Dagmar, I hope you find Natalie. I get emotional when I see flyers for missing pets... it's heartbreaking.
Funny story for those of you who send care packages. I went to grad school in Arizona and one year at Easter time got a package with an assortment of goodies. One of the goodies was a baggie of melted chocolate... turns out it was an attempt at sending me a chocolate Easter bunny but I was VERY confused when I pulled it out. Poor bunny did not survive the heat in back of the mail truck driving through the desert. Thankfully it didn't leak out of the bag and get all over everything else, though!
Tonight instead of digging into the candy corn I was sent (I know candy corn is gross, but I LOOOOVE it) I munched on frozen blueberries instead. I was happy to notice that the entire bag of them has less than 200 calories, and eating a scoop of them did not leave me with the sickening after taste of the candy corn.
Silverbirch, what constitutes a wellness program (corporate or otherwise)? I have a feeling we don't have one, but I'm not sure what counts.
Dagmar, I'm so sorry. How terrible. Do you think it's because of Trixie? Or just an opportunity to escape that presented itself? Is she wearing a collar? Or ID chip? Surely you have a very good chance of getting her back?
Natalie ran away yesterday morning. We are still hoping to get her back but it's starting to look less and less likely. We put up flyers all over and posted on facebook and on a lost pets site. I also put up flyers at local vets and pet stores. And alerted all the neighbours.
I am very sad.
Dagmar
So sorry, hope she can be found, I have heard that when cats near the end of their lives they will run away . I don't know if this is true or not.
Natalie ran away because she wanted to be the only animal I think. She's only 2 so I don't think she's in any danger of dying (except through her own pig-headedness). She is chipped but we haven't been able to keep a collar on her (we've lost 6 so far). She is a fierce determined little soul and we think she didn't want to share her territory with any other animals. When Trixie didn't leave after a day Nat set out to find herself a new home where she'd be the only animal.
We didn't see some of her interactions with animals in the neighbourhood. She seemed OK with both dogs I brought over as "test" subjects and doesn't growl at dogs walking past the house (as she does with people). I did see her attacking and chasing one cat. One neighbor, who approached us while we were putting up flyers for "lost cat", commented "oh yeah, that little sh*thead, we know her". We didn't ask why he called her that but we call her the "tiny tyrant".
We were hoping she'd adjust to Trixie being here and that they could eventually co-habit. If we get Nattie back we will try again to socialize her with Trix. If she refuses we will find her a good home where she IS the only animal. I will miss her chatty little voice and her head-banging hugs but I'd rather we have to give her away than not know what happened to her.
Dagmar, is she neutered? If not, you may have a surprise coming.
Oscar, our cat, is going downhill. It's that grim situation where we can't decide what to do. Is he going to rally and recover, or is this a one-way trip? It seems one-way to me, but he still looks almost like a "normal" cat, which makes it hard to decide to put him down. But we'll have to make that decision pretty soon, I think.
I am slammed with work on top of this. Months of not much at all, and now more than I can handle. Exactly the work situation I hate!
Dagmar~glad Nattie is back home. I understand what you were going through because we've dealt with that with Culley. I never really liked him going out and there were a handful of times that he didn't return to the office when he lived there. Since coming to our home, we've let him out only once and we supervised every step he took. Mornings he pines to go out but I just ignore him, although I'm confident he would return if he got out (I just worry about coyotes). The day he figures out the dog door will be scary but for now he sees the dogs use it, he sniffs it, and then he scratches at the window next to it.
So sad when animals near the end, JayEll. I have a friend who had a cat that lived to 24 although the last few years weren't really "living." She rarely moved from her perch and eventually stopped eating so they put her down.
Oh, Dagmar! You put me on an emotional roller coaster this morning! First I was reading the posts of Nattie missing, then I see she returned! Thank goodness. I hope she will adjust to Trixie (how is Trixie adjusting?)-- if not, I hope you find her the perfect home.
I'm so sorry, JayEll. Is Oscar eating, drinking, and not in pain? Those are usually my criteria in deciding when to euthanize. With Jozi (my Great Dane that recently passed), she stopped eating and just looked miserable. When we couldn't get her to take a treat or drink water, we knew she was no longer happy to be alive.
Thank you, Allison and Michele. Oscar still eats and drinks and has output, so that's how it is. He doesn't seem to be in pain, but with cats it's hard to know. But his eating is definitely slowing down, and he's lost a pound and a half in the last 3 weeks. Of course, he weighed 18.5 to start, so he's not exactly slim even now. Always been a big guy.
I know--when the day comes he doesn't want food or water, then it's time for the rainbow bridge.
Jayell Nattie is spayed. I think she got locked in to someone's garage. She is totally exhausted, only getting up out of our bed (special treat for the brat spending the day in the bedroom) to eat and then going right back to sleep. She is also cuddling but in a very gentle kittenish manner. I don't think she slept much in the last 48 hours.
Nat and Trixie and I all sat in the kitchen together this afternoon and had some cheddar cheese (lower fat of course ). After that Nat and Trixie both gave me their bellies at the same time. I think Nat has accepted that Trix is here to stay and Trix has always had cats around so I'm thinking it'll be fine.
Sorry to hear that Oscar is declining. When he stops drinking water it's definitely time as he's going into total renal failure. Cats do hide their pain so it's very difficult to tell how much they are suffering. A for you Jayell- so hard to watch a pet die slowly and to figure out the right time to call an end to it. I think you will just know when it's right. We did.
Me too! So far the dog has no real interest in me so Nat is the pet I interact with. She sitting on my lap right now shoving her head against my chin and "chatting". I think I fell for her even at the SPCA on adoption day. I felt sick after she'd been gone for one day and couldn't stop crying after the second because I thought I'd never get her head butt or hugs again.
Dagmar, it's good to hear your family is complete again! Hopefully little Nat learned her lesson! I have a friend raising a son with just about the same personality you describe - !
JayEll, I agree, you'll know when it's time.
Anniversary ended on a rough note - after loads of well-wishes and positive phone calls, my MIL called to report that she is going for a mastectomy on Tuesday and though they caught it very small, she has a type of cancer that has only a 20% survival rate. I do not have details yet as DH took the call.
Dagmar, I hope you find Natalie. I get emotional when I see flyers for missing pets... it's heartbreaking. 
). After that Nat and Trixie both gave me their bellies at the same time. I think Nat has accepted that Trix is here to stay and Trix has always had cats around so I'm thinking it'll be fine.
I have a friend raising a son with just about the same personality you describe - 
! 