Pets

Take It To Cerbie’s Mom

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RDP Wednesday: ENCUMBERED

Gertrude Abercrombie

I love to watch a couple of animal rescue shows on FB – one is called ” Bondi Vet ” and the other is ” The Vet On The Hill”

If you ask me those two shows and  “The Dodo ” are the best things on Facebook.

I’m hooked and I check for new episodes every morning on my train ride to work in the morning.

But I have this thing. I have learned that if I see the crying face emoji above the comment section to skip the episode because the animal probably died so to coin a phrase, when I see the crying emoji  I ‘scroll on ‘.

This is one situation where I refuse to be encumbered by reality- for that little bit of time every single animal I see lives.

It’s not like I can’t face losing a pet.

One of my dogs suffered from a bad heart and I cared for her delicate condition round the clock for the last three years of her life  and my other dog Cerbie  had a condition where her stomach twisted and I had to let her go and a few years before that I had my cat Wolfgang who died in my arms at the age of 18.

With my Cerbie – We didn’t say good-bye.  I told her I  love her. Those were the last words she heard- September 17, 2012 Lynnwood, WA

For some odd reason, whenever an animal- a pigeon, a wild rabbit even crows are injured behind my warehouse ( some are hit by cars, or they get hurt getting away from the trains or they get hurt by people because some people are cruel to animals and I hope they choke on their own tongues one day  )  people box them up and bring them to me.

Not to bury, but to do something for them. And as an FYI they know I was a Mortician so there is that. I mean. I can’t wrap my head around that. But on with the story-

First off, the animal I see are considered pests so Wildlife rescues are no help and secondly all of them are at death’s door. They’re just waiting for the door to swing open so they can move on.

So what do I do?

I keep them somewhere warm and safe until it’s their time to go.

Once I thought this pigeon was going to make it. I took care of him for three days. But one morning I came in and he was gone.

I am no Bondi Vet. I’m a warehouse worker who used to be a mortician. All of the animals that people bring to me to take care of ( I’d say there are five or six a year ) are going to die.

So.

I like to watch those shows because the animals live- it’s as simple as that and when I have to face reality of hurt animals who are not longed for this world I will. But as far as I’m concerned, there is no rush. I’ll pay attention when I have to- and not a second sooner.

Cerberus- my little girl- Photo A.M. Moscoso

amm

 

Let’s Go To The Dogs

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For Linda G Hill’s One Liner Wednesday

On Heaven and Dogs:

“The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven not man’s.” – Mark Twain

Let’s Go To The Dogs!

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Today I say we go to the dogs, want to join me?

 

.And now for a very special endorsement:

HELLO READERS!

I AM HAMISH MACBETH AND I APPROVE THIS POST BY MY MOM

A.M. MOSCOSO

Goodnight Darwin

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Word of the Day Challenge: Sad

Darwin 2014 Photo A.M. Moscoso

My cat died on Tuesday.

His name was Darwin and he was going to be 18 years old this Summer.

Darwin came into our family when my sons were in highschool, he grew up with my dogs and his two littermates- Blitzer and Micey.

Blitzer and Micey and my dogs Domino and Cerbie went on before him.

My friend who  gave me those three little kittens died about 5 years ago.

Darwin was the last tie to the time when my family were in our youth.

His passing meant so much more then what it appeared to be on the surface.

Darwin used to walk with me and my dog Domino- who was suffering from heart failure at the end of her life.

He sat with her as she died.

Darwin sat with my cat Wolfgang as he passed away too.

Darwin sat with me on the days when I was told my Dad and then my cousin died.

He wasn’t an overly affectionate cat by nature. He wasn’t a cuddler. Darwin never jumped into your lap and asked for attention. He did have his  moments where he would pop up and ask for scritches  and loved to play with toys with us. But Darwin was very independent and we respected that.

But if he knew something was really wrong, he was there and he wouldn’t leave your side if he could feel your grief or fear.  He didn’t crawl into your lap. He didn’t meow or purr. He just sat there right next to you like one of those statutes of the Egyptian Cat Goddess Bastet.

He was watching over you, protecting you.

It really was comforting.

When I came home from work on Tuesday I could see that Darwin was getting ready to leave. So I wrapped him up in his favorite blanket and I opened the blinds on the window so that he could at least feel the Sun.

He was gone about 15 minutes later.

Photo A.M. Moscoso

I could tell you great stories about Darwin- like how he decided he was going to be a dog instead of a cat.

I learned about his plan when I started to notice he developed a horrible dry hacking cough. I took him to the vet fearing cancer. What else could it be?

The Vet listened to his chest and then shook his head. He didn’t hear anything, but maybe we should do Xrays. I was about to agree when a dog walked by the exam room and Darwin jumped up on the ledge where there was a little window overlooking the hallway and he started…to cough and cough and cough.

The Vet said to me, ” You know. I won’t charge you for this visit because I don’t have the heart to bill you for the pleasure of watching Darwin bark.”

Darwin used to be right in the middle of the Welcome committee when I came home from work- there were two big dogs, assorted kids asking for either my car keys or money and in the middle of that giant overwhelming crowd was Darwin- who only ever got to be a little more then half the size of his brothers and had short legs, a short tail and a round head and he never weighed more then 6 pounds.

He kept his footing, he would not be moved. He pushed his way to the front of that pack- and barked too and demanded attention too.

I am sad, broken hearted. My home seems so much bigger and emptier now that Darwin isn’t in it.

Above that all though is the one thing that brings me joy and overshadows that grief.

I was lucky to have had that wonderful Soul in my life and that warms my heart.

Darwin and Domino
Photo A.M. Moscoso