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Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 03:06 PM   #1
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Pets. How strong is the bond?

My family had a dog when I was 5 years old. I remember playing with him, but don't know how strong the bond really was. I knew that my father was very sad when the dog died.

I just recently read a story of a couple who bought a boat to travel the world. After a short period of time, they realized that their dog was not happy living on the boat, so they sold it and bought an RV instead. The dog is much happier after that. :

How strong is the bond between you and your dog (or cat)? How far are you willing to change YOUR lifestyle to make your dog happy / happier?

Edit to add: If you don't mind sharing: How much do you spend on your dog annually? I have read/heard of numbers that are multiples of GDP per capita of many many countries.



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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 03:25 PM   #2
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam
How strong is the bond between you and your dog (or cat)? How far are you willing to change YOUR lifestyle to make your dog happy / happier?
Stronger than I'm willing to admit.

We've let our bunny totally destroy our family room and its furniture (with all his orifices) and we've spent a couple hundred on shielding & rug cleaning. We've indefinitely deferred any repairs, let alone improvements, until he goes to his great reward.

In six years we've spent over $700 on feeding & routine care, and that doesn't include doing our own repairs. Great ROE for a $15 investment that only lives 10-12 years.

Stupid bunny. Yet I'll probably cry as hard as my daughter when the day finally comes.
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 03:29 PM   #3
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Ragu time? Just kidding.
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 03:33 PM   #4
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam
Ragu time? Just kidding.
No hausenpfeffer jokes at Hale Nords!
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 03:38 PM   #5
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam
Ragu time? Just kidding.
That's not funny or considerate of other's obvious feelings.



On the original poster's topic, I love my pet dog Emily Ann the black lab more than anything other than my wife of 30 years. My dog is like a child to me. The only time in my life that I was truly and deeply sad was when my last dog died. It was horrible. It was 14 years ago and I still cry when I just think of her for even a second.

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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 03:53 PM   #6
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Strong - all my potential girlfriends have to pass the sniff test.

Milo the Magnificent(the Pug) would not poop outside for my housesitter when I took a certain Blond from
Alabama to Florida et al for 11 days over Christmas and New Years.

A certain degree of pet pouting(Golden Retriever, Pug, Cat and assorted fish) when I got back - the fish came around the quickest.

I hesitate to show them my renewed Passport.

heh heh heh - a little tongue in cheek - just a little 8)
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 04:16 PM   #7
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

OK, yeah, it's strong. Real strong.

When my last dog died (one of the "special" dogs), I grieved as hard as I did when I've lost loved ones (humans, that is). True, not the same in other ways, but just as strong. There's a lot of complicated stuff lurking in our attachments to our pets (esp dogs, for me).

But unlike others I've met from time to time, a dog is a dog. I don't go in for humanizing them to excess -- it's a people-first household, but the dog is truly a member of the family.

I knew this was a common feeling when I posted about Sophie's death -- the response from the board was huge, touching, and very much appreciated and helpful. Tapped a deep well.
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 04:30 PM   #8
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

My lifestyle changed the first day that I got my first pet.

Over the years we have had furniture and rugs ripped up, paid vet and sitter bills, and didn't go out of town because one of the critters was sick. My 2 kitties cost about $800 a year (food, litter, vet, sitters).

I'm not fond of my pets....I love them.
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 04:44 PM   #9
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

I spent between $500-$600 last year on the mutt. But a good one she is.........just got back from a 2 mile walk with my girl. Good companion and she makes walking a lot more fun.

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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 06:04 PM   #10
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Quite strong. My dog just had to be put down as he had developed an agressive gum tumor. I miss him terribly. He was my special buddy for 14 1/2 years, and I didn't want it to end.

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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 06:22 PM   #11
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

I'm so sorry Mikey.
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 06:45 PM   #12
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Tawnya, Queen of the Universe runs the house. We are merely her loyal supplicants. Fortunately her needs are quite sensible, and i doubt that we spend more than $300 or so a year on vet visit, dry cat food (her tummy prefers it), and toys. Here she is in a moment of repose...

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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 06:51 PM   #13
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

The only reason I still live here is the cat. Being a former stray, I don't think he would take to apartment or RV life. He only uses the litter box when outside is below zero or a foot of snow.
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 06:54 PM   #14
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

The family will be very sad when the dog passes. The bonds are very strong.

I've spent way more $$$ than I should on this dog.... but as stated above, they become part of the family. Our dog has had a knee surgery and (2) eye surgeries. For those we spent a few grand. He needs the vet a couple times a month so we have a doggie health plan that discounts office visits, shots, and comprhensive exams. Along with his special medically enhanced dogfood for liver problems, we spend about $80 each month.

Ugghhh... it's kind of depressing when I list it all out here.... but we just love the little guy (buff colored cocker spaniel). He's a great dog... very well behaved.
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 07:37 PM   #15
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

As you can see from this thread from last year we spent over $1600 on Pye to cure his hyperative thyroid:

http://early-retirement.org/forums/i...p?topic=7535.0

The treatment was successful and he has mellowed since then. My favorite time of the day is when he settles down on my lap in the evening and purrs while allowing me to stoke his gorgeous, thick fur. While I know there are limits to how much I would spend on his care, I have not found that point yet.

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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 08:12 PM   #16
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

How strong? Paul Bunyan strong. 2,000 lb ant strong.

Just spent $1k on my two cats. Took them to the vet for blood work, because one of the foods they ate was on the recall list. One of them came back with high calcium, so X-rays, ultrasounds, and more blood tests later, we're still working on trying to figure out what the problem is. They're my furbabies.

I'm still grieving Kizi, my best friend of 17 years. This may seem odd, but shortly after I learned she was dying of renal failure, I was sitting at my desk, with her beside me, and I was crying. I felt her paw cover my hand, and when I looked at her, there were big tears in her eyes too. I love the two new kitties I got to keep me company, but I miss her terribly.
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 08:20 PM   #17
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Really strong. Our dog Katie died almost a year ago (story on the thread Grumpy cited) and we still talk about her and miss her today. We have an infirm poodle now (another story) and it wil be very sad when she goes, too.

Nope, I can't explain why we bond to these dogs, but they do give us a lot of joy and companionship. "Companionship"-- maybe one of the most under-appreciated and most central emotional needs most of us have.

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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 09:30 PM   #18
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Very strong. Stronger than to all but a few close friends. If one of my
dogs and some neighbors kid were caught in a burning building, I
would not hesitate for a second in grabbing my dog on the way out
(if I could only take one).

I have 3 dogs. When they are younger, they cost maybe $2000
per year for food / vet bills / extras (sheep training etc.). When they
get older, a lot more. One of my dogs in the last batch required
$8k worth of surgery / radiation / chemo for cancer (she was 12,
and gained 27 months from the surgery).
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-02-2007, 11:49 PM   #19
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

Strong. Our cats will have a trust fund set up to maintain them when we pass away.
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?
Old 05-03-2007, 05:03 AM   #20
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Re: Pets. How strong is the bond?

The bonds with our dogs are very strong. These are loving animals that unconditionally trust us. To see them in pain is awful. When our last dog had to be euthanized (unable to walk, incontinent, unhappy) DW couldn't face coming along. I thought I could deal with it pretty well. But holding her while the vet injected her and watching her die was tough. I couldn't talk to the vet afterwards and had to just walk out. It is painful to remember even now, years later.
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