Dogs @ MindSay 
cats
The dog hangs out on a lead-run outside during the day when no one's here, sleeps in the basement, and is usually brought in the house once a couple of people are home. This is mostly because he's very much a people-dog. Has to be around people. Loves people. He has no concept of guarding ANYTHING. If you are a person, you must be there to play with him. He's very much Didi's dog - Mom will comment that in the eyes of the dog, Didi is God. Somewhat sacrilegious, but almost captures the situation.
He misses her terribly because she's up at school. Normally, when she's home, he follows her everywhere around the house, and half the time sleeps in her room.
The cats belong to my other sister. They are completely different personalities - one fat, sleepy, and purrsy, the other skittish, predatory, and often antisocial. Of course they're from the same litter. Given their tendency to mark when no one's looking, the cats are NOT allowed in the house. Santas' room is a very gray area, on that subject. She'll haul one up when she's napping, and the cat sleeps on the bed with her.
So, last night, we had our usual late-night arrangement. She's sitting on her bed with her laptop, I am sitting on the bed chatting with her, enjoying a nice warm cup of tea, and the dog is lying on the floor, regarding us with big plaintive eyes for any morsel of affection we might inadvertently drop to the ground. Santas regards my cup and saucer, then turns her gaze of interest (this never bodes well) to the dog, and then to her half-finished bowl of strawberry gelato. When I'd first come in, said pup was very interested in my cup of tea, despite numerous assurances on my part that, no, he really didn't want this.
Santas then proceeds to take my saucer (as I'd finished with the teabag, it was making a little brown crescent-puddle on one side of the plate), add a teaspoon of gelato next to the teabag...and feed it to the dog.
Yes, he ate the teabag. I stared at her, struck absolutely dumb for a few seconds, as she collapsed deeper into herself, giggling with satisfaction. "You are never allowed to have a dog in the future!"
Cats are far more finicky. Cats will not eat anything that smells remotely suspicious, like broccoli, dish detergent, or cat food. The chances of my sadistic little sister successfully feeding a teabag to a cat are far reduced. A good thing, to, as the feline digestive system is far more finicky than a dog's.
I'm not overly concerned about the dog. They'll try anything, and God knew this when he made them, so he gave them a digestive system that'll process almost anything. The only time we've ever really worried was when he got loose and got into rat poison. I've a friend with a giant labrador, and if she wasn't so busy, she could post a weekly blog, "What Will Duke Eat?". Newspaper. Ten pounds of dog food (that's like you eating sixty pounds of steak). Three rolls of toilet paper. A sponge (that one had us a little worried. It was one of the big soft foofy kinds - second cousin to a loofah).
While I'm writing this, the house phone rings.
It's Santas.
In her bedroom.
(This is across the living room and just up the stairs from where I am now.)
Asking me to bring her a cat.
Because she doesn't want to get up.
*facepalm*
Cat and dogs killed for meat and fur.
They are farmed and bred in horrible conditions, and then ultimately killed in the most inhumane way. The less the fur is damaged the more valuable, thus they'll skin the animal alive, often chopping off the legs and crushing it so it cannot put up a fight.
The freshest meat is sought. The adrenaline the animal gives off under fear and pain suffered supposedly makes the meat more tender and promotes male virility to those that consume it. The methods of killing are slow, torturous deaths....by hanging, torching, slamming to the ground, clubbing, boiling the animal.... sometimes the animal is still twiching for life as it is transported away for it's final death immediately before consumption.
The images and videos below are graphic. They are not the worst unfortunately.
If you cannot watch, thanks for at least reading.
Spread the word. Teach your kids to respect living beings. Donate. Tell all of your friends and relatives that live in Asia about it.
These animals aren't our enemies, they're not wild animals, these are domesticated animals capable of love, emotion and diehard loyalty to humans. Some are not farmed but stolen from family homes. To their murderers, they still wag their tail, fear and bewilderment in their eyes, they plead for safety by their pitiful meows. Watching a video of a malnutritioned mother cat trying to nurse and care for her dehydrated and sickly kittens even when held captive under horrible conditions, I have to wonder.......how indecent and cold hearted are we as humans compared to this 4 legged animal.
“Don’t get attached”
That is easier to say then do.
I was told that this job would have its’ ups and downs and I am at that down part that everyone has been talking, gabbing, and chatting over coffee about.
One of my favorite dogs is going to be euthanized today.
I didn’t find it hard with many of the other ones….
But today I teared up.
Today I cried.
I am sensitive -Even more so now that I am off my antidepressants. The slightest change can set me off; the smallest worry will make me feel like the world is ending.
We all come into this life to die. So what happens when we do?? No one knows. I think it’s different for everyone.
I think people get the decision to be forgiven for their sins or not. I feel like if everyone is supposedly forgiven for all their sins by God then maybe we will all go to heaven…
Whatever.
I believe all the animals I have encountered and haven’t, go to a better place. I would like to believe that when you die it doesn’t just STOP. I may even have a slight belief that some animals that are in our lives are reflections of our loved ones or a piece of ourselves that happened for a reason.
I think that is what makes it so hard to look at an animal that is headed for certain death later in the day. It hurts to look into dogs’ eyes that have been around so long and say “I’m Sorry, There Is Nothing I Can Do”. Comfort…meh…it works a little to know I was able to be a friend…. I know I came into this job with prior warning that I will feel my lows…
I just don’t think I want to know when he gets put down…I really don’t want to see the necropsy… I’m reconsidering working as a Technician in Research….we will see what happens.
I think I am in need of major Humane Society visiting.
The cats and dogs that have a chance to go to homes and live their lives until they die of natural causes….
I’m taking my dog around Lake Calhoun.
I know that will make me feel better.
There will in time be survivors of heart failure…. That is all I can really tell myself.
Rest In Peace Ace 7/30/09
Normally, I don't post personal stuff on this blog. But you will NOT believe the day I've had!
We were going by a storage unit and smelled pet urine....some jerk locked his dogs in the storage unit! HE HAD PUPPIES IN THERE! For two freaking hours!!!!! Mom and I raced inside and called the cops, who in turn gave us the number for animal control, who weren't at the freaking phone! Those dogs could have died and there was nothing we could have done becaue those eejits weren't at the phone!
Anyways, the guy who had a unit not far from the unit where the dogs were in told us that he had put his dogs in there at 11:30am. ELEVEN THIRTY!!!! Well, anyways. When the scuzzball picked up the dogs our maintenance guy was out there and told him that he can't leave his dogs in the unit like that. The guy claimed that he was going to only be gone for a couple of minutes....that's the biggest crock I've ever heard!
On top of which, we had a really bad thunderstorm out here which knocked out our hot-water heater so we've had to deal with no water, and hot weather. To top off this "gorgeous" day, I found out that my exbf, Ricky, has colon cancer. :( This day is crap!!!!!
I was so glad that our maintenance guy handled it for us...I didn't want to be in the same room as him. When I'm livid I tend to get violent and I didn't want be sent to jail for breaking his nose. Let's just say that I'll be doing Tae-Bo tonight for exercise!
+316+Another day in the life of Rebekah+
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