"Real Pets" Rant (Warning: Contains Some Sad Stuff and Language)

[Lace Neil Singer]

Any animal that you take care of and love is a real pet. That's the end of it. It doesn't matter whether it's a cat, dog, rat, fish or beetle; it's still a pet.

My cat, who I had from a kitten and who I had to leave behind at my parents' house when I moved out died from renal failure at the age of fifteen. I nearly sucker punched someone who said, "Well, it wasn't really your cat any more cuz you didn't have it living with you."

Firstly, my cat is not an "it", her name was Cleopatra, Queen Of Cats. Secondly, I left her behind cuz I put her welfare first; she had lived for nearly ten years at my parents' house, a large house with a nice garden at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and was used to being there. My first flat was on a busy main road and had no garden. Finally, I loved that cat. She was my friend for her entire life and I mourned her when she died, so yes, she was my cat regardless of whether she was living with me or not.

[An Haddock]

I have several hamsters - all but one of them are at least second (and a couple of third) generation, born and raised in my apartment. The oldest is a little lady around three years of age, which is usually the maximum for the species and she's still quite spry.

Some people may consider them disposable, but I'm rather proud of their condition and lifespan. They're my happy little family.

Someone who has just lost a beloved car and is grieving over it will get sympathy from me.

I put my Tracker, that had faithfully served me for 17 years, to rest last February. And while I love finally having air conditioning in my new car, I immediately miss the Tracker's high wheelbase when I encounter flooding like I did yesterday.

[bhskittykatt]

Someone who has just lost a beloved car and is grieving over it will get sympathy from me.

It hit me pretty hard when I lost my first car. Her head gasket was going and I was probably going to retire her soon, but I had wanted it to be on my terms. She served me faithfully. We got hit by a drunk driver, so that car's safety features ultimately saved me. Car didn't make it. I cried when they towed her away, and I cried at the tow lot when I went to retrieve my items for the last time. It wasn't as bad as losing a pet, but that was still my first car, dammit.

[Sunshine]

My chow mix died the summer after I graduated from high school. I was heartbroken and kept his dog tag. He's been gone almost 20 years and we still have photos around the house. My sister will not have kids and I fully treat her dogs like they are my niece and nephew.

[wheeitsmee]

I had no idea that you could euthanize a pet fish. That's...kind of awesome.

[FenigDurak]

Who's cutting onions in here?

I remember when my first hamster died. His name was Oreo and he lived to 3 years old. He died in his sleep, curled up in the corner of his cage. I was devastated, and the woman who was living with my Mom and me was so dismissive about it. She didn't live with us for much longer after that.

[Slave to the Phone]

I mentioned my cats, and he starting saying, "Oh I hate cats! Every time I see a cat, I just want to..."

I cut him off right there, and told him, "Just stop right there. If you don't like cats, that's fine, but keep that shit to yourself! One of my cats is really sick, and he might not make it, so I don't want to hear it!"

I'm sorry for your loss.

I've never understood why people think its funny to tell someone who obviously loves something that they would want to hurt their object of love, be it cats, snakes or spiders.

Back in the dark ages, when I was dating, it was a total deal breaker for someone to tell me that they wanted to hurt cats or any living thing. (Killing pests or killing for food is different. Do it humanely is all I ask.)

[Comechatcha]

Any animal that you take care of and love is a real pet. That's the end of it. It doesn't matter whether it's a cat, dog, rat, fish or beetle; it's still a pet.

My cat, who I had from a kitten and who I had to leave behind at my parents' house when I moved out died from renal failure at the age of fifteen. I nearly sucker punched someone who said, "Well, it wasn't really your cat any more cuz you didn't have it living with you."

Firstly, my cat is not an "it", her name was Cleopatra, Queen Of Cats. Secondly, I left her behind cuz I put her welfare first; she had lived for nearly ten years at my parents' house, a large house with a nice garden at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and was used to being there. My first flat was on a busy main road and had no garden. Finally, I loved that cat. She was my friend for her entire life and I mourned her when she died, so yes, she was my cat regardless of whether she was living with me or not.

I have a twenty year-old cat living with my parents because I moved out a few years back and lived on the main commercial street in town, and then an apartment. Both with full carpeting. He needs someone to be around more than I'm home, so staying living with three people and his adopted daughter (seriously, this cat adopts any baby you put near him and daddies all over them) was better for him. Especially now that he's mostly deaf, half blind, and we're pretty sure has dementia because he gets lost in the main rooms regularly and cries until someone guides him back to his spot. Would I love to have him with me? Yes. Do I still pay for his vet bills? Yes. Is he still my baby who I've had for twenty years? Yes!

They're family. You don't say that your sister is no longer your sister because you've moved out.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Every fish I or my sister ever had as pets got flushed upon death, and it didn't affect us much, but I certainly wouldn't expect somebody else to just "get over it" if they felt the way about their fish as I do about my dog.

Even if you can't take it out of the tank and play with it, it's still something you care for, and that's important.

[Valentinian]

I had a female betta fish who would do tricks for food pellets. I had ancient rats who I took to the vet for tumor surgeries and tooth trims. I've had a pet venomous spider, for crying out loud, she didn't do anything except hang out in her web and I sure as heck couldn't take her out and pat her, but I still cared and was sad when she died (of fat, well-fed old age).

If you look after it and care about it, it's a pet. Thank you for being there for that woman and her goldfish.

[PastryGal]

I have 2 kitties 2 and 3 years old and I'd be sad to lose them one day when they go over the rainbow bridge. One of my old roomies cats passed away a couple years ago. I hadn't lived with him in a couple years at this point but I loved his kitty Cosmo so much so I ended up bawling on break at work one day when he txted me to call him and Cosmo had suddenly passed away in his sleep, he was only a few years old. He had him cremated.

Someone who has just lost a beloved car and is grieving over it will get sympathy from me.

God I'm hoping to get a new car this year as my current one might be lucky to get me though the winter. Poor salt water here has been hard on her. It was left to me when my Grandmother passed away in 2010. Car is now 16 years old. I know I will be bawling the day I have to say goodbye to it. Hell I'm crying now just thinking about it. I have many things from my Grandmother but that car has taken me many places and helped me out so much.

[MamaMootz]

I had to put my beloved kitty down (stomach cancer). He was with me from the time I moved out, until the time I met my husband and got engaged, and was there when I had my daughter. That cat was like a 2nd child to me.

I was weeping uncontrollably when we went to leave the vet's office, and the WOMAN BEHIND THE DESK told me to stop crying because "it's just a cat".

No. No. He wasn't "just a cat". I read the OP and got all kinds of het up - why do people have to come out with this crap? A pet is a pet is a pet and nobody can tell anyone else how to feel or that their pet isn't "real".

I don't know how you kept from saying something to that person... I would have had a very hard time keeping quiet.

[Nunavut Pants]

At one point, a friend of mine was pretty spectacularly broken up about the death of his pug. I had liked the pug, but I didn't see what the big deal was--it was "just a dog". Fortunately, I kept those thoughts well and truly to myself, because my friend was brokenhearted.

I remembered those words sharply, and was immensely sorry I had ever thought them (and super glad I never said them!!) when we lost our kitty a few years later. We only had Big Bump for a few years, but she loved us with all of her being and we loved her just as fiercely!

I lost my friend a few years after that, and I am forever grateful I don't have to live with having said something so hateful to him about his pug. Because he really did love that dog!

[XCashier]

I was weeping uncontrollably when we went to leave the vet's office, and the WOMAN BEHIND THE DESK told me to stop crying because "it's just a cat".

What the hell is she doing working at a vet's office if she can't comprehend how much a person's pet means to them?! I'm glad that most vets and vet staff are more like DataHound than that hag.

I've had two wonderful dogs, a beautiful bird and several delightful cats. I loved each and every one, and cried when they died. They were my friends. Doesn't matter that they weren't human, they were my friends. I now have two sweet middle-aged cats (though the younger one still has kittenish energy!) and I hope I have them for a very long time, and know I'll cry for them when it's their time. And woe to anyone who says, "big deal, it's just a cat."

[MadMike]

I was weeping uncontrollably when we went to leave the vet's office, and the WOMAN BEHIND THE DESK told me to stop crying because "it's just a cat".

She has no business working at a vet's office.

I only had to put a cat down once so far. He was losing the use of his body throughout the week. It all started on a Sunday, when I was petting him and thought his paws felt a little cold. Then, a couple days later, he couldn't move his back legs and he was trying to drag himself by his front legs. Shortly after that, he lost use of those as well. He was an older cat, so we weren't completely surprised that his time was almost up, but we were hoping he'd go on his own. But he kept hanging in there, even eating the food that my son was hand-feeding to him.

Friday rolled around, and he was still holding on, and I didn't want him suddenly ending up in pain and not being able to do anything about it over the weekend. We called the vet, told them that one of our cats needed to be put down, and they told us to bring him over. They were nothing but compassionate towards us when we got there. They took one look at him and assured us we were doing the right thing, as he was gasping for air at that point and couldn't even lift his head. They even offered us a box of tissues, which we all made use of.

When it was done, they wrapped him up in his favorite blanket, which we had brought him there in. I buried him in the front yard, in a hole that I dug before we left. I felt kind of guilty digging a grave for a cat that was still alive, but I knew I wouldn't want to do it when I got back. I think the worst part was leaving the house with him and knowing we wouldn't be bringing him back alive.

A few days later, we got a sympathy card in the mail from our vet, which everyone in the office had signed.