Animals in Recovery
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,564
Super71 - what a relief that Delilah is ok. (Hey, there's a song about her by Plain White T's...
) When the time comes for her to leave you - and I hope it's years from now - maybe you can think of how sad she'd feel to cause you pain. She's been your faithful friend through it all, & wouldn't want you to relapse because of her. (I try to think that way when humansI've loved pass on.)
Sometimes it seems our animals know us better than our humans ever do. My dogs come up to me every time I'm upset or worried about things - they always know.
) When the time comes for her to leave you - and I hope it's years from now - maybe you can think of how sad she'd feel to cause you pain. She's been your faithful friend through it all, & wouldn't want you to relapse because of her. (I try to think that way when humansI've loved pass on.) Sometimes it seems our animals know us better than our humans ever do. My dogs come up to me every time I'm upset or worried about things - they always know.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 20,458
I think the thing to remember is that we do NOT honor any pet's memory by back-sliding or getting drunk. it is painful to lose them, but getting drunk to deal with it won't do us any good.
In the past 12 years I've had to put down 2 great dogs, 2 cats and my beloved Wylie Coyote Maine Coon cat died in his sleep on my bed, I discovered this when I woke up, he was still warm....each loss was very painful and I guess i drank throughout all of them (i wasn't extra drunk, just regular)....but it didn't make it any better.
what does make me feel better is giving another cat & dog a great home and pampering/spoiling them...talk about "the attitude of gratitude"...look at your pet and you see it.
In the past 12 years I've had to put down 2 great dogs, 2 cats and my beloved Wylie Coyote Maine Coon cat died in his sleep on my bed, I discovered this when I woke up, he was still warm....each loss was very painful and I guess i drank throughout all of them (i wasn't extra drunk, just regular)....but it didn't make it any better.
what does make me feel better is giving another cat & dog a great home and pampering/spoiling them...talk about "the attitude of gratitude"...look at your pet and you see it.
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,564
So true - the relief we seek by drinking doesn't achieve the result we're looking for. It only makes us numb for awhile & then we have to deal with the grief anyway - plus the fact that we've relapsed.
Blu**ed Lines...A ClockWork SR
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: AZ
Posts: 2,529
Getting ready to conduct some heavy CBT group sessions with my cats and girlfriends Chow if we move in together. The one thing I've noticed is how closely the behaviors/attitudes of pets reflect who the owner is. I've had my cats for over 10 years, it's amazing how deeply we bond, how sensitive they are to our moods, how they know to give us comfort when we need it. At times I'm convinced they embody the ideal state of human existence.
Climbing hills, flying down...
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: By the Sea
Posts: 565
I call my kitty the "four-legged love of my life" because she is. My husband may be my two-legged love, but my kitty is just as important; she is an integral part of our family unit, a best friend, a companion, and a listener. I've cried into her fur so many times, and she sits patiently, lets me cry, and then licks my face. I'm always amazed at how animals will run to the door to greet you when you come home, wagging tails or purring, so happy to see you. And they do that everyday. Yes, animals will always be a part of my life, and as for my kitty, I could not live without her. She is my angel.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 20,458
One of my dogs was a female Chow...(heather, RIP), she was a 70# strawberry blonde with a navy-royal blue tongue...that dog disliked EVERYONE except me& my mother...some of my neighbors have commented that Sammy looks like a miniature version of her...except that he doesn't growl at them.
She did get along with cats but she was raised as a puppy with them, didn't know any better.
thanks for explaining CBT initials....
She did get along with cats but she was raised as a puppy with them, didn't know any better.
thanks for explaining CBT initials....
Blu**ed Lines...A ClockWork SR
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: AZ
Posts: 2,529
CBT = cognitive behavioral therapy... Meant as a joke; my cats have lived with dogs before and love them... Her golden/chow mix is a sweet puppy, puppy but loves to chase other animals, and has not lived with cats before, but is great with other dogs. After a little supervised adjustment period they should be more than fine. The strategy is to channel the inner Golden.
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,780
I feel strongly that my dogs (cats too) are a vital part of my daily need for therapy. My counselor agrees. They are an excellent anti depressant/anti anxiety 'medicine' that I love to 'take'. Staying sober is a lot easier knowing I have to be at my best in order to give them the best care. I also take better care of myself due to knowing I have to be healthy in order to take care of them... so I'm inclined to eat better and get enough sleep. Tho sleep is never a problem surrounded by these loving dogs
I can't help but relax and feel at peace just feeling their warm bulk up against me...
It gets a bit crowded on the bed with three dogs and two cats, but for sure I'm never lonely.
I can't help but relax and feel at peace just feeling their warm bulk up against me...It gets a bit crowded on the bed with three dogs and two cats, but for sure I'm never lonely.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: us
Posts: 115
Oh, this was awesome reading everybody's stories. My cat is pawing at me as we speak. God bless all the cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, birds, horses etc. who help us through the difficult times. I know that I venture to the sad side too, afraid of the time that they will depart, but I have them today and for that I am grateful. 
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 20,458
Having 3 cats and now an energizer-bunny type of dog keeps me very busy...I like to think of myself as an "urban farmer"....everyone gets fed twice a day, the cleaning of the box, grooming of the one cat and the dog..and at least 2 1 mile walks...plus working full time. i've changed my habits about 75% from the days of coming home from work to immediately transition to the wineglass, feed the cats and lay down by 6-7PM....now with the longer days, I rarely sit down before 9PM....physically tired enough to fall into a normal sleep by 11 and I get up for work at 530AM.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: My House
Posts: 1,122
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This is a picture I took of my cat with my phone, hence the goofy frame (I was experimenting lol). She's napping on her blanket that I made her for a Christmas present this last winter so she would have a place on the couch to lay without hairing it up. She's always happy to see me get home, no matter how my day has gone. And she has kept me from oversleeping on many a morning. Her presence definitely helps me to put things in perspective.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Upstate NY, in the Adirondacks
Posts: 232
JJB - I had trouble posting a picture - but that's her in my avatar, along with our rescued Lab.
That is so nice!!! I run a dog rescue, saving mostly labs and lab mixes from the south, and I am so happy you rescued your lab!
That is so nice!!! I run a dog rescue, saving mostly labs and lab mixes from the south, and I am so happy you rescued your lab!
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