand the complexity of a Fur baby relationship, to others she is just a dog, to me she will always be my baby. The day will come, as they always do, but hopefully not for many, many years. But for now I will hold her and love her and simple ‘BE’. I am lucky I have had 2 once in a life dogs, both very very different, but Chloe I fear will hurt so much more.

-Julz

 

 

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