Pets. How strong is the bond?

[Sam]

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.

 

[Nords]

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.

 

[Sam]

Ragu time? Just kidding.

 

[Nords]

Ragu time? Just kidding.

No hausenpfeffer jokes at Hale Nords!

 

[MikeD]

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.

Mike D.

 

[unclemick]

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)

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

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.

 

[bbbamI]

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.

 

[Dawg52]

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.

 

[haha]

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.

Ha

 

[Martha]

I'm so sorry Mikey.

 

[OKLibrarian]

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...

 

[Khan]

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.

 

[Life_is_Good]

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.

 

[grumpy]

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/index.php?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.

Grumpy

 

[LKH]

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.

 

[samclem]

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.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

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).

 

[bssc]

Strong. Our cats will have a trust fund set up to maintain them when we pass away.

 

[donheff]

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.

 

[Outtahere]

Strong bond, very strong. I couldn't have children, my pets take up that void. I won't even go into what I've done for my dogs or what I'm doing for the one I presently have. Cost has been no factor for me in his care. I would love to have another horse but the memories of having to put the one I had down are too strong, she was more like a dog than a horse, I can't go through that again.

Unconditonal love, how can you not bond with that.

 

[Sam]

Thank you all for your reply. Quite an eye opener for me. I guess I will never understand this strong bond until I actually own a pet. Thanks again.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Wow, glad I'm not the only one. Our animals are really our whole lives. We moved to the country to give them a better life, and have so many so it hurts a little less to lose one. It has been a few years since we've lost one, but I get emotional about each and every one, anytime I think of it.

Burning building, you bet I'd start with the pets! We have a trust for their care when we are gone as well. I grew up with lots of animals, my DH has had to learn about it OTJ! Our peeps are currently: Grace, Jane, Carl, Anna, Petey (dogs) and Hokey, Harriet, Henry, Jinx & Minx (Cats) and Emma and Tess (sheep). Plus the fish.

Our vacation schedules revolve completely around their care. We are planning to make a living space for someone to stay here permanently when we retire, so they have constant care.

OK--the orange tabby Tawnya is adorable, we had one like that (rescued) that I gave my sister--his name is Sunny! Cute!

I always like to mention that when we got married, the vet gave us a place setting of our formal china--I'd say that says a lot about how much we are worth to the practice! We spend less than you'd think, but Jane's broken leg was about $2k, other than that we have pretty routine costs, just lots of mouths to feed.
Sarah

 

[OKLibrarian]

OK--the orange tabby Tawnya is adorable, we had one like that (rescued) that I gave my sister--his name is Sunny! Cute!

Thanks! Tawnya's a rescue too (and she's actually more of a dark blonde, but comes off a little more orangey in her photos). We haven't set up a trust for her--but MIL is a major cat lover as well (genetic trait?) and would happily take on responsibilities as kitty godmother if need be. She's easily the most mellow cat I've ever had, which makes it all the cooler when she flops down to request a belly rub and/or playtime. She's only about 4 years old, so hopefully I won't have to think about not having her for a LONG time...

 

[Sheryl]

My dog is a huge part of my life. My Rufus died last June (threads here on that as well) and it was a terrible terrible loss. Some might think I'm wacko when I say the loss of Rufus was worse than the loss of my mom in some ways. I was close to my mom, but she was 3,000 miles away, and the loss didn't affect my day-to-day life the way the absence of my dog did.

So I got Milo about six weeks ago. I have to say I have not developed that super-close bond with him yet, but I think it takes time - just like any relationship. I can say that when I'm dragging my @$$ home from w*rk at the end of a long day, knowing he's waiting lifts my spirits.

As far as changing lifestyle - I knew it didn't make sense "logically" to get a new puppy right now - work, travel, health, time issues all pointed to not bringing a new complication into the mix. But my heart said, "I need a dog" and it won out.

As far as spending money - Vet bills generally are $500 - 600 a year - including checkups shots and minor illness/injuries. Food - That remains to be seen - 40#/mo. is about $300 year. Boarding at $15/day another $300 or so. Toys, treats, collars, other supplies, another $300 or so.... $1,500 a year?

I had a little mutt about 10 years ago that had cancer. She was one of the "special ones" too - spent probably $5,000 on chemo for her. (I deliberately didn't track or add up the costs). It bought four years of time with her, and it was worth it, to us.