A few months back, Gary and I learned Lila had mammary cancer. Because she had been spayed in the past, this was a much more aggressive form than if she hadn't been (lack of proper hormones can make it worse). We knew she didn't have much time left in her sweet little life, so we did the best we could to make her last weeks with us special.
Last week, we noticed she wasn't eating anymore, and spent most of her time on the bed sleeping or resting. She had been starting to lose weight and wasn't as active and playful anymore. Not wanting her to starve or drag on, we took her to the vet. The young veterinarian examined her and told us there wasn't much else to do. Cats not eating is way more worrisome than dogs not eating. Plus, it had spread to her lungs and her breathing wasn't as great anymore. We knew what this meant. So, that afternoon, we said our goodbyes to our sweet girl and set her free.
Lila was our first pet, and had been with us the longest. Her health was never fantastic, as she had been a stray before we rescued her years ago. However, she was the sweetest, most cuddly cat. She never clawed, bit, or showed aggression. We could pick her up, hug her, and set her in our laps, and she'd be content. She slept between us on the bed every night, going back and forth bumping her head into our arms until one of us gave in and pet her, no matter the hour. Then she'd purr her little heart out. We will miss our little girl, but we are happy she is no longer suffering. Plus, she and Dexter are now reunited and are probably playing right now as we speak.
The drive home was a little sad, though we knew it was going to happen. We had been prepared, compared to Dexter who had died suddenly due to heart failure. We knew she was older and sick, but we still couldn't help feeling heartbroken when we let her go.
While in the car, I suddenly felt overwhelmed and inspired to go to the nearest animal shelter. Normally we wouldn't jump to getting a new pet, and had even discussed waiting. However, I couldn't ignore this prompting and brought it up to Gary, who agreed we should take a look. So, we drove to Georgetown and stopped at their shelter. We browsed the dogs, and when an employee asked us how we were doing, we explained we were just looking, and mentioned our situation. She then said, "I know what you need. Come with me." She led us into the "small dog" area, which I realized was not just small dogs, but puppies. You can't not look at puppies and feel your heart swell and melt. She reached in a kennel and pulled out a small, 2 month old brown and black puppy, with the cutest floppy ears. She wagged her little tail as Gary held her. It only took a matter of minutes before we looked at each other and knew.
An hour later, she was with us on our drive home.
So, this is Kara. She was listed as a doberman/catahoula mix, meaning she is going to be BIG. I had never heard of a catahoula before, so I had to do a little research. They are American bred and very popular in the south, as they are the state dog of Louisiana. They are herding dogs, and were bred to hunt wild hog. However, they are known as wonderful family dogs and great with children.
Last week, we noticed she wasn't eating anymore, and spent most of her time on the bed sleeping or resting. She had been starting to lose weight and wasn't as active and playful anymore. Not wanting her to starve or drag on, we took her to the vet. The young veterinarian examined her and told us there wasn't much else to do. Cats not eating is way more worrisome than dogs not eating. Plus, it had spread to her lungs and her breathing wasn't as great anymore. We knew what this meant. So, that afternoon, we said our goodbyes to our sweet girl and set her free.
Lila was our first pet, and had been with us the longest. Her health was never fantastic, as she had been a stray before we rescued her years ago. However, she was the sweetest, most cuddly cat. She never clawed, bit, or showed aggression. We could pick her up, hug her, and set her in our laps, and she'd be content. She slept between us on the bed every night, going back and forth bumping her head into our arms until one of us gave in and pet her, no matter the hour. Then she'd purr her little heart out. We will miss our little girl, but we are happy she is no longer suffering. Plus, she and Dexter are now reunited and are probably playing right now as we speak.
The drive home was a little sad, though we knew it was going to happen. We had been prepared, compared to Dexter who had died suddenly due to heart failure. We knew she was older and sick, but we still couldn't help feeling heartbroken when we let her go.
While in the car, I suddenly felt overwhelmed and inspired to go to the nearest animal shelter. Normally we wouldn't jump to getting a new pet, and had even discussed waiting. However, I couldn't ignore this prompting and brought it up to Gary, who agreed we should take a look. So, we drove to Georgetown and stopped at their shelter. We browsed the dogs, and when an employee asked us how we were doing, we explained we were just looking, and mentioned our situation. She then said, "I know what you need. Come with me." She led us into the "small dog" area, which I realized was not just small dogs, but puppies. You can't not look at puppies and feel your heart swell and melt. She reached in a kennel and pulled out a small, 2 month old brown and black puppy, with the cutest floppy ears. She wagged her little tail as Gary held her. It only took a matter of minutes before we looked at each other and knew.
An hour later, she was with us on our drive home.
So, this is Kara. She was listed as a doberman/catahoula mix, meaning she is going to be BIG. I had never heard of a catahoula before, so I had to do a little research. They are American bred and very popular in the south, as they are the state dog of Louisiana. They are herding dogs, and were bred to hunt wild hog. However, they are known as wonderful family dogs and great with children.
My little study buddy
We are in the process of potty training, which means she mostly stays in her playpen, but we love having her around. A puppy is exhausting stuff for sure! She just LOVES Alex and constantly wants to play with him, but sadly he is afraid of her. For now anyway. I foresee them to be best friends in the future.
1 comment:
I'm so sorry you lost Lila. Why is it so hard to say goodbye to our pets? Kara looks so sweet though, and I'm sure she's helping your heart heal. I hope the potty training continues to improve -- it'll be so fun to have her grow up with your babies!
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