RANT HERE thread

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Oh, I used to be an active before I hid my true self. And not verbose, but wrong.
That's what I said. But they didn't listen to me. I'm not taking the blame for that
 
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I love a good crossover!!
 
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this IS a ranting thread, right? I'm pretty sure every comment ranting on here involves Drama. Why single me out?
Tis a ranting thread indeed, just one in the pre-vet forum, so we don't typically see non-vetties in it.
 
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Let me remind everyone that in the regular forums, I expect no maliciousness, just professionals. We are friendlier in pre-vet and I expect everyone to behave themselves.
 
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You're not alone! I'm down to one arm this summer. I'm all about relaxing, but there were a lot of summer opportunities I didn't even apply to because of it.

Hopefully you get your justice. My best friend actually just got rear ended, it was really bad. She was stopped in traffic on the highway, and an F150 slammed into her going 70mph. All he got was a damn ticket. Are you KIDDING? Luckily she only has a concussion and her fiance walked away relatively unscathed, but the car looked like a crushed pop can. I can't even fathom how bad things could have been for them.

Just a ticket. Seriously. He had to have been texting. She said the traffic jam was pretty sizable, it's not like it came out of no where. :boom:
When are you scheduled for?

I'll also be down a shoulder for several months...
 
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You're not alone! I'm down to one arm this summer. I'm all about relaxing, but there were a lot of summer opportunities I didn't even apply to because of it.

Hopefully you get your justice. My best friend actually just got rear ended, it was really bad. She was stopped in traffic on the highway, and an F150 slammed into her going 70mph. All he got was a damn ticket. Are you KIDDING? Luckily she only has a concussion and her fiance walked away relatively unscathed, but the car looked like a crushed pop can. I can't even fathom how bad things could have been for them.

Just a ticket. Seriously. He had to have been texting. She said the traffic jam was pretty sizable, it's not like it came out of no where. :boom:
Wow, I'm glad they're okay! The guy that hit me was going maybe 35-40, I was slowing to a stop near an intersection and he said his brakes locked up. He was driving a crappy '80s car, so it's possible, but either that or he just wasn't paying attention at all. My neck was really sore the next day, but no one was really hurt.
 
When are you scheduled for?

I'll also be down a shoulder for several months...
Hoping to have it scheduled within the 2 weeks of being out of school so I can be free ASAP. My doc still wants to do a numbing injection in one of two places so he knows how to approach surgically. He's not sure if it's a bone spur or a hinged joint situation. I said just cut me the day I'm home and do what you need to do if you happen to find the the opposite of what you were expecting. I don't want to delay this any longer because of my Marvet trip. I was supposed to get this injection a month ago and he cancelled on me.

How do you think you'll do practice-wise?
 
Hoping to have it scheduled within the 2 weeks of being out of school so I can be free ASAP. My doc still wants to do a numbing injection in one of two places so he knows how to approach surgically. He's not sure if it's a bone spur or a hinged joint situation. I said just cut me the day I'm home and do what you need to do if you happen to find the the opposite of what you were expecting. I don't want to delay this any longer because of my Marvet trip. I was supposed to get this injection a month ago and he cancelled on me.

How do you think you'll do practice-wise?
My associate is going to be working more for extra pay. I'm hoping it will only be 6 weeks with me completely out of the office, but I won't know until it happens.
 
My associate is going to be working more for extra pay. I'm hoping it will only be 6 weeks with me completely out of the office, but I won't know until it happens.
I'm expecting 6 weeks in a sling so hopefully I won't be too restricted even after that. Enjoy the rest, though!
 
I'm expecting 6 weeks in a sling so hopefully I won't be too restricted even after that. Enjoy the rest, though!
He didn't give me a definitive sling time. He told me there was no way I'd be back in 2 weeks. But I might get lucky at 4 weeks and be able to go in with no procedures scheduled for me. Basically, I would be able to see preventive care cases and run basic diagnostics (ear swabs, skin preps, etc).
 
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this IS a ranting thread, right? I'm pretty sure every comment ranting on here involves Drama. Why single me out?

NBD, just don't forget it's not the lounge and is therefore moderated. Mostly just nice, nerdy folks in here, with some occasional whining or sass.

Not that you said anything bad to begin with.

And I think lupin is a lounge lurker, so you probably didn't know her at all.
 
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NBD, just don't forget it's not the lounge and is therefore moderated. Mostly just nice, nerdy folks in here, with some occasional whining or sass.

Not that you said anything bad to begin with.

And I think lupin is a lounge lurker, so you probably didn't know her at all.
Lounge lurker indeed!!! I don't share anymore though cuz I am a public figure and easily known. :(
 
Super duper religious grandparents are just a couple hours out from visiting for graduation and it just dawned on me that our bookshelf(....s) of alcohol will probably get me some solid judgment.

Also most of the house still needs lots of cleaning to be presentable and I'm just not feeling it at all.

:grumpy:
 
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Nothing like spending about 6 hours chasing ducks and geese when you have a cumulative final in a week. I can only hope that someone else steps up to try again tomorrow since I have a fully booked day/evening.
 
Passive aggressive students. :yeahright:

I've told you all that I can't enter grades into the online gradebook. Your instructor does that and I don't have access to it. If there's a typo in the gradebook, it's not my fault. If you tell me about it I just email your instructor, I don't actually oversee the fixing of the grade, and I can't tell when/if it's been done. And if it takes the instructor a while to fix it, well, that's not my fault either. Asking me whether you will have to live with a lower grade because I couldn't spend 5 minutes fixing the problem is really not going to help you. At all. Go email the person who enters the grades and give me a break.

I've gotten such attitude from four different people this week. It's. Not. My. Fault.
 
Mixed up final exam subjects, so spent an entire day studying for an exam that wasn't the next day. Had to cram in the night before :smack:.
 
The one time I get over 5.5 hours of sleep this week, and I feel like compete garbage. This is how you repay me body? This is why we can't have nice things!
 
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Still homeless for next year. This is awful. We toured the last option today. It was looking excellent until the third bedroom was slightly bigger than my current bathroom (a twin bed would have taken up ~50% of the space in that room). We still have that other condo that changed their pet policy on us and we might just sign and sneak some pets. That scares the bajeezus out of me, though.
 
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Still homeless for next year. This is awful. We toured the last option today. It was looking excellent until the third bedroom was slightly bigger than my current bathroom (a twin bed would have taken up ~50% of the space in that room). We still have that other condo that changed their pet policy on us and we might just sign and sneak some pets. That scares the bajeezus out of me, though.
People do it all the time, it'll be fine. And sneaking cats is super easy. I snuck 5 kittens into my undergrad dorm...
 
This isn't really a rant, I just feel sad/bummed and wanted to write it out without burdening anyone in particular.

My cat Tiki was euthanized just a tiny bit over a year ago (she is pictured still in my avatar), and MrsSOV and I finally started looking at adoptable cats and kittens on line this week and then went to a shelter today to look at some of them. Tiki was with us from a year after we got married (19 years ago) and she was a big part of our lives, so of course it was hard to lose her as I am sure most of you can empathize with.

Anyway, looking at cats was pretty fun, and as much as we are known for our IGs, I am probably more of a cat person than a dog person. I like cats in general. I like my dogs, but not as much universally. So anyway, getting a cat is definitely a no-brainer thing it would seem. Oh yeah, we are also having a mouse problem for the first time now..... I don't think it is a coincidence on the timing on that. To be honest, I even considered just getting a feral/barn cat from the shelther and letting her live outside in our garage in the winter or whatever, but figured 1) I would never really want to leave the cat out there even if feral, and 2) Really don't think a cat will survive here as we have at least 2 foxes that live near our property, not to mention the constant hawks around. That was not a big consideration to be honest, just came to my mind.

Back to my tl;dr unloading... so we went to the shelter today. It was a pretty well maintained facility, new, clean, lots of workers, although the cats didn't have a very "open" environment, it is better than many, although not the best (I really like the cat shelter in Long Beach CA by the way. Cats kind of have the run of the cat section, and it is easy to interact with them). So there were a lot of adult cats there, and of course both of us, being compassionate people (outside of WW), felt the normal sorrow to see so many adult cats, and even a lot of adolescent cats. There were only a couple of kittens, and they seemed relatively subdued for kittens IMO. Could have just been sleepy, or the crappy weather (OMG, will we ever see the sun again in the Northeast. It has been a week without a single sighting of a sun-ray). The thing is, at the time, neither MrsSOV could quite pinpoint why but we both felt kind of down. None of the cats felt right for us, and the kittens didn't seem too vibrant, and we both kind of felt, well, maybe some internal pressure or perhaps guilt to save at least one of these cats. I mean, there were a lot of great cats there I am sure, but every other time we have picked out a pet, we both had a strong affinity to one particular one, and today it wasn't like that. There can be lots of reasons why.... maybe I can get there next.

The thing is, what was supposed to be a fun activity of picking out a cat turned into something not so fun. In fact, in the end what it mostly did was leave both of us feeling really drained, and empty, and missing Tiki more than ever. We mostly wanted to find a cat that wouldn't be too much like her, not wanting to have to compare them, because of course our feelings for any cat couldn't match a cat we spent the better part of 2 decades with. So it turned out to be a pretty big bummer for both of us. Had to go get some fro-yo to cheer ourselves up.

Still, even the fro-yo doesn't quite erase the sadness. I wonder if maybe I/we aren't ready to get another cat? It seemed like we were. Maybe we have unrealistic expectations about what to expect after having such a strong relationshop previously? Maybe this facility just wasn't very conducive for us to bond with an animal? Maybe the weather is just sucking all of our souls and we need some sun? Maybe this place just didn't have the right cat for us and we should keep looking? Maybe it is a sign from the aliens who are about to invade us (yeah, I gotta stop watching TV shows). So there you have a bunch of maybes from me. Probably a few I even missed, no?

Where does that leave me? I don't really know. Not so sure I want to subject myself to that again. Not so sure MrsSOV does either. It is pretty sad if we are no longer going adopt a cat. Or not. Maybe it is ok. I wonder why I suddenly started looking again. The 1 year anniversary of Tiki's passing just occurred but I don't think that compelled me. Maybe the mice. On a side note, some of the mice were living in our air conditioner compressor outside and when my older IG was outside she was obsessed with the mice hanging around the compressor. I never knew my dog was a mouser. He he.. She is better at catching birds and squirrels than mice though (and she is a pacifist... she lets go of the creatures she catches, she likes the hunt not the kill).

I even wonder what I hope to resolve by typing all this. Could be the longest rant in the history of SDN ranting, although it really isn't a rant. MrsSOV and I have both talked about it since we came back, and we have very, very similar feelings about what happened (which happens surprisingly frequently with us, or maybe not that surprisingly). So its not like I haven't had a chance to talk about it. Still I just felt the need to once again put my thoughts in order.

Come to think of it, perhaps in the end maybe I am just still grieving for Tiki. Of course I still miss her, and I like to recall all the fond memories (and some not so fond at that time, but amusing now). I was still grieving for my first IG when we got the 2nd one (who is the mouser I just mentioned btw), so why does this feel so different. I am not sure. Maybe there is no rational analysis to be done, but to just acknowledge the feeling. If a year isn't long enough, then a year isn't long enough. It doesn't make any sense, then it doesn't have to make any sense. At least my older IG will have mice to keep her occupied this summer, and the owls and the bats and the hawks will have plenty of food.

Well, my apoligies to anyone who has actually tried to read this entire post. Not sure that it needs to be posted, but I will. BTW, my youngest IG has just come over and plopped on the keyboard. I think he wants me to go to sleep. So I will. Love your little ones tonight, and every night. All the best. SOV.
 
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People do it all the time, it'll be fine. And sneaking cats is super easy. I snuck 5 kittens into my undergrad dorm...
I know, and really it's our only option at this point. I just get so worked up about this kind of stuff. Legally they have to give us warning about entering the unit and I'm sure I could get a friend to keep my two cats for the day when they happens. I'll just put my rabbit on the lease so I don't have to deal with moving him. Plus, if we renewed, there is no reason they'd need to come through unless we needed maintenance.


And lol, a dorm? Ballsy. I knew a herp guy who had a single dorm. I think he said he had 20 something tanks in there. He built a curtain system to hide them somehow.
 
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I know, and really it's our only option at this point. I just get so worked up about this kind of stuff. Legally they have to give us warning about entering the unit and I'm sure I could get a friend to keep my two cats for the day when they happens. I'll just put my rabbit on the lease so I don't have to deal with moving him. Plus, if we renewed, there is no reason they'd need to come through unless we needed maintenance.


And lol, a dorm? Ballsy. I knew a herp guy who had a single dorm. I think he said he had 20 something tanks in there. He built a curtain system to hide them somehow.
Yeah, we only had em for two weeks but our toilet managed to break during that time so that was fun
 
This isn't really a rant, I just feel sad/bummed and wanted to write it out without burdening anyone in particular.

My cat Tiki was euthanized just a tiny bit over a year ago (she is pictured still in my avatar), and MrsSOV and I finally started looking at adoptable cats and kittens on line this week and then went to a shelter today to look at some of them. Tiki was with us from a year after we got married (19 years ago) and she was a big part of our lives, so of course it was hard to lose her as I am sure most of you can empathize with.

Anyway, looking at cats was pretty fun, and as much as we are known for our IGs, I am probably more of a cat person than a dog person. I like cats in general. I like my dogs, but not as much universally. So anyway, getting a cat is definitely a no-brainer thing it would seem. Oh yeah, we are also having a mouse problem for the first time now..... I don't think it is a coincidence on the timing on that. To be honest, I even considered just getting a feral/barn cat from the shelther and letting her live outside in our garage in the winter or whatever, but figured 1) I would never really want to leave the cat out there even if feral, and 2) Really don't think a cat will survive here as we have at least 2 foxes that live near our property, not to mention the constant hawks around. That was not a big consideration to be honest, just came to my mind.

Back to my tl;dr unloading... so we went to the shelter today. It was a pretty well maintained facility, new, clean, lots of workers, although the cats didn't have a very "open" environment, it is better than many, although not the best (I really like the cat shelter in Long Beach CA by the way. Cats kind of have the run of the cat section, and it is easy to interact with them). So there were a lot of adult cats there, and of course both of us, being compassionate people (outside of WW), felt the normal sorrow to see so many adult cats, and even a lot of adolescent cats. There were only a couple of kittens, and they seemed relatively subdued for kittens IMO. Could have just been sleepy, or the crappy weather (OMG, will we ever see the sun again in the Northeast. It has been a week without a single sighting of a sun-ray). The thing is, at the time, neither MrsSOV could quite pinpoint why but we both felt kind of down. None of the cats felt right for us, and the kittens didn't seem too vibrant, and we both kind of felt, well, maybe some internal pressure or perhaps guilt to save at least one of these cats. I mean, there were a lot of great cats there I am sure, but every other time we have picked out a pet, we both had a strong affinity to one particular one, and today it wasn't like that. There can be lots of reasons why.... maybe I can get there next.

The thing is, what was supposed to be a fun activity of picking out a cat turned into something not so fun. In fact, in the end what it mostly did was leave both of us feeling really drained, and empty, and missing Tiki more than ever. We mostly wanted to find a cat that wouldn't be too much like her, not wanting to have to compare them, because of course our feelings for any cat couldn't match a cat we spent the better part of 2 decades with. So it turned out to be a pretty big bummer for both of us. Had to go get some fro-yo to cheer ourselves up.

Still, even the fro-yo doesn't quite erase the sadness. I wonder if maybe I/we aren't ready to get another cat? It seemed like we were. Maybe we have unrealistic expectations about what to expect after having such a strong relationshop previously? Maybe this facility just wasn't very conducive for us to bond with an animal? Maybe the weather is just sucking all of our souls and we need some sun? Maybe this place just didn't have the right cat for us and we should keep looking? Maybe it is a sign from the aliens who are about to invade us (yeah, I gotta stop watching TV shows). So there you have a bunch of maybes from me. Probably a few I even missed, no?

Where does that leave me? I don't really know. Not so sure I want to subject myself to that again. Not so sure MrsSOV does either. It is pretty sad if we are no longer going adopt a cat. Or not. Maybe it is ok. I wonder why I suddenly started looking again. The 1 year anniversary of Tiki's passing just occurred but I don't think that compelled me. Maybe the mice. On a side note, some of the mice were living in our air conditioner compressor outside and when my older IG was outside she was obsessed with the mice hanging around the compressor. I never knew my dog was a mouser. He he.. She is better at catching birds and squirrels than mice though (and she is a pacifist... she lets go of the creatures she catches, she likes the hunt not the kill).

I even wonder what I hope to resolve by typing all this. Could be the longest rant in the history of SDN ranting, although it really isn't a rant. MrsSOV and I have both talked about it since we came back, and we have very, very similar feelings about what happened (which happens surprisingly frequently with us, or maybe not that surprisingly). So its not like I haven't had a chance to talk about it. Still I just felt the need to once again put my thoughts in order.

Come to think of it, perhaps in the end maybe I am just still grieving for Tiki. Of course I still miss her, and I like to recall all the fond memories (and some not so fond at that time, but amusing now). I was still grieving for my first IG when we got the 2nd one (who is the mouser I just mentioned btw), so why does this feel so different. I am not sure. Maybe there is no rational analysis to be done, but to just acknowledge the feeling. If a year isn't long enough, then a year isn't long enough. It doesn't make any sense, then it doesn't have to make any sense. At least my older IG will have mice to keep her occupied this summer, and the owls and the bats and the hawks will have plenty of food.

Well, my apoligies to anyone who has actually tried to read this entire post. Not sure that it needs to be posted, but I will. BTW, my youngest IG has just come over and plopped on the keyboard. I think he wants me to go to sleep. So I will. Love your little ones tonight, and every night. All the best. SOV.

Awww, that sounds rough, SOV. :( I hope you figure out what it is, but it does sound like grieving to me. Tiki sounds so special. Maybe see if you want to try again in a while?
 
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This isn't really a rant, I just feel sad/bummed and wanted to write it out without burdening anyone in particular.

My cat Tiki was euthanized just a tiny bit over a year ago (she is pictured still in my avatar), and MrsSOV and I finally started looking at adoptable cats and kittens on line this week and then went to a shelter today to look at some of them. Tiki was with us from a year after we got married (19 years ago) and she was a big part of our lives, so of course it was hard to lose her as I am sure most of you can empathize with.

Anyway, looking at cats was pretty fun, and as much as we are known for our IGs, I am probably more of a cat person than a dog person. I like cats in general. I like my dogs, but not as much universally. So anyway, getting a cat is definitely a no-brainer thing it would seem. Oh yeah, we are also having a mouse problem for the first time now..... I don't think it is a coincidence on the timing on that. To be honest, I even considered just getting a feral/barn cat from the shelther and letting her live outside in our garage in the winter or whatever, but figured 1) I would never really want to leave the cat out there even if feral, and 2) Really don't think a cat will survive here as we have at least 2 foxes that live near our property, not to mention the constant hawks around. That was not a big consideration to be honest, just came to my mind.

Back to my tl;dr unloading... so we went to the shelter today. It was a pretty well maintained facility, new, clean, lots of workers, although the cats didn't have a very "open" environment, it is better than many, although not the best (I really like the cat shelter in Long Beach CA by the way. Cats kind of have the run of the cat section, and it is easy to interact with them). So there were a lot of adult cats there, and of course both of us, being compassionate people (outside of WW), felt the normal sorrow to see so many adult cats, and even a lot of adolescent cats. There were only a couple of kittens, and they seemed relatively subdued for kittens IMO. Could have just been sleepy, or the crappy weather (OMG, will we ever see the sun again in the Northeast. It has been a week without a single sighting of a sun-ray). The thing is, at the time, neither MrsSOV could quite pinpoint why but we both felt kind of down. None of the cats felt right for us, and the kittens didn't seem too vibrant, and we both kind of felt, well, maybe some internal pressure or perhaps guilt to save at least one of these cats. I mean, there were a lot of great cats there I am sure, but every other time we have picked out a pet, we both had a strong affinity to one particular one, and today it wasn't like that. There can be lots of reasons why.... maybe I can get there next.

The thing is, what was supposed to be a fun activity of picking out a cat turned into something not so fun. In fact, in the end what it mostly did was leave both of us feeling really drained, and empty, and missing Tiki more than ever. We mostly wanted to find a cat that wouldn't be too much like her, not wanting to have to compare them, because of course our feelings for any cat couldn't match a cat we spent the better part of 2 decades with. So it turned out to be a pretty big bummer for both of us. Had to go get some fro-yo to cheer ourselves up.

Still, even the fro-yo doesn't quite erase the sadness. I wonder if maybe I/we aren't ready to get another cat? It seemed like we were. Maybe we have unrealistic expectations about what to expect after having such a strong relationshop previously? Maybe this facility just wasn't very conducive for us to bond with an animal? Maybe the weather is just sucking all of our souls and we need some sun? Maybe this place just didn't have the right cat for us and we should keep looking? Maybe it is a sign from the aliens who are about to invade us (yeah, I gotta stop watching TV shows). So there you have a bunch of maybes from me. Probably a few I even missed, no?

Where does that leave me? I don't really know. Not so sure I want to subject myself to that again. Not so sure MrsSOV does either. It is pretty sad if we are no longer going adopt a cat. Or not. Maybe it is ok. I wonder why I suddenly started looking again. The 1 year anniversary of Tiki's passing just occurred but I don't think that compelled me. Maybe the mice. On a side note, some of the mice were living in our air conditioner compressor outside and when my older IG was outside she was obsessed with the mice hanging around the compressor. I never knew my dog was a mouser. He he.. She is better at catching birds and squirrels than mice though (and she is a pacifist... she lets go of the creatures she catches, she likes the hunt not the kill).

I even wonder what I hope to resolve by typing all this. Could be the longest rant in the history of SDN ranting, although it really isn't a rant. MrsSOV and I have both talked about it since we came back, and we have very, very similar feelings about what happened (which happens surprisingly frequently with us, or maybe not that surprisingly). So its not like I haven't had a chance to talk about it. Still I just felt the need to once again put my thoughts in order.

Come to think of it, perhaps in the end maybe I am just still grieving for Tiki. Of course I still miss her, and I like to recall all the fond memories (and some not so fond at that time, but amusing now). I was still grieving for my first IG when we got the 2nd one (who is the mouser I just mentioned btw), so why does this feel so different. I am not sure. Maybe there is no rational analysis to be done, but to just acknowledge the feeling. If a year isn't long enough, then a year isn't long enough. It doesn't make any sense, then it doesn't have to make any sense. At least my older IG will have mice to keep her occupied this summer, and the owls and the bats and the hawks will have plenty of food.

Well, my apoligies to anyone who has actually tried to read this entire post. Not sure that it needs to be posted, but I will. BTW, my youngest IG has just come over and plopped on the keyboard. I think he wants me to go to sleep. So I will. Love your little ones tonight, and every night. All the best. SOV.
I've never had the fortune of owning a pet for nearly two decades (at least not yet, I was only allowed pets within the last 10 years!), but when my guinea pig died, I didn't know how I was ever going to get another pet again. Some people just don't get the bond you can develop when you've found the right animal (luckily this forum does get it), but that pig was no different than people who say they've found their once in a lifetime dog or cat. Then spending such a large chunk of your life with that animal....rough.

I fully believe there are certain losses that you just never quite get over, but learn to live with. I honestly think about my guinea pig quite often to this day, and she's been gone for about three years now. I never thought I was going to get another exotic pet, and I told myself that. "Riley was irreplaceable." I never looked, I never even thought about it until my rabbit fell in my lap and I decided to take him home. He's a different animal, sure, but he fits well into my band of misfits and I can't imagine not having him now. My family told me I was just replacing my pig and shouldn't have given him a home, but I've never once regretted it.

TL;DR: Sometimes they come when you aren't looking.

Also, I love posting on this thread because I never feel embarrassed to say that my guinea pig was the most incredible little creature ever. I love my dog, cats, and bun with my entire heart, but she was definitely something. Who's cutting onions in here?
 
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This isn't really a rant, I just feel sad/bummed and wanted to write it out without burdening anyone in particular.

My cat Tiki was euthanized just a tiny bit over a year ago (she is pictured still in my avatar), and MrsSOV and I finally started looking at adoptable cats and kittens on line this week and then went to a shelter today to look at some of them. Tiki was with us from a year after we got married (19 years ago) and she was a big part of our lives, so of course it was hard to lose her as I am sure most of you can empathize with.

Anyway, looking at cats was pretty fun, and as much as we are known for our IGs, I am probably more of a cat person than a dog person. I like cats in general. I like my dogs, but not as much universally. So anyway, getting a cat is definitely a no-brainer thing it would seem. Oh yeah, we are also having a mouse problem for the first time now..... I don't think it is a coincidence on the timing on that. To be honest, I even considered just getting a feral/barn cat from the shelther and letting her live outside in our garage in the winter or whatever, but figured 1) I would never really want to leave the cat out there even if feral, and 2) Really don't think a cat will survive here as we have at least 2 foxes that live near our property, not to mention the constant hawks around. That was not a big consideration to be honest, just came to my mind.

Back to my tl;dr unloading... so we went to the shelter today. It was a pretty well maintained facility, new, clean, lots of workers, although the cats didn't have a very "open" environment, it is better than many, although not the best (I really like the cat shelter in Long Beach CA by the way. Cats kind of have the run of the cat section, and it is easy to interact with them). So there were a lot of adult cats there, and of course both of us, being compassionate people (outside of WW), felt the normal sorrow to see so many adult cats, and even a lot of adolescent cats. There were only a couple of kittens, and they seemed relatively subdued for kittens IMO. Could have just been sleepy, or the crappy weather (OMG, will we ever see the sun again in the Northeast. It has been a week without a single sighting of a sun-ray). The thing is, at the time, neither MrsSOV could quite pinpoint why but we both felt kind of down. None of the cats felt right for us, and the kittens didn't seem too vibrant, and we both kind of felt, well, maybe some internal pressure or perhaps guilt to save at least one of these cats. I mean, there were a lot of great cats there I am sure, but every other time we have picked out a pet, we both had a strong affinity to one particular one, and today it wasn't like that. There can be lots of reasons why.... maybe I can get there next.

The thing is, what was supposed to be a fun activity of picking out a cat turned into something not so fun. In fact, in the end what it mostly did was leave both of us feeling really drained, and empty, and missing Tiki more than ever. We mostly wanted to find a cat that wouldn't be too much like her, not wanting to have to compare them, because of course our feelings for any cat couldn't match a cat we spent the better part of 2 decades with. So it turned out to be a pretty big bummer for both of us. Had to go get some fro-yo to cheer ourselves up.

Still, even the fro-yo doesn't quite erase the sadness. I wonder if maybe I/we aren't ready to get another cat? It seemed like we were. Maybe we have unrealistic expectations about what to expect after having such a strong relationshop previously? Maybe this facility just wasn't very conducive for us to bond with an animal? Maybe the weather is just sucking all of our souls and we need some sun? Maybe this place just didn't have the right cat for us and we should keep looking? Maybe it is a sign from the aliens who are about to invade us (yeah, I gotta stop watching TV shows). So there you have a bunch of maybes from me. Probably a few I even missed, no?

Where does that leave me? I don't really know. Not so sure I want to subject myself to that again. Not so sure MrsSOV does either. It is pretty sad if we are no longer going adopt a cat. Or not. Maybe it is ok. I wonder why I suddenly started looking again. The 1 year anniversary of Tiki's passing just occurred but I don't think that compelled me. Maybe the mice. On a side note, some of the mice were living in our air conditioner compressor outside and when my older IG was outside she was obsessed with the mice hanging around the compressor. I never knew my dog was a mouser. He he.. She is better at catching birds and squirrels than mice though (and she is a pacifist... she lets go of the creatures she catches, she likes the hunt not the kill).

I even wonder what I hope to resolve by typing all this. Could be the longest rant in the history of SDN ranting, although it really isn't a rant. MrsSOV and I have both talked about it since we came back, and we have very, very similar feelings about what happened (which happens surprisingly frequently with us, or maybe not that surprisingly). So its not like I haven't had a chance to talk about it. Still I just felt the need to once again put my thoughts in order.

Come to think of it, perhaps in the end maybe I am just still grieving for Tiki. Of course I still miss her, and I like to recall all the fond memories (and some not so fond at that time, but amusing now). I was still grieving for my first IG when we got the 2nd one (who is the mouser I just mentioned btw), so why does this feel so different. I am not sure. Maybe there is no rational analysis to be done, but to just acknowledge the feeling. If a year isn't long enough, then a year isn't long enough. It doesn't make any sense, then it doesn't have to make any sense. At least my older IG will have mice to keep her occupied this summer, and the owls and the bats and the hawks will have plenty of food.

Well, my apoligies to anyone who has actually tried to read this entire post. Not sure that it needs to be posted, but I will. BTW, my youngest IG has just come over and plopped on the keyboard. I think he wants me to go to sleep. So I will. Love your little ones tonight, and every night. All the best. SOV.
*hugs* I'm sorry SOV. It does sound like maybe you guys just aren't ready yet. Two decades is a long time, and it seems like Tiki was very special even outside of just the amount of time she was with you guys. You're right, these things just don't make sense sometimes. I say give it some more time, try again in a while if you still want to, and if not that's OK too.
 
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This isn't really a rant, I just feel sad/bummed and wanted to write it out without burdening anyone in particular.

My cat Tiki was euthanized just a tiny bit over a year ago (she is pictured still in my avatar), and MrsSOV and I finally started looking at adoptable cats and kittens on line this week and then went to a shelter today to look at some of them. Tiki was with us from a year after we got married (19 years ago) and she was a big part of our lives, so of course it was hard to lose her as I am sure most of you can empathize with.

Anyway, looking at cats was pretty fun, and as much as we are known for our IGs, I am probably more of a cat person than a dog person. I like cats in general. I like my dogs, but not as much universally. So anyway, getting a cat is definitely a no-brainer thing it would seem. Oh yeah, we are also having a mouse problem for the first time now..... I don't think it is a coincidence on the timing on that. To be honest, I even considered just getting a feral/barn cat from the shelther and letting her live outside in our garage in the winter or whatever, but figured 1) I would never really want to leave the cat out there even if feral, and 2) Really don't think a cat will survive here as we have at least 2 foxes that live near our property, not to mention the constant hawks around. That was not a big consideration to be honest, just came to my mind.

Back to my tl;dr unloading... so we went to the shelter today. It was a pretty well maintained facility, new, clean, lots of workers, although the cats didn't have a very "open" environment, it is better than many, although not the best (I really like the cat shelter in Long Beach CA by the way. Cats kind of have the run of the cat section, and it is easy to interact with them). So there were a lot of adult cats there, and of course both of us, being compassionate people (outside of WW), felt the normal sorrow to see so many adult cats, and even a lot of adolescent cats. There were only a couple of kittens, and they seemed relatively subdued for kittens IMO. Could have just been sleepy, or the crappy weather (OMG, will we ever see the sun again in the Northeast. It has been a week without a single sighting of a sun-ray). The thing is, at the time, neither MrsSOV could quite pinpoint why but we both felt kind of down. None of the cats felt right for us, and the kittens didn't seem too vibrant, and we both kind of felt, well, maybe some internal pressure or perhaps guilt to save at least one of these cats. I mean, there were a lot of great cats there I am sure, but every other time we have picked out a pet, we both had a strong affinity to one particular one, and today it wasn't like that. There can be lots of reasons why.... maybe I can get there next.

The thing is, what was supposed to be a fun activity of picking out a cat turned into something not so fun. In fact, in the end what it mostly did was leave both of us feeling really drained, and empty, and missing Tiki more than ever. We mostly wanted to find a cat that wouldn't be too much like her, not wanting to have to compare them, because of course our feelings for any cat couldn't match a cat we spent the better part of 2 decades with. So it turned out to be a pretty big bummer for both of us. Had to go get some fro-yo to cheer ourselves up.

Still, even the fro-yo doesn't quite erase the sadness. I wonder if maybe I/we aren't ready to get another cat? It seemed like we were. Maybe we have unrealistic expectations about what to expect after having such a strong relationshop previously? Maybe this facility just wasn't very conducive for us to bond with an animal? Maybe the weather is just sucking all of our souls and we need some sun? Maybe this place just didn't have the right cat for us and we should keep looking? Maybe it is a sign from the aliens who are about to invade us (yeah, I gotta stop watching TV shows). So there you have a bunch of maybes from me. Probably a few I even missed, no?

Where does that leave me? I don't really know. Not so sure I want to subject myself to that again. Not so sure MrsSOV does either. It is pretty sad if we are no longer going adopt a cat. Or not. Maybe it is ok. I wonder why I suddenly started looking again. The 1 year anniversary of Tiki's passing just occurred but I don't think that compelled me. Maybe the mice. On a side note, some of the mice were living in our air conditioner compressor outside and when my older IG was outside she was obsessed with the mice hanging around the compressor. I never knew my dog was a mouser. He he.. She is better at catching birds and squirrels than mice though (and she is a pacifist... she lets go of the creatures she catches, she likes the hunt not the kill).

I even wonder what I hope to resolve by typing all this. Could be the longest rant in the history of SDN ranting, although it really isn't a rant. MrsSOV and I have both talked about it since we came back, and we have very, very similar feelings about what happened (which happens surprisingly frequently with us, or maybe not that surprisingly). So its not like I haven't had a chance to talk about it. Still I just felt the need to once again put my thoughts in order.

Come to think of it, perhaps in the end maybe I am just still grieving for Tiki. Of course I still miss her, and I like to recall all the fond memories (and some not so fond at that time, but amusing now). I was still grieving for my first IG when we got the 2nd one (who is the mouser I just mentioned btw), so why does this feel so different. I am not sure. Maybe there is no rational analysis to be done, but to just acknowledge the feeling. If a year isn't long enough, then a year isn't long enough. It doesn't make any sense, then it doesn't have to make any sense. At least my older IG will have mice to keep her occupied this summer, and the owls and the bats and the hawks will have plenty of food.

Well, my apoligies to anyone who has actually tried to read this entire post. Not sure that it needs to be posted, but I will. BTW, my youngest IG has just come over and plopped on the keyboard. I think he wants me to go to sleep. So I will. Love your little ones tonight, and every night. All the best. SOV.

Aw, SOV, I love that you're secretly a cat guy. :love:


Eventually some beautiful little monster of a cat is going to waltz into your life whether you're actively looking or not, and there won't be a single thing keeping you from saying yes. If you don't want to go back to the shelter, maybe try talking to some hospitals in your area. Ask them to let you know if anyone comes in with a homeless cat or a litter of kittens. Knowing the story of the cat you eventually take home might help get you out of your slump.
 
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@StartingoverVet Try spending some time browsing local kitties on Petfinder. There's no obligation then (and less guilt from clicking away) and maybe you find one that seems like (s)he would jive well with you.

I got Rigby on petfinder. I'm sure other cats would have been okay too, but we are happy with the little fart. Slater still may be my forever cat at this point but I still appreciate the other two and their company, of course. It's never the same, but it's still good. Maybe some day it will be even better. Who knows.
 
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Awww, that sounds rough, SOV. :( I hope you figure out what it is, but it does sound like grieving to me. Tiki sounds so special. Maybe see if you want to try again in a while?

I've never had the fortune of owning a pet for nearly two decades (at least not yet, I was only allowed pets within the last 10 years!), but when my guinea pig died, I didn't know how I was ever going to get another pet again. Some people just don't get the bond you can develop when you've found the right animal (luckily this forum does get it), but that pig was no different than people who say they've found their once in a lifetime dog or cat. Then spending such a large chunk of your life with that animal....rough.

I fully believe there are certain losses that you just never quite get over, but learn to live with. I honestly think about my guinea pig quite often to this day, and she's been gone for about three years now. I never thought I was going to get another exotic pet, and I told myself that. "Riley was irreplaceable." I never looked, I never even thought about it until my rabbit fell in my lap and I decided to take him home. He's a different animal, sure, but he fits well into my band of misfits and I can't imagine not having him now. My family told me I was just replacing my pig and shouldn't have given him a home, but I've never once regretted it.

TL;DR: Sometimes they come when you aren't looking.

Also, I love posting on this thread because I never feel embarrassed to say that my guinea pig was the most incredible little creature ever. I love my dog, cats, and bun with my entire heart, but she was definitely something. Who's cutting onions in here?

Aw, SOV, I love that you're secretly a cat guy. :love:

Eventually some beautiful little monster of a cat is going to waltz into your life whether you're actively looking or not, and there won't be a single thing keeping you from saying yes. If you don't want to go back to the shelter, maybe try talking to some hospitals in your area. Ask them to let you know if anyone comes in with a homeless cat or a litter of kittens. Knowing the story of the cat you eventually take home might help get you out of your slump.

@StartingoverVet Try spending some time browsing local kitties on Petfinder. There's no obligation then (and less guilt from clicking away) and maybe you find one that seems like (s)he would jive well with you.

I got Rigby on petfinder. I'm sure other cats would have been okay too, but we are happy with the little fart. Slater still may be my forever cat at this point but I still appreciate the other two and their company, of course. It's never the same, but it's still good. Maybe some day it will be even better. Who knows.

Thanks to all of you who actually read my post/chapter, and the advice given. There are some good points there, and I appreciate your support.

Cheers.
 
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Thanks to all of you who actually read my post/chapter, and the advice given. There are some good points there, and I appreciate your support.

Cheers.
I agree with TT! My kitty that is my soul kitty was one that fell into my hands out of the blue, and my other cat that is more his own cat is one I saved from my old job because the people didn't want a white barn kitten for obvious reasons, but my Lupin was found on Petfinder and I knew almost immediately when I saw his photo and story. He was with a foster family and I drove an hour to go meet him, and it was just an intense like as he waddled up as soon as I walked up to me out of four other brother and sisters ignoring my presence.

While I certainly get the guilt of not offering a home to any of the deserving cats/kittens you met, there just isn't a way around two lifeforms recognizing they belong with each other. Take your time and best of searches to find joy again!
 
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This isn't really a rant, I just feel sad/bummed and wanted to write it out without burdening anyone in particular.

My cat Tiki was euthanized just a tiny bit over a year ago (she is pictured still in my avatar), and MrsSOV and I finally started looking at adoptable cats and kittens on line this week and then went to a shelter today to look at some of them. Tiki was with us from a year after we got married (19 years ago) and she was a big part of our lives, so of course it was hard to lose her as I am sure most of you can empathize with.

Anyway, looking at cats was pretty fun, and as much as we are known for our IGs, I am probably more of a cat person than a dog person. I like cats in general. I like my dogs, but not as much universally. So anyway, getting a cat is definitely a no-brainer thing it would seem. Oh yeah, we are also having a mouse problem for the first time now..... I don't think it is a coincidence on the timing on that. To be honest, I even considered just getting a feral/barn cat from the shelther and letting her live outside in our garage in the winter or whatever, but figured 1) I would never really want to leave the cat out there even if feral, and 2) Really don't think a cat will survive here as we have at least 2 foxes that live near our property, not to mention the constant hawks around. That was not a big consideration to be honest, just came to my mind.

Back to my tl;dr unloading... so we went to the shelter today. It was a pretty well maintained facility, new, clean, lots of workers, although the cats didn't have a very "open" environment, it is better than many, although not the best (I really like the cat shelter in Long Beach CA by the way. Cats kind of have the run of the cat section, and it is easy to interact with them). So there were a lot of adult cats there, and of course both of us, being compassionate people (outside of WW), felt the normal sorrow to see so many adult cats, and even a lot of adolescent cats. There were only a couple of kittens, and they seemed relatively subdued for kittens IMO. Could have just been sleepy, or the crappy weather (OMG, will we ever see the sun again in the Northeast. It has been a week without a single sighting of a sun-ray). The thing is, at the time, neither MrsSOV could quite pinpoint why but we both felt kind of down. None of the cats felt right for us, and the kittens didn't seem too vibrant, and we both kind of felt, well, maybe some internal pressure or perhaps guilt to save at least one of these cats. I mean, there were a lot of great cats there I am sure, but every other time we have picked out a pet, we both had a strong affinity to one particular one, and today it wasn't like that. There can be lots of reasons why.... maybe I can get there next.

The thing is, what was supposed to be a fun activity of picking out a cat turned into something not so fun. In fact, in the end what it mostly did was leave both of us feeling really drained, and empty, and missing Tiki more than ever. We mostly wanted to find a cat that wouldn't be too much like her, not wanting to have to compare them, because of course our feelings for any cat couldn't match a cat we spent the better part of 2 decades with. So it turned out to be a pretty big bummer for both of us. Had to go get some fro-yo to cheer ourselves up.

Still, even the fro-yo doesn't quite erase the sadness. I wonder if maybe I/we aren't ready to get another cat? It seemed like we were. Maybe we have unrealistic expectations about what to expect after having such a strong relationshop previously? Maybe this facility just wasn't very conducive for us to bond with an animal? Maybe the weather is just sucking all of our souls and we need some sun? Maybe this place just didn't have the right cat for us and we should keep looking? Maybe it is a sign from the aliens who are about to invade us (yeah, I gotta stop watching TV shows). So there you have a bunch of maybes from me. Probably a few I even missed, no?

Where does that leave me? I don't really know. Not so sure I want to subject myself to that again. Not so sure MrsSOV does either. It is pretty sad if we are no longer going adopt a cat. Or not. Maybe it is ok. I wonder why I suddenly started looking again. The 1 year anniversary of Tiki's passing just occurred but I don't think that compelled me. Maybe the mice. On a side note, some of the mice were living in our air conditioner compressor outside and when my older IG was outside she was obsessed with the mice hanging around the compressor. I never knew my dog was a mouser. He he.. She is better at catching birds and squirrels than mice though (and she is a pacifist... she lets go of the creatures she catches, she likes the hunt not the kill).

I even wonder what I hope to resolve by typing all this. Could be the longest rant in the history of SDN ranting, although it really isn't a rant. MrsSOV and I have both talked about it since we came back, and we have very, very similar feelings about what happened (which happens surprisingly frequently with us, or maybe not that surprisingly). So its not like I haven't had a chance to talk about it. Still I just felt the need to once again put my thoughts in order.

Come to think of it, perhaps in the end maybe I am just still grieving for Tiki. Of course I still miss her, and I like to recall all the fond memories (and some not so fond at that time, but amusing now). I was still grieving for my first IG when we got the 2nd one (who is the mouser I just mentioned btw), so why does this feel so different. I am not sure. Maybe there is no rational analysis to be done, but to just acknowledge the feeling. If a year isn't long enough, then a year isn't long enough. It doesn't make any sense, then it doesn't have to make any sense. At least my older IG will have mice to keep her occupied this summer, and the owls and the bats and the hawks will have plenty of food.

Well, my apoligies to anyone who has actually tried to read this entire post. Not sure that it needs to be posted, but I will. BTW, my youngest IG has just come over and plopped on the keyboard. I think he wants me to go to sleep. So I will. Love your little ones tonight, and every night. All the best. SOV.

I am reminded this part of the Last Will and Testament of Silverdene Emblem O'Neill

One last request I earnestly make. I have heard my Mistress say, "When Blemie dies we must never have another dog. I love him so much I could never love another one." Now I would ask her, for love of me, to have another. It would be a poor tribute to my memory never to have a dog again. What I would like to feel is that, having once had me in the family, now she cannot live without a dog!

Thoughts are with you.
 
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Well, my apoligies to anyone who has actually tried to read this entire post. Not sure that it needs to be posted, but I will. BTW, my youngest IG has just come over and plopped on the keyboard. I think he wants me to go to sleep. So I will. Love your little ones tonight, and every night. All the best. SOV.

Gah, I read this as we are getting ready to say goodbye to one of our kitties in the next couple weeks. I've been ok knowing that we've done everything possible to save him and he's just not fixable. My bond with him is different than with any other kitty. Your post made me cry :(
 
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