This article in the NZ Herald struck at my heart. On Valentines Day this year, we discovered that my beloved long time friend and companion, Sage (16 years old - 80 in cat years) had collapsed lungs, we think they were filled with lots of tumours. So, I returned from my client meetings 2 1/2 hours away, spent a last night with him and then the Vet came around on Friday morning and he was put out of his misery.
It is hard to explain to people that don't have an animal companion what that feels like. But if you do have an animal companion, I think you will understand how much grief it provided for Peter and I.
We were then scheduled to be away at a conference in Sydney for this week and when we returned, Sages sister - Hally had disappeared. We have a lot of cats in our neighbourhood and we think that without Sage to protect her, that she was getting beaten up by some of the more aggressive cats. She hasn't been seen since Wednesday, it is now Saturday. Apart from calling everywhere around the neighbourhood and hoping that she will sneak home in the dark one night, we may have lost her two. Two cats in one week - pretty hard!
Sage and Hally last winter, enjoying the fire
This New Zealand Herald Article in todays newspaper made me think about how important our animal companions are, and I thought it was important to share this with you. At one stage we had three cats. Togiak was a monster cat (big in size, not in weight). He succumbed to liver cancer in 2006. After surgery and chemotherapy and me having many frustrating sessions with him trying to get medicine and food into him, he just stopped eating. The bills and costs were worth it to us. He was only 8.
If you decide that your budget can extend to pet insurance, here are the three websites referred to in Diana's article:
PetPlan (also sold as the Warehouse PetPlan)
Ellenco Pet Insurance (Southern Cross)
GREAT FOOTNOTE: Hally returned home at 10.30pm on the Saturday night. She hasn't been very far ever since!!!
If you have any thoughts or opinions that you would like to share, visit us at our Facebook or Linked In pages, and comment.
Other blog posts that you might be interested in:
This is my personal story too – Adriennes Disability Story
Videos – Busting Cancer Myths – World Cancer Day
By Carey Church
