Judy, this is so compassionate and real at the same time. I spent yesterday with my sister, who has a sick goat bedded in the house. The goat has to be fed a special mixture of alfalfa pellets, soaked in water and heated on the stove with yoghurt and medicine and carefully administered with a syringe, but the vet told her the goat is dying. Poor little goatie - she is so sweet but can't get up and likely won't recover. Sis didn't have the heart to put it down yesterday but I think I will send her this to help her.
>________________________________ > From: authfriend <authfri...@yahoo.com> >To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com >Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2012 10:40 AM >Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Christmas > > > >Michael, you *absolutely* did the right thing, as painful as >it was for you. Humans can live meaningful, fulfilling lives >even if the *quality* of their lives is circumscribed by >illlness, because they have virtually infinite mental and >spiritual resources to draw on. > >For animals, quality of life is much more important because >their other resources are limited, at least comparatively >speaking. It is not kind to an animal to prolong its life >if the quality is seriously diminished. We tend to want to >do that for ourselves because we love the animal and don't >want to lose it, but it's a greater act of love to be >willing to let the animal go. > >--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Jackson <mjackson74@...> wrote: >> >> I have to admit reading your experience made me cry again. I felt like a >> traitor for not being willing to do anything and everything possible to keep >> her alive. I even have a holistic vet friend who was willing to guide me >> with regards to diet, herbs and treatment (she lives in Spokane and was >> Shakti's vet years ago when she lived in SC) >> >> The night before I was up about half the night, and as I sat with her, I >> could tell or at least I felt she was already not fully in her body - the >> other thing was for me to choose to keep her alive I would have had to move >> her to my new place and she would have had to become an indoor cat after >> nearly 18 years of traipsing around in the woods outside my old house - I >> just didn't want to put her through the stress of a new strange environment >> and then have to put her to sleep in that strange environment - the vet I >> took her to said she might have a year, or she might go down hill in 2-3 >> weeks. (it was kidney failure - we completely missed what few symptoms were >> there - mainly drinking way more water than she usually did - in fact that >> was the only symptom for about 3 months and I was stupid enough to be happy >> that she was being well hydrated) >> >> I just wanted her to go in the same place she had lived and known for all >> those years - it was still a very strange thing to place her on the table >> after they had give the tranquilizer and step back so the vet and her >> assistant could administer the euthanasia drug. >> >> She survived all those years, lost an eye to our other cat when she was >> about 4, got bitten by a copperhead once, escaped a fox that chased her >> right up the cat ladder that led to her cat door in the window, brought >> innumerable live mice into the house and let them loose, plus the 2 flying >> squirrels she let loose in my bedroom - she even caught a bat one night - >> that really freaked me out - I didn't know it was possible for a cat to >> catch a bat. >> >> Once my roommate had planted some small bushes that died mysteriously until >> she pulled on one and it came straight up in her hand - from having been >> bitten half into by a mole - she was so mad - she looked around at Shakti >> and said "Why don't you go kill those moles?" >> >> >> Less than 5 minutes later Shakti came up with the muffled maowing that >> denoted a kill and damned if she didn't have a mole in her mouth. >> >> So thank you Curtis and everyone for your condolences - I really appreciate >> it more than I can say. >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> From: curtisdeltablues <curtisdeltablues@...> >> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com >> Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2012 10:27 AM >> Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Christmas >> >> >>  >> I feel for you. I was in your shoes for my 18 YO Abyssinian two years ago >> around this time of year. I'm glad you were able to make this final act of >> kindness, and I know it is hard. >> >> I was preparing my guitar case for a show last month. I found a few >> distinctively ticked brown hairs in it and it brought instant tears. >> >> Ginger used to love to lie in the soft interior of my guitar cases, even >> though I would constantly chase her out because the top could fall on her. >> When I would catch her, usually as I was packing for a show, she would raise >> up her tiny head, defiant. My preliminary scolding hiss would only make her >> hunker down deeper into the plush. >> >> "Make me", her steady eyes conveyed. >> >> Once again I would reach in and scoop her up placing her on her much >> plusher, but not forbidden so less interesting, bed. She would stretch, >> give me one last withering gaze, and settle into a nap, triumphant in >> getting me to react, which was the whole point of the exercise. >> >> All the best for your own healing heart. >> >> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Jackson <mjackson74@> wrote: >> > >> > Yeah too many posts last week and I had to have my 18 year old cat put to >> > sleep - I was very attached to her - so I been kinda quiet since then >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > ________________________________ >> > From: authfriend <authfriend@> >> > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com >> > Sent: Friday, December 21, 2012 8:59 PM >> > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Christmas >> > >> > >> >  >> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "mjackson74" <mjackson74@> wrote: >> > > >> > > Hope everyone has a very fine holiday(s) and the New Year brings >> > > goodness and contentment to everyone. >> > >> > Thanks, Michael, and to you as well. Missed you this past week! >> > >> > > > > >
