Pets...

Pets can break your heart. I know this from personal experience. It really has been rough over the last few weeks. I still think about Vinny's soft face and I miss him. I miss his sad eyes and the way he used to lay at my feet. Sometimes nothing can compare to the love of a dog. A dog will love you unconditionally, if you just let him. It makes me sad to think about him not being around any more.

I feel sort of depressed right now. About ten days ago, our cat, Tristan, got out of the house. He is a rather portly fourteen year old yellow tabby. I found Tristan when he was just about ten weeks old at my in-laws house. I heard him crying and after about 20 minutes of calling and luring him with a bowl of milk he was mine. As soon as I caught him and held him to my chest, he started to knead his paws, I knew that I had to keep him. Over the years we have had our ups and downs. There were a few years where when I would call his name he would literally turn his head the other direction. He always loved Bob more than me, but I was okay with that. That being said, I miss him terribly. We have tried to catch him, alerted our neighbors and posted signs around the neighborhood. There were a few nights when he did come home, but he would not let us catch him. As of today, he has not been back for about four to five days. I have been checking the local Humane Society and plan to call the local paper tomorrow to post a listing on the missing pet ads.

Growing up we never had inside dogs and since they were not inside they were never really like family dogs. The first dog that I really felt a family closeness to was our Katie who passed away last year. She was probably the best dog that we will ever have, but maybe I am biased. I did have a pet cat that we got when I was in the 5th grade. She was a long-hair calico named Samantha. She lived to be about 19. My mom had her remains cremated so that I could bury her with my other pets. I cried like a baby when my mom told me she had died, but at least I had closure. With Tristan, we may never know if something happens to him. I just want to cry.

That leaves us with just one cat. He is another yellow tabby named Neal. It is hard to believe that he is all we have right now. Since December of 2003, we have lost one dog to cancer, one dog to old age, another dog to raisins, a cat to a blocked urinary tract and now Tristan to the outside world. I know that there is still hope for him, but as each day without seeing him passes, I start to give up more hope that he will return. Maybe he wants to spend the rest of his life the way his life started, outside and away from people. With cats one never knows what they are thinking. I just pray that he is not scared or hungry.

I wonder at times why I put myself through this nonsense with pets, but then I think about all the times when I have been sad and my dog was right there by my side. When my grandmother died in 2000, I can remember being comforted by a big fuzzy face. When I have been sick, it was my dogs and cats who were always by my side to support me. When I was pregnant with Sophia, Siggy used to listen to my belly like he knew that there was a baby in there and he became so gentle. Bob has always been here too, but something in the way a pet just wants to love you, helps you to forget about your troubles just for a while.

With all of this said, I am just going to say a little prayer to St. Anthony to help me find my lost cat.

O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore of you to obtain for me the return of my cat, Tristan. The answer to my prayer may require a miracle. Even so, you are the saint of Miracles.

O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.

Amen.

Vinny Update...

Vinny had a rough day yesterday. I started crying when we went to visit him last night. He had loose bowels and was throwing up yesterday, which is not a good sign, so they gave him medicine to calm his stomach. They have also put a medication in his IV to increase the blood flow to his kidneys.

Late last night we called the ASPCA Animal Poison Control (we had to call there before he went to the vet to get a case number, because he had been poisoned) and they said that the treatment he is receiving is right on and as long as he continues to urinate, there is hope. So we felt a bit better after hearing this.

Bob went down to walk him this morning, while he didn't look great, he seemed a bit better. He had stopped throwing up and they actually had a bit of turkey for him to eat in his cage. He did urinate. They were doing his blood work again today. We will get the results late this afternoon and we will go visit him again tonight.

Raisins...

It seems as if life is one big shitstorm sometimes. I know that I have so much to be thankful for, but is is very hard to remain positive while being tested time and time again. As you know I had been sick, so had the kids, my in-laws and my husband. Sophia and Bob are still coughing, but at least Pink Eye has left the house.

Friday Bob took off work so that we could take the kids to a Fairie Festival. We all had a great time. Saturday, my mother-in-law and I took Sophia to her first tea. I promise to post pictures of both events in due time. The kids look so adorable in the photos.

Sunday morning we woke up to the dog throwing up all over the place. Apparently, he had gotten into a bag of gourmet raisins that had been left unattended. I told my neighbor that the dog had been sick and what he was throwing up when she mentioned to me that she had read that raisins could be toxic for dogs. I immediately got on-line and found some information and it was not good. Apparently, even a small serving of raisins can be very bad for a dog. So we called the local emergency vets and were told to call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control number. We were given a case number and told to see a vet right away.

Dogs that ingest raisins can experience kidney failure. As of last night his levels are still increasing which means that his kidneys could be going further into failure. The vet was very concerned. She said that the increased levels could be a difference in the amount of fluid that he was taking in or a difference in the machine that took the earlier numbers. Whatever the case may be, we can only wait and hope that things will turn around. We did go to visit him last night and he was being his usual obstinate self and not cooperating with the staff, so we had to walk him. Bob was going to try to walk him on his way to work this morning.

The sad thing is that Vinny is a young dog. He is only two. The vet said that if his levels continued to rise today that we would need to make some decisions and I know what this means and I hate it. My dog is my family and as I write this the tears are welling up in my eyes. I have prayed and hoped, but I am worried that it might not be enough.

Please keep Vinny in your thoughts and prayers. He could use all of the help that he can get!

Also, please pass this info about raisins on to anybody you know who has a dog. Please let them learn from our mistake.