Of meandering and contimplating loss...
Before I freak anybody out - when I say 'comtimplating loss', I am referring to my parents, who just lost two of their three Afghan Hounds to the road today. The third disappeared for a while, but has since turned up safe.
So when does a dog, cat, or other pet become 'family'? I know people - I am one - who grieve for their lost pets when time, natural threats or the road take their toll; as if that pet were human. People who refer to their pets as 'fur-children', for example.
When does that happen? Every time I bring home a kitten, I miss the transition of 'stray kitten' to 'member of the family'. Does it begin with the name? The first meal? The first purr? Where does that begin?
I don't know. I do know that losing a pet - and I have said goodbye to many in my short lifetime - is a heart-breaking experience. I am sure everyone who has had the benefit of a cat or dog sharing their home has experienced that loss at least once, and every one of them has probably said 'never again. I will never put myself through that pain again'. I am equally certain that they have been wrong.
Yes, it is painful. But is it not, at the same time, worth it? As an example; I brought home a kitten from a gaming session one time. I wouldn't have done it, except that he had elimination issues and the person keeping him at the time was talking about abandoning him someplace. There was a lot of eye-rolling and groaning from my parents, but knowing the alternative, we kept him. He went from a fuzzy little kitten to a sleek eighteen-pound Dire Housecat, with plenty of hilarious kitten antics inbetween. I never regretted bringing him home and neither of my parents regret keeping him.
There are other benefits besides laughter and good memories - it's said that a house with a cat is a happier place (which is probably true in more ways than one if said cat eats mice and you live in an area that has a lot of mice around) than a house without - and I s'pose it doesn't necessarily /have/ to be a cat. I'm just not that keen on dogs, although I've known some really nice ones. People exposed to animals (assuming said people aren't allergic) heal faster and better (there /is/ a reason that they have animal therapy for the injured and sick) - and supposedly suffer less stress. I am going from memory - I can't be bothered right at the moment to look up proof, sorry - but I know it's out there.
So, do the benefits of sharing your life with a pet outweigh the eventual heartache of losing them? I say yes, it /is/ worth it.
Winter Term is going about like that - Math class looks to be mostly reminding me of what I've lost since the GED and, I hope, will not be too distracting. Writing - I think Writing will be good this term - I like the guy teaching and I like the way he thinks. So far, anyway. ^^
Swim Conditioning is, indeed all the things I hated most about swim-team. *grins* Good. I can bloody well /use/ it. Class only lasts only an hour, but I got out of the pool after that first sesson with slightly shaky legs. Good sign.
I'm glad I pointed out to the instructor that I'm decidedly near sighted - he had some ideas to make it easier for me to accurately follow whatever plan he's written up on the board. ^^;
Basic design ... Sigh. This is going to be interesting. The main teacher is on some kind of residency in BFE Oregon and has a sub for several days out of the term. Are we going to give him a hard time when he gets back? Oh, hell yes! However, from the look the subs will be interesting so at least we'll have that to look forward to.
Which only leaves Drawing - I'm taking 231 this term - and we'll see what Lance has in store for us /this/ time. ^^
So when does a dog, cat, or other pet become 'family'? I know people - I am one - who grieve for their lost pets when time, natural threats or the road take their toll; as if that pet were human. People who refer to their pets as 'fur-children', for example.
When does that happen? Every time I bring home a kitten, I miss the transition of 'stray kitten' to 'member of the family'. Does it begin with the name? The first meal? The first purr? Where does that begin?
I don't know. I do know that losing a pet - and I have said goodbye to many in my short lifetime - is a heart-breaking experience. I am sure everyone who has had the benefit of a cat or dog sharing their home has experienced that loss at least once, and every one of them has probably said 'never again. I will never put myself through that pain again'. I am equally certain that they have been wrong.
Yes, it is painful. But is it not, at the same time, worth it? As an example; I brought home a kitten from a gaming session one time. I wouldn't have done it, except that he had elimination issues and the person keeping him at the time was talking about abandoning him someplace. There was a lot of eye-rolling and groaning from my parents, but knowing the alternative, we kept him. He went from a fuzzy little kitten to a sleek eighteen-pound Dire Housecat, with plenty of hilarious kitten antics inbetween. I never regretted bringing him home and neither of my parents regret keeping him.
There are other benefits besides laughter and good memories - it's said that a house with a cat is a happier place (which is probably true in more ways than one if said cat eats mice and you live in an area that has a lot of mice around) than a house without - and I s'pose it doesn't necessarily /have/ to be a cat. I'm just not that keen on dogs, although I've known some really nice ones. People exposed to animals (assuming said people aren't allergic) heal faster and better (there /is/ a reason that they have animal therapy for the injured and sick) - and supposedly suffer less stress. I am going from memory - I can't be bothered right at the moment to look up proof, sorry - but I know it's out there.
So, do the benefits of sharing your life with a pet outweigh the eventual heartache of losing them? I say yes, it /is/ worth it.
Winter Term is going about like that - Math class looks to be mostly reminding me of what I've lost since the GED and, I hope, will not be too distracting. Writing - I think Writing will be good this term - I like the guy teaching and I like the way he thinks. So far, anyway. ^^
Swim Conditioning is, indeed all the things I hated most about swim-team. *grins* Good. I can bloody well /use/ it. Class only lasts only an hour, but I got out of the pool after that first sesson with slightly shaky legs. Good sign.
I'm glad I pointed out to the instructor that I'm decidedly near sighted - he had some ideas to make it easier for me to accurately follow whatever plan he's written up on the board. ^^;
Basic design ... Sigh. This is going to be interesting. The main teacher is on some kind of residency in BFE Oregon and has a sub for several days out of the term. Are we going to give him a hard time when he gets back? Oh, hell yes! However, from the look the subs will be interesting so at least we'll have that to look forward to.
Which only leaves Drawing - I'm taking 231 this term - and we'll see what Lance has in store for us /this/ time. ^^
2 Comments:
I'm so sorry. Losing a pet is awful - moreso to something as pointless and avoidable as the road (I mean avoidable as in drivers using them without due thought and care.)
I think pets become family as soon as they kidnap you. At least, that's what's always happened to me...
my extreme condolences to your folks. pets, any pets i keep, always become family...even ones that aren't mine...i'm 'auntie' to a few i've 'cat-sat' for.
glad you're enjoying your classes. eventually i'll be able to go back to school...when i can afford to, and when i have decent childcare...*sigh*..someday..
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