Expired pets....I don't get it!

uck51js9zml2yt

We had 2 hamsters. I got one of them euthanised last night.
The saddest part was handing over €55 for its death and disposal.

The alternative was stick it in a box outside at night....but I'm not that heartless.

But I just don't get the attachment people have to their pets and the apparent loss they feel at their departure.

Over the years we've had cats and dogs. Some have died naturally, others were brought to the vet in their old age but I just considered them animals and not siblings etc as some do.

What am I missing here? Why the utter despair at the loss of an animal?

I just don't get it!

Koolhanger

Then you never will.

Raging_Ninja

Depends on the pet. Our dog sniffed out my mother's cancer. We quite literally owed him her life and there was much sadness when he died.

eviltwin

My eldest dog died before Christmas, she'd been a part of my family for 15 years. Her death, while expected, was still devestating for all of us. Its nearly three months and I'm still grieving, she's left a massive gap in our home. I know some people won't get it and might find it a bit pathetic but if you know the love some people have for their pets you will understand.

Captain Obvious

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

Depends on the pet. Our dog sniffed out my mother's cancer. We quite literally owed him her life and there was much sadness when he died.

How did he tell you about it?

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

My childhood dog died over two years ago and I still get a little wobbly whenever I see a dog of the same breed out and about.

1) Thankfully it's not a particularly common breed, I don't know how people with labs or pugs or German shepherds cope!

2) Mutts from now on.

Have a hamster at the minute who's getting on a bit and the loss won't be anything like the same but I'll still be sad when the little fella goes. There's also still one of the childhood pets, a cat, trucking on back at my parents' house and I don't like to think about what's coming when he dies. He is a particularly cool cat though.

People love their pets, spend time with them, miss them when they're gone, and express and process that grief. I'm not really sure how to explain "people feel differently about things than you" to an adult tbh.

MilesMorales1

So you lack empathy, basically.

super_furry

You don't need to get it, just don't be a dick about people that do and everything will be grand.

Lady Haywire

I wouldn't consider my cat a brother but I will be devastated when he eventually has to go. I've shared 6 years of my life with him, he sleeps in my bed, come for walks, miaows for mayonnaise when the fridge is open, climbs any ladder he can see. Small things like that which have made me laugh over the years, plus all the times I've hugged him and buried my face in him when I am upset or angry. I used to live by myself with him and he was always there if I felt lonely too, wandering about the house after me, getting stuck in all sorts of situations like when he fell into the toilet
To most folk he's just a pile of legs and fur that eats and shíts and is a waste of money but he's my waste of money and i love him.
I'm sure some people just don't understand pets but i'll never understand those people.

the_pen_turner

I think there are two reasons for this.

1
people have moved away from animals and eating them . all they see is the meat on the table not the animal. loads of people don't know where meat comes from. if you are brought up on a farm or aware of how that works then you have a grater understanding of the circle of life.
2
I will state that I'm a bit like this too
people are too attached to their animals. they let them into their lives too much , they let them into their homes and sit on the couch with them. they watch tv with them. its easy end up with the pet becoming a very important part of the family. in some cases the pet is a better friend or family member that the humans in their lives
when that happens the loss is real.


when these 2 combine you end up with someone who get very emotionally attached to the pet and can be blind to the reality that the loved pet is failing . I know someone like this and she was blind sided by the loss even though the pet was failing for 12 months.

ancapailldorcha

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

We had 2 hamsters. I got one of them euthanised last night.
The saddest part was handing over €55 for its death and disposal.

The alternative was stick it in a box outside at night....but I'm not that heartless.

But I just don't get the attachment people have to their pets and the apparent loss they feel at their departure.

Over the years we've had cats and dogs. Some have died naturally, others were brought to the vet in their old age but I just considered them animals and not siblings etc as some do.

What am I missing here? Why the utter despair at the loss of an animal?

I just don't get it!

I don't mean to be nasty here but if you can't understand the despair someone would feel at the death of a pet, an animal they probably loved as much as a friend or a family member then I don't think that anything typed here will enlighten you.

r93kaey5p2izun

I don't understand how anyone wouldn't grieve the loss of a personality they had spent time with every day, and whose company you had presumably enjoyed.

If you don't miss them and feel the loss of them in your life then presumably you didn't get anything from spending time with them. That's fair enough, but really odd if you choose to have a pet I think.

andekwarhola

Hamster wouldn't exactly be comparable to a cat or dog in terms of companionship, to be fair.

discobeaker

I will be absolutely heartbroken when my dogs and rabbits pass away. Our king Charles spaniel was got for me to help me out after the death of my dad and I owe the little guy my life cos he helped me overcome my depression. We took him from an abusive home and he sleeps in bed between my wife and I. We treat him like a person,our pets are members of our family and I wouldn't change them for the world

kneemos

I think you'd be normal. I'd stick it in a shoebox though.

Grieving over pets is weird.

eviltwin

I don't understand why someone who isn't attached to animals would get a pet in the first place.

andekwarhola

kneemos wrote: »

Grieving over pets is weird.

Think about all the weird thread material you'd get out of it though.

PokeHerKing

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote:

What am I missing here?

At a guess I'd say a heart

diomed

I'm feeling the loss and the pet has only arrived.
I bought a horse in mid-December.
Keep is almost a grand a month, and in month two I get a vet bill for over €700.

gw80

I have a tortoise here, 15 years and still going strong, the f¥#$er wont die. Id say he gona out live myself.

Capt'n Midnight

Captain Obvious wrote: »

How did he tell you about it?

Lab report

seamus

You may have some form of antisocial personality disorder (sociopathy/psychopathy).

People with these disorders frequently have difficulty empathising with others or forming basic emotional bonds and attachments.

Indifference at the death of a pet and an inability to understand why anyone would care is pretty textbook.

Fanny Wank

"Expired"? As in dead?

The_Valeyard

I had the same dog from age seven to age twenty two. So many fond memories, from when we got her, burying the auld lads car keys, digging to escape the garden, fetching rocks from the river to an old dog sleeping by the fire. They become members of the family and part of the household. When they die, it does feel like a horrible loss.

metaoblivia

I have two cats, one of whom I raised by hand starting when he was two weeks old. They have distinct personalities, follow me everywhere when I'm home, respond to me, and just generally bring a lot of love into my life. I dread the day when we have to say goodbye and they aren't there to greet me at the door when I come home.

If you have trouble understanding why that is, I don't think there's much I can say to make you understand.

ThinkProgress

I have a very strong bond with my dogs... it's different to a bond with a person, but still something great.

They always show me how to enjoy the simple things in life. I love that a favorite food or activity, can make them ecstatically happy... like they just got handed a winning lottery ticket! (everyday)

Dogs just live for the moment, and throw all their energy and enthusiasm into everything they do. There is something magical about how they approach life!

Not entirely sure why some people fail to form that emotional bond... perhaps they are just more detached emotionally?

silverharp

I draw the line at people thinking they are their pet's parents, hopefully thats just muricans

neonsofa

Aw this thread made me all emotional and i dont even have any pets myself

mad muffin

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

We had 2 hamsters. I got one of them euthanised last night.
The saddest part was handing over €55 for its death and disposal.

The alternative was stick it in a box outside at night....but I'm not that heartless.

But I just don't get the attachment people have to their pets and the apparent loss they feel at their departure.

Over the years we've had cats and dogs. Some have died naturally, others were brought to the vet in their old age but I just considered them animals and not siblings etc as some do.

What am I missing here? Why the utter despair at the loss of an animal?

I just don't get it!

YOU MONSTER!!!!

uck51js9zml2yt

andekwarhola wrote: »

Hamster wouldn't exactly be comparable to a cat or dog in terms of companionship, to be fair.

True, but I brought my cat to be put down a few years ago and can't say I was grieving over its loss.

I had her from a kitten and tamed her(she was feral having lived in a farm) but it was a cat.
Why do people infer human qualities to them? Like it or not. Animals are not people.

Granted I may never "get it".

Using the word expired to describe a pet that has passed away says it all really.

uck51js9zml2yt

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I don't mean to be nasty here but if you can't understand the despair someone would feel at the death of a pet, an animal they probably loved as much as a friend or a family member then I don't think that anything typed here will enlighten you.

It would be an interesting conversation ( on another thread) to see how many people who grieved over the death of an animal would have no problem supporting the killing of an unborn child.
But it's for another thread.

I think the problem isn't with me( and those like me) but with those who can't differentiate between animals and people and attribute human attributes to their pets.
My wife's family have had German shepherds for years. They slept outdoors winter (-20) and summer.
They were work dogs, their to guard the animals.
The only concession was in winter that they slept in the hay shed to keep warm.

FAILSAFE 00

Captain Obvious wrote: »

How did he tell you about it?

Well, he is the most qualified dog in that field.

uck51js9zml2yt

cisk wrote: »

Using the word expired to describe a pet that has passed away says it all really.

What other word would you use?

I signed a form in the vets authorising the "euthanasia" of my hamster.

eviltwin

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

It would be an interesting conversation ( on another thread) to see how many people who grieved over the death of an animal would have no problem supporting the killing of an unborn child.
But it's for another thread.

I think the problem isn't with me( and those like me) but with those who can't differentiate between animals and people and attribute human attributes to their pets.
My wife's family have had German shepherds for years. They slept outdoors winter (-20) and summer.
They were work dogs, their to guard the animals.
The only concession was in winter that they slept in the hay shed to keep warm.

I know my dog is a dog, I know my cat is a cat

Doesn't stop me loving them or having a strong emotional bond with them. If you are lucky you can have a pet in your life 15-20 years, how could you not form a bond with them?

9or10

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

It would be an interesting conversation ( on another thread) to see how many people who grieved over the death of an animal would have no problem supporting the killing of an unborn child.
But it's for another thread.

I think the problem isn't with me( and those like me) but with those who can't differentiate between animals and people and attribute human attributes to their pets.
My wife's family have had German shepherds for years. They slept outdoors winter (-20) and summer.
They were work dogs, their to guard the animals.
The only concession was in winter that they slept in the hay shed to keep warm.

FFS because the beardy man in the sky gave us the animals to use?

AudreyHepburn

To be honest I don’t think someone who uses the word ‘expired’ to describe the death of a pet will ever understand. Mind you I don’t know that you can equate losing a hamster to losing a cat or dog but still you come across as awfully callous op.

I know my dogs are dogs but they are part of the family and I love them both to bits. I can’t even bring myself to imagine losing them, anymore than I could an actual family member.

You don’t have to understand it OP but you don’t have to be heartless about it either.

wexie

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

It would be an interesting conversation ( on another thread) to see how many people who grieved over the death of an animal would have no problem supporting the killing of an unborn child.
But it's for another thread.

interesting analogy actually.

Kinda like people have a beloved pet put to sleep to stop it from suffering (and then grieving over) or people aborting a child to spare it a lifetime of suffering (and then grieving over it)

Mountainsandh

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

Why do people infer human qualities to them? Like it or not. Animals are not people.

Granted I may never "get it".

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

I think the problem isn't with me( and those like me) but with those who can't differentiate between animals and people and attribute human attributes to their pets.

I think there is a bit of a myth that if you really really like your pet, and want to treat it as part of the family, you have lost the run of yourself and "think" they're human. I'd say most people know well their pets are not humans, but it's so much fun treating them as such. (or nearly treating them as such, or once in a while treating them as such)

I'm ridiculous with my dog and cats, but I know they're animals.
That's grand, I have fun, I enjoy the homely charade of talking to them like mini humans, it doesn't mean I believe in it.

I engage in that behaviour because I get something out of it !

So yes, when you reach the later years and they die, you're heartbroken, but in the meantime you're after getting so much more out of your pets than if you just had a dog outside in the kennel and never talked to it, or just never allowed it that space in your affection.
Same with cats, I think the more you interact with them, the more interesting they become, if you don't talk to a pet, they'll just live on their life without knowing any better, but if you do, they respond and their individual quirks show.

I think there's an empathy barrier that maybe you're not crossing for some reason, maybe you're too pragmatic a person to fall for it ?

It's nice falling for it though, you're missing out.

Tuco88

9or10 wrote: »

FFS because the beardy man in the sky gave us the animals to use?

Santa? Ahhhh boll*x.... for years I was asking the the man for presents, no wounder it never worked...

I could have asked for a wolf or somthing... feck anyway.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

It would be an interesting conversation ( on another thread) to see how many people who grieved over the death of an animal would have no problem supporting the killing of an unborn child.
But it's for another thread.

I think the problem isn't with me( and those like me) but with those who can't differentiate between animals and people and attribute human attributes to their pets.
My wife's family have had German shepherds for years. They slept outdoors winter (-20) and summer.
They were work dogs, their to guard the animals.
The only concession was in winter that they slept in the hay shed to keep warm.

Or alternatively to see the overlap between people who think a foetus should be treated like a baby in terms of rights, but struggle to "get" how people have a big attachment to a sentient, intelligent creature that's lived in their home for over a decade.

But you're right, it's neither here nor there.

Noveight

I can understand why someone would be mournful over the loss of a pet, but that degree of attachment to an animal isn’t for me.

Each to their own.

beertons

My dog was a bit off last weekend. Couldn't jump up on the couch, so I put a step in front of it to help her come and go. I let her sleep on it too, usually she's in the kitchen. I slept beside her at the weekend too, fearing she might need me. Vet said she has slipped disk. 7 days of meds, no exercise and no mad playing. Rest, sleep, eat. We call her our first born. I don't know how we will cope when her time is up.

I miss my doggy He's buried down the back of the garden.

uck51js9zml2yt

Mountainsandh wrote: »

I think there is a bit of a myth that if you really really like your pet, and want to treat it as part of the family, you have lost the run of yourself and "think" they're human. I'd say most people know well their pets are not humans, but it's so much fun treating them as such. (or nearly treating them as such, or once in a while treating them as such)

I'm ridiculous with my dog and cats, but I know they're animals.
That's grand, I have fun, I enjoy the homely charade of talking to them like mini humans, it doesn't mean I believe in it.

I engage in that behaviour because I get something out of it !

Some would call that kind of behaviour delusional.
If you pm me your address I'll get the men in white coats to visit you.
They have nice hotel rooms with lots of padding on the walls:)

Pablo Petite Gymnasium

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

Some would call that kind of behaviour delusional.
If you pm me your address I'll get the men in white coats to visit you.
They have nice hotel rooms with lots of padding on the walls:)

You may find that given your lack of empathy and understanding that the men in white coats would much prefer you

Wibbs

gw80 wrote: »

I have a tortoise here, 15 years and still going strong, the f¥#$er wont die. Id say he gona out live myself.

I've a couple of turtles one is mid thirties, the other is at least 42(I got him when I was a kid and he was already fully grown). Tortoises can go on for bleedin decades.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Mountainsandh

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

Some would call that kind of behaviour delusional.
If you pm me your address I'll get the men in white coats to visit you.
They have nice hotel rooms with lots of padding on the walls:)

Who gives a **** ?
I'm not delusional in any other area of my life (although diet wise it's debatable).

Patww79

Patww79 wrote: »

Songs sniff cancer? Even if it can, how does it tell you?

It will sing it to you!

:pac:

ancapailldorcha

Pablo Petite Gymnasium wrote: »

I think the problem isn't with me( and those like me) but with those who can't differentiate between animals and people and attribute human attributes to their pets.
My wife's family have had German shepherds for years. They slept outdoors winter (-20) and summer.
They were work dogs, their to guard the animals.
The only concession was in winter that they slept in the hay shed to keep warm.

Some people do get a bit daft about their pets but for most people, it's a bond formed by spending significant amounts of time with their pet be it walking, work or just relaxing. It's a form of friendship and love. I had 2 dogs and a cat growing up and I miss 'em all, especially the cat.