About Dogs and Cats as I continue to socialize here

David later version

David later version

New Member
First of all, all of the comments I have received have had an effect on me. When I sat down to bare my soul (for the first time on any forum), I did not contemplate what could follow afterwards. I was pleasantly unprepared! So, I have taken to heart the suggestions of so many here, and I am going to be a regular poster from now on. I will participate not just to join in an ongoing conversation but also to start my own, which of course was what my first post was.
To that end, I would like to share my thoughts on our wonderful pets, those furry bundles of consummate love.

There is an old joke that goes:
Ask a cat what time it is and it will respond with, "I'll get back to you." Ask a dog the same question and it will respond with "NOW, NOW, NOW!"​
​
This encapsulates the differences in temperaments, but the real essence of both species is love. Not the kind you can find in the best of us, but the most pure, unadulterated true meaning of love. It is said that god created humans in his (or her) image. However, god made a mistake. A big one in my opinion. We are imperfect, full stop.

I am a dog person so I will refer to dogs as I go along. Know that it all pertains to cats as well. I know I confused a few out there but to set things straight, The dog who saved me and pulled me out of my grief was my Chi-weenie, Emma.

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A dog has no prejudices, no preconceived ideas or points of view. A dog can love his owner unflinchingly even while that owner may abuse him. A dog forgives in the next moment, unconsciously and without reservation. It may cower away from the owners behavior, but, by and large, it will never leave. Other than a dog's physical appearance, it is (or should have been) the true image of god. Then god limited their lives to 10 or so years! Where is the logic in that? Dogs (and other domesticated animals) serve a valuable role in the well being of humans. They have even mutated to make them look more sympathetic to us!

Why in the world would something so precious to us be taken away after the length of 1/9th of our lifetime? Why must we be faced with multiple times of grief as we say goodbye then, typically, rescue another precious life to go through the same cycle? I understand that in this manner we save more pets from what is essentially execution, but it all seems so grossly unfair. It is something that bugs me a lot.

We may be fashioned after some god, but no one possesses the pure angelic love that a dog does. In my opinion, a dog is simply an angel sans wings, a being that does not know how to hate or denigrate or condemn. Who among us can come close to that? For anyone out there who doesn't understand the mind of a dog or cat lover, that is why.

Thanks for listening.

-David-
 

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I agree with all you say. Everyone here will agree that I'm a Dog person.. very much so, atho' I have no dogs of my own now , but I live vicariously through my daughters' animals and she is a HUGE dog lover..

On here I post the ''grandfurkids'' pictures all the time.. whatever they might be up to..

We've lost so many in the last few years but with the exceptions of accidental deaths .. they have all lived well past 10 years... most to 15 or 16 because they are so well cared for... heartbreaking to lose them even at that age, which is why I just can't face having another one .

What dogs do you currently have ?
 
I am a catless cat lady. Catless because my last one died more than a year ago and I feel I am too old to have another. Why cats? Cats were what I was allowed to have as a child and I love them. Over the years there were many, usually two at a time.

A neighbor stops by with her two dogs if I am on the porch which I usually am in the early evening. It is a delight for me and the dogs. They hurry across the lawn, tails wagging.

I am on a list to foster an adult cat but so far they only show me kittens.
 

David later version said:
no one possesses the pure angelic love that a dog does. In my opinion, a dog is simply an angel sans wings, a being that does not know how to hate or denigrate or condemn. Who among us can come close to that?
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Dogs are not wed to preconceived notions or one POV as you say. So they are also not so clingy to their own form. I’m sure they are fine with their lifespan and by seeing so many of our best friends through the end of theirs maybe they help us become more like them in this regard and so become better prepared to face our own end when it comes.

I currently have just one dog and she is the eighth dog I’ve lived with. She may be the last one I need but if not I will always have a dog in my life, though will not get another puppy. My dog Ember is almost 4 and weighs 35 pounds. Any future dog will weigh less and be less active. Ember is bred to herd.

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David later version said:
First of all, all of the comments I have received have had an effect on me. When I sat down to bare my soul (for the first time on any forum), I did not contemplate what could follow afterwards. I was pleasantly unprepared! So, I have taken to heart the suggestions of so many here, and I am going to be a regular poster from now on. I will participate not just to join in an ongoing conversation but also to start my own, which of course was what my first post was.
To that end, I would like to share my thoughts on our wonderful pets, those furry bundles of consummate love.

There is an old joke that goes:
Ask a cat what time it is and it will respond with, "I'll get back to you." Ask a dog the same question and it will respond with "NOW, NOW, NOW!"​
​
This encapsulates the differences in temperaments, but the real essence of both species is love. Not the kind you can find in the best of us, but the most pure, unadulterated true meaning of love. It is said that god created humans in his (or her) image. However, god made a mistake. A big one in my opinion. We are imperfect, full stop.

I am a dog person so I will refer to dogs as I go along. Know that it all pertains to cats as well. I know I confused a few out there but to set things straight, The dog who saved me and pulled me out of my grief was my Chi-weenie, Emma.View attachment 421932

A dog has no prejudices, no preconceived ideas or points of view. A dog can love his owner unflinchingly even while that owner may abuse him. A dog forgives in the next moment, unconsciously and without reservation. It may cower away from the owners behavior, but, by and large, it will never leave. Other than a dog's physical appearance, it is (or should have been) the true image of god. Then god limited their lives to 10 or so years! Where is the logic in that? Dogs (and other domesticated animals) serve a valuable role in the well being of humans. They have even mutated to make them look more sympathetic to us!

Why in the world would something so precious to us be taken away after the length of 1/9th of our lifetime? Why must we be faced with multiple times of grief as we say goodbye then, typically, rescue another precious life to go through the same cycle? I understand that in this manner we save more pets from what is essentially execution, but it all seems so grossly unfair. It is something that bugs me a lot.

We may be fashioned after some god, but no one possesses the pure angelic love that a dog does. In my opinion, a dog is simply an angel sans wings, a being that does not know how to hate or denigrate or condemn. Who among us can come close to that? For anyone out there who doesn't understand the mind of a dog or cat lover, that is why.

Thanks for listening.

-David-
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Thank you for your thoughts on dogs David.
I have never owned a dog or cat. Fish and canaries yes.
I can remember the family having a dog, what breed I can not remember. The one memory of that dog was it had distemper.
Eyes were all gunked up is all I remember. It did survive the bout.
This was about 1970-72?
 
Well, there are some, who recognize that cats are the perfect pets. They are cat people. Then there are others, whom I guess were hit by a bus or something and are dog people.
I'm like Babs2u, I'm catless. My 3 passed away and I'm afraid I could get hauled out of here in an ambulance at any time, so I don't want to leave pets behind. Also, I just can't go through another beloved pet passing away.
 
MarkD said:
Dogs are not wed to preconceived notions or one POV as you say. So they are also not so clingy to their own form. I’m sure they are fine with their lifespan and by seeing so many of our best friends through the end of theirs maybe they help us become more like them in this regard and so become better prepared to face our own end when it comes.

I currently have just one dog and she is the eighth dog I’ve lived with. She may be the last one I need but if not I will always have a dog in my life, though will not get another puppy. My dog Ember is almost 4 and weighs 35 pounds. Any future dog will weigh less and be less active. Ember is bred to herd.

View attachment 421944
Click to expand...
Ember is beautiful! With her white on black, she is striking.
fuzzybuddy said:
Well, there are some, who recognize that cats are the perfect pets. They are cat people. Then there are others, whom I guess were hit by a bus or something and are dog people.
I'm like Babs2u, I'm catless. My 3 passed away and I'm afraid I could get hauled out of here in an ambulance at any time, so I don't want to leave pets behind. Also, I just can't go through another beloved pet passing away.
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For what it's worth, Fuzzy, I have had 2 cats in my life, so maybe I only got hit by a bicycle! Couldn't agree more, re another beloved passing away. I find myself worrying about that periodically with Emma.
 
hollydolly said:
I agree with all you say. Everyone here will agree that I'm a Dog person.. very much so, atho' I have no dogs of my own now , but I live vicariously through my daughters' animals and she is a HUGE dog lover..

On here I post the ''grandfurkids'' pictures all the time.. whatever they might be up to..

We've lost so many in the last few years but with the exceptions of accidental deaths .. they have all lived well past 10 years... most to 15 or 16 because they are so well cared for... heartbreaking to lose them even at that age, which is why I just can't face having another one .

What dogs do you currently have ?
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HollyDolly,

A few entries above, you should be able to see a photo of my Chi-Weenie, EMMA. Please let me know if it is not showing. I lost two dogs in 2015, a few months apart. Duke, a chocolate lab, died in my arms of old age, and Fluff. a mutt who suffered from a cancerous growth and had to be put to sleep. It took me 6 months to try to come to terms with that. Emma is 6 years old.

-David-
 
I have always been a "cat person" but am catless now too.

My one dog, Nikita, taught me about dogs. It is a long story but I was afraid of dogs my whole life. Nikita lived to be 15. Losing her was one of the hardest things I ever went through. She was very smart and I was so bonded to her. I would never get another dog after her because I could not go through that grief again. Even though I grieved over every one of my animals.

Presently I have a house rabbit and he is probably not going to live through this year. He will be my last pet. I just cannot take care of another pet again or deal with the grief at this point in my life.
 
David later version said:
HollyDolly,

A few entries above, you should be able to see a photo of my Chi-Weenie, EMMA. Please let me know if it is not showing. I lost two dogs in 2015, a few months apart. Duke, a chocolate lab, died in my arms of old age, and Fluff. a mutt who suffered from a cancerous growth and had to be put to sleep. It took me 6 months to try to come to terms with that. Emma is 6 years old.

-David-
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ah..I can see Emma, David, she's a beauty 🥰 this is Pixie, she's my daughters' chihuahua and she's 15... but really she's the family dog

pixie-grass-daffodils-meadow.jpg


8042b248-0b2e-4079-a5ee-1bc5e20080b3.jpg
 
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David later version said:
Ember is beautiful! With her white on black, she is striking.

For what it's worth, Fuzzy, I have had 2 cats in my life, so maybe I only got hit by a bicycle! Couldn't agree more, re another beloved passing away. I find myself worrying about that periodically with Emma.
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Well, you do have a dog, which does indicate some trauma. I hate to say this, but I've had deaths in my family that were emotionally painful. Yet, the passing of my 3 cats was way more traumatic for me.
Here's hoping Emma has a long happy life.
 
We have had 3 cats since we were married and we loved all of them. But, yes, it is hard to lose them as we have lost all 3. We had one dog, which was a present for my daughter. We all loved her until we lost her. She was a toy poodle.

We feel we are too old now to have another pet.
 
hollydolly said:
ah..I can see Emma, David, she's a beauty 🥰 this is Pixie, she's my daughters' chihuahua and she's 15... but really she's the family dog

pixie-grass-daffodils-meadow.jpg


8042b248-0b2e-4079-a5ee-1bc5e20080b3.jpg
Click to expand...
What great photos! She is very cute. I have been considering getting another dog, a companion for Emma. However, I keep second guessing myself. My age has to be a factor (as much as I do not wish it to be.)

-David-
 
We have had cats. Currently Izzi&Bizzi is it. Both of us would love several but after a lot of stress in her life and with her room mates she has started to settle down. Bringing in others would start the circle.
Our trust covers her with funds for someone adopting her above average income with a cat rescue receiving a nice stipend for quarterly visits.
Some of her story is under all about cats.
 

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Twostep said:
We have had cats. Currently Izzi&Bizzi is it. Both of us would love several but after a lot of stress in her life and with her room mates she has started to settle down. Bringing in others would start the circle.
Our trust covers her with funds for someone adopting her above average income with a cat rescue receiving a nice stipend for quarterly visits.
Some of her story is under all about cats.
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Beautiful kitty.
 
David later version said:
What great photos! She is very cute. I have been considering getting another dog, a companion for Emma. However, I keep second guessing myself. My age has to be a factor (as much as I do not wish it to be.)

-David-
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Here is The first time Emma smiled, Emma and I -Christmas 4 years ago, Same Xmas, at my sisters.
 

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I’m definitely a dog person.
Lived with them all my life from my dad’s working sheepdogs & my grandmother’s Pekingese when I was born to the seven, Yorkies, Maltese, Skyes I currently have.
Had the first of my very own when I woke up Christmas morning, aged five, to find a Pekingese puppy wearing a big red bow on my bed, present from gran.
I’ve been owned by over forty dogs through my life, not counting litters of puppies, as I’ve shown & bred them for years, couldn’t honestly live without them.
There’s a theory that were all put on this earth to be good souls.
The reason that dogs have such a short life is that it takes them far less time than people to become so. 😁. But then I think they’re already born that way.

I’ve had a few cats, along with the dogs,on a farm they helped to keep mice etc away from the feed bins. But since I no longer have the livestock I don’t have a cat.
You know the adage…

Dogs have masters,
Cats have staff 😂

A few of mine, past & present
IMG_1287.jpegIMG_1268.jpegIMG_1028.jpegIMG_0050.jpegIMG_0055.jpeg
 
JBR said:
Looks like a Martin D-model (D18 ?) in the 1970s pic. Is that right?
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JBR,
I wish. It was an Alvarez, don't remember the model (it was the 70's after all!) My primary these days is a Canadian Larrivee D03R. Sitka Spruce top, rosewood back and sides, Satin finish. Beautiful tone. In my past, I have owned a Gretsch semi-follow, a Les Paul Jr., An Epiphone, a fender Strat, and my "beater" is an Orangewood.

-David-
 

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