pets – A Paws In Thyme

Christmas Planning

2 Nov

Do you cringe when you hear the C word even when its whispered or talked about quietly among friends. Me to, especially at this time of the year. I am talking about Christmas…what C word did you think I was talking about??

When do you start planning for the Holiday Season? I try to start about now but since I am a single mom, I have to start saving sometime about mid-year to be able to afford this time of the year. I start planning the gifts I will be buying (my family knows I will be nagging them for their list of what they would like) and the baking I will be doing so that I can keep an eye out for sales. This is also about the time of year that I plan what my wrapping theme will be for the presents. I try to pick a different theme every year. I love the brightly colored foil wrapping paper but unfortunately, it is not recyclable in our area so I always opt for paper that is recyclable as it seems wasteful to me to use so much paper for one day of the year for it to only be thrown in the garbage.

My family doesn’t expect anything fancy or expensive. In fact we prefer handmade gifts that are made from the heart with love. Eventhough my son is a teenager, I am proud to say that he doesn’t expect tons of gifts. A lot of people have the perception that the younger generation gets or expects too much. In some aspects that may be true but my son usually has a very short list and he is ok if he doesn’t get everything on his list. The older he gets the more expensive the items become it seems. I am usually nagging him for his list up until just before Christmas and even then I may get a text with a couple of ideas. It is amazing how hard it is to buy for a teenager – they are ultra picky. Clothes are completely out of the question. Heaven forbid I buy something with the wrong logo or the wrong brand. If that happened the clothes would sit in his closet like grandma’s relics in her china cabinet collecting dust.

I like to choose one or two homemade gifts. This year, I am thinking of making vanilla. It seems like a pretty simplistic recipe and it can be dressed up with pretty cool bottles and ribbons.

For baking, it has become tradition for me to make Big Batch Kris Kringle Cookies. These cookies taste awesome and the recipe makes a lot so there is plenty to share with everyone or for you to hide and eat later in peace when no one is around. For me, I tend to eat a lot of the cookie dough so my batch doesn’t bake nearly as many as it should. I know, I know you are thinking…she eats RAW cookie dough!! You bet I do, and I am more than ok with it, I am willing to take my chances. I actually eat so much of the dough that I can hardly even eat the cookies after they are baked. You know when you’ve eaten so much of one thing, you can’t bear to eat anymore of it.

Besides those cookies I always choose 2 to 3 other items to bake. This year I am going to make Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars because they are pretty easy to make, Thick and Chewy M&M Cookie Bars and a simple Low Fat Pumpkin Bread. These recipes tend to take a lot of chocolate and candy and I can see you all judging my shopping cart when I have copious amounts of chocolate tucked away in the corner of my cart. Just because I am shopping in my workout clothes doesn’t mean that eat carrot and celery sticks everyday…a person’s gotta live a little. I know that the peanut butter marshmallow bars are a throw back to the 80’s but I bust out my Michael Jackson Thriller soundtrack and I am ok with my retro bars and I seem to still know all of the words to all of the songs like it was 1983. I pack away the baking carefully into containers and put them in the freezer. Last year I had tons of baking done and the time came to start putting it out for family to enjoy and the first couple of containers I chose from the freezer seemed pretty light. I put them on the counter and opened the lids and they were empty. No baking anywhere to be found, just some crumbs. Now I know it wasn’t me and it wasn’t the house hippo that supposedly lives somewhere in my house, not the cats or the dogs……that only leaves one culprit….the teenager!! He literally ate more than half of the baking at some point between me packing it away in the freezer and the three weeks leading up to Christmas. I go to his room and ask him about it and oddly enough it seems that it wasn’t him and it is a mystery as to where the bars may have disappeared to. Has your teenager ever done this??

I always have lists for everything. Maybe I am odd but even my lists have lists so Christmas planning is no different. I make a master list and then create smaller more manageable lists from there. This also makes it easier for shopping as well. I know exactly what I need to get at the various stores that I shop at.

I am the kind of person that tends to worry about the small details instead of the big picture, so I buy the stocking stuffers, the doo-dads, magazines and cards…you know the things that you are running around looking for last-minute when the stores are jam-packed, you are completely sick of shopping and you literally want to throat punch people and the weather sucks. I know it seems backwards but I can’t tell you how many times I have been so glad that I had all of those things ahead of time especially when I am completely done all of my wrapping.

For my wrapping theme, I like to choose something simple. My favorite is brown paper with natural bows and embellishments like a wooden Christmas decoration or a pinecone or something like that. A roll of brown paper is very inexpensive, can be recycled and looks really traditional against a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

One of my favorite parts about Christmas is decorating the tree, well except for dragging up the decorations from the basement. That is a big ordeal. If you have read my previous post about my craft supplies in the basement, then you will understand what an issue this is.

I pick an evening that my son and I are both free and I make hot chocolate and we have some appetizers and I put out a plate of Christmas baking. We set-up the tree (yes I have a fake tree) and we start decorating. Since I have a son, his interest in decorating isn’t really all that apparent. It is met with a lot of eye rolling and sighs but I think deep down he somewhat enjoys it. He places decorations here there and everywhere. This makes my OCD twinge a bit….ok a LOT. I like my decorations placed a certain way and with certain ones grouped together. I fight against my OCD as I don’t want him to feel like I don’t want his help. I do want his help but, I want it done my way. I wonder to myself if I am a horrible mom because I think this way or if other moms have this same issue?

I have to put all of my fancy, breakable decorations at the top of the tree and all of my non-breakable ones at the bottom of the tree. I have cats…and all of you cat people out there understand my struggle. They are ok during the day when I am there sitting by the tree however, at night as soon as I get all snuggled into my cozy bed, the cat shenanigans start. I swear that it is a cat conspiracy. It is as if they all get together and plan it out. As I am about to nod off into sleep land, I hear it. The tree and the decorations shaking. I get out of bed and shoe them away from the tree eventhough, I know that this is really a futile attempt at getting them to stop….when have you ever known a cat to listen?? They run away and hide and honestly, I am sure they are secretly laughing to themselves. As I get back into bed again, get all warm and ready to nod off, they are at it again. I can hear the decorations jingling and the tree limbs are being batted around. WTF, I angrily get out of bed and chase them away again, threatening to pack them all up and take them to the shelter (not that I ever would but this somehow makes me feel like I have adequately threatened them enough to get them to stop). I only put my tree up for a couple of weeks because this is a nightly ritual when you have cats and Christmas trees. Then there is always the one cat that needs to be the martyr of the group and it must climb to the top of the tree. Sigh, we always lose a few decorations every year. The struggle is real, who can relate to pets and Christmas trees?

We have the tradition of opening 1 gift on Christmas Eve while we sit around visiting with family and snacking on various appetizers and goodies. My two favorite things on Christmas morning are watching my son’s eyes light up with anticipation of what he is about to unwrap and opening my stocking. Seeing what is inside my stocking has always been my most memorable moments. It’s not because there was ever anything expensive or fancy in it but for some reason it was what I have always looked forward to.

We open presents slowly and enjoy the morning sipping on coffee, indulging in the chocolates that were in our stockings (surely chocolate early in the morning is allowed on Christmas mornings…Right?)

I then make a big breakfast and afterwards, the all day eating commences with anticipation of the big family feast later in the day.

What is your favorite part about Christmas?

Euthanasia: How Do You Know When It Is The Right Time To Say Good-Bye?

27 Aug

How do you know when the time is right to euthanize your pet? This is something that I get asked quite a bit along with what is the process really like? I tend to adopt the old, broken animals so, I have had to make this decision more than I would like and although this is ultimately a personal decision based on the circumstances at the time, I can offer some insight in how I make the final decision and how I feel during the process.

For anyone that truly loves their pet, this will be the most difficult decision that you will have to make. The circumstances in which you will have to make the decision will always vary but will probably be the result of terminal illness where there is no cure and you don’t want to prolong the suffering, sudden life threatening injuries such as being hit by a car and the injuries are too grave for the animal to survive, old age, severe behavioral issues such as: aggression in dogs that is not able to be rehabilitated and euthanasia is recommended by a vet and/or professional trainer, are just some of the reasons. My experiences are only based on terminal illness and old age as I have not had to deal with severe aggression or sudden life threatening injuries.

The one very important lesson that I have learned over the years, is that I would rather be a day too early rather than 5 minutes too late when euthanizing a pet. I have learned this the hard way and when my heart is clouding my judgement during those hard moments of, “is this the right time or can it wait a few days”, I remind myself of this lesson and it quickly puts reality back into my mind and helps me make the decision. Being 5 minutes too late was unfair to my kitty friend and it made the euthanasia process difficult and it will always be ingrained in my mind wishing that I would have brought her in the day before.

I think that no matter what the circumstance you are in that is making you make this decision, most people feel as though they are killing their friend. Even when there is no doubt with it being the right decision, we all feel some sort of guilt in being the one that makes that final decision, signs the euthanasia order and gives the final ok to the vet. I don’t think that deep down inside, we as pet owners are ok with having the power to end the life of our friend.

I always find that making the final call to the vet to schedule the appointment is difficult but overtime, I have also come to learn that it is a way to prepare yourself for the next few days. I view it as a special time. I take a day or two off of work and I make the appointment for the next day and always for the last appointment of the day. I have called and hung up many times, I have called in tears, I have called blubbering and sobbing but it is ok, your vet clinic is used to all of this and is very understanding in how hard this is. Don’t be embarrassed at all.

When the appointment is finally made, I make the remaining hours as special as I can. Going to favorite places and doing lots of fun things with my friend. Sometimes they are quieter animals and we just spend the day cuddling and relaxing. I give them their favorite foods and buy them a special toy. They get lots of extra love and pets.

When I say that a planned euthanasia is a special time, it is a way to prepare yourself to say good-bye in your own way and in your own time but this sometimes is not an opportunity afforded to us. I have had a planned euthanasia and at 2 am, I have been on the phone to the vet because my pet’s health crashes quickly during the night and there is no time to wait and I am rushing to the vet in my pj’s with no make-up and I haven’t been able to say good-bye the way that I wanted. But that is just it, our heart takes over and it shouldn’t be about what we want but what is right and humane for our furry friend at the time.

After I have made the appointment and spend the final hours with my pet, I choose a special blanket to wrap them in and they ride on my front seat so that I can talk to them and hold their paw on the way to the clinic. It seems that no matter how slow I drive, the trip to the vet clinic goes by so fast. Where are you red lights when I need you? The drive is all but a blur as I cry all the way to the vet. As I walk into the vet clinic, they put me into an exam room right as soon as I walk in so that I don’t have to sit in the waiting room crying with everyone staring at me and my dying pet.

The vet tech comes in and I sign euthanasia order while tears drip onto the page smearing my newly inked signature. She asks if I need some time and I always say yes. They leave my friend and I to spend our final moments together in peace. This is when I wished that time would stand still and that I could take my friend home and that all would be ok.

We wait and I talk softly to my friend, telling them how much I love them and thank them for being my friend. Then I see the shadow of the vet’s shoes under the door and I hear her pull the file out from the holder on the wall. Time pauses as she is momentarily reads the file and then she turns the door knob and that is when panic and a sick feeling set in like a huge pit in my stomach. I know this is the last few moments I will have with my pet. The vet comes in with the vet tech and they put the tissue box beside me and I lay my friend on the exam table on the special blanket. They shave the paw with the clippers and the smell of rubbing alcohol fills the air as they clean the newly shaved area. All the while I am whispering in my pet’s ear that they will be ok, they will no longer be sick and that of course I love them. I tell them to run free and to have a safe trip over the Rainbow Bridge. The vet says are you ready? I breathe in deeply to try to clear the shear panic I feel. Every single time at that very moment, I wish that I had a magic wand that I could wave to make them better, to make them a kitten or puppy again, bounding around happy and free but I know that is not possible and I give a final nod to the vet and she sticks the needle in, injects the solution and within moments, it is over. I want to yell and say no wait just a few more minutes but the solution works so quickly that there is no turning back. Just like that your friend is gone and the vet will check to make sure there is no longer a heart beat. Your vet will let you know when your pet is gone. She or he will leave the room to allow you time to say your final good-byes.

I drive home with an empty blanket and I usually spend the week crying on and off. As odd as it may sound, and as sad as you feel, there is a feeling of relief in that you know deep down that it was time. You may feel it right away or you may not feel it for several days but there will come a time when you know that you did the right thing and you take some comfort in that feeling.

Sometimes I swear I catch a glimpse of my Ricki out of the corner of my eye. I had him for 19 years and I adopted him from a local shelter as a flea infested kitten. He was with me through everything from my 20’s and most of my 30’s, marriage, having a child, divorce and all the things in between. I have had many furry friends throughout my life and people ask me if it gets easier. I find this to be an odd question. Every animal is special and comes into your life at a certain time for a reason.

Last year, I adopted a 19 year old cat named Gus. I knew it was a palliative adoption and that his time with me would be short. I ended up only having him for 3 months but in those 3 months he took a big piece of my heart and although each one takes a piece of your heart, they deserve a second chance and as hard as it was to say good-bye to Gus and I wish everyday that I had more time with him, I am also thankful that he had a home that loved him for his final months and that he knew love, compassion, a full belly and vet care and that he didn’t have to die in a cold shelter all alone.

As hard as it is to say good-bye, it is at that moment when you need to put that aside and be the very best friend that you can be. Be with them and comfort them in their last moments. Be the last person they see and the last voice that they hear. Please don’t just drop them off at the vet clinic to be euthanized without being at their side. I personally cannot understand people that do this. The process is hard but it is peaceful.

Honestly, I am not sure that we ever really know when the time is right and that is what makes the decision so difficult but a few things that help me decide are:

1. Quality of Life: Is your pet still interested in eating and drinking and can they go to the bathroom on their own? If they no longer want to eat or drink, consult your veterinarian right away.

2. Do they have a terminal disease and are you only prolonging their life for a couple of weeks or months? This is a hard one but you need to ask yourself if you are just keeping them alive for your benefit? If there is no chance of recovery or cure for the disease, it is ultimately up to you if you want to see them suffer needlessly and you run the risk of being five minutes too late.

3. Old age: Everyone will have varying thoughts on this. For me this is when I whole heartedly believe in nature. If your pet is simply old but otherwise ok (they may be slow, partially sighted or blind, deaf and all of the other things that are associated with old age), I feel that letting them go naturally is ok as dying is part of the entire living process. They may die peacefully in their sleep, it may happen quickly or it has been my experience that the dying process can take place over a day. If you choose this decision, try not to be scared of the process. I will admit, it is not easy to watch and it can be scary but only because you know that you cannot help them at that point and the end is near. This is when YOU must be brave for your friend. Be comforting and help them feel safe. This process may be hard for some to watch but you have to follow it through to the end. At this point, you are more than five minutes too late and you need to deal with the the fear and the helplessness that you will feel. They may cry out, breathe heavy, want to be alone, they may be scared or confused but keep assuring them in a soft voice and they will know that you are by their side until the end.

If you have never been through the euthanasia process, don’t be afraid to ask your vet. They will sit down with you and go through all of the steps of the process so that you know what to expect. They will also ask if you would like your pet cremated or if you are planning on burying your pet. I always opt for private cremation and I get the ashes returned back to me in a pine box with a nice engraved plaque with their name. There are many options for urns or maybe you have a nice place under a favorite tree where you would like to bury your pet.

Saying good-bye is never easy but having the option of euthanasia to help end the suffering of a terminally or gravely ill pet is the most humane, caring decision that you can make. Trust in your decision. Take time to grieve the loss of your pet, it is ok.

Do you have a special furry friend that you have had to say good-bye to?

Always consult your veterinarian if you have any concerns about your pet’s health and well-being or have any questions about the euthanasia process.

Pet ID – Helping Them Get Home Safe

13 Aug

Do you have a pet? Great! Does it have at least one form of identification? If not, why? Is your contact information up to date?

Have you thought to double-check?

Go check right now………. I mean seriously go and check!!

Life gets busy, we move, phone numbers and addresses change, divorces happen and updating your pet’s identification may get lost in the hustle and bustle of life. One form of ID is better than none but personally, I prefer 3. This may seem overkill to some but bear with me as to my reasoning.

I feel like this is an important topic and something that can trip up long time pet owners. I also feel it is important because it has been my experience that when my pet gets a tattoo or microchip or both, it is never really fully explained by the vet that the microchip needs to be registered to be of any use and that the tattoo is specific to their vet clinic and that if you ever move or contact information changes, it needs to updated at the vet clinic where the tattoo was done. I have had pets for many years and I did not know this until several years ago. I was shocked at how little I actually knew about the process so I thought that maybe others would want to know this information as well.

The one thing that I do know is that animals cannot talk (eventhough I wish they could sometimes) but they cannot say…I am lost and my house is just around the corner, please take me home. Pet ID is their only way of communicating to the finder where they live and who their owner is.

Many times I have come across an animal wandering and they have no id….do you have any idea how hard it is to even begin searching for the owner?

The three forms of ID I use are the following:
1. Collar with ID tag
2. Tattoo
3. Microchip

With any form of ID, there are of course pros and cons to all.

Collar with ID Tag
A good sturdy collar with a durable ring to attach the ID tag to is an inexpensive simplistic way for your pet to always have ID. Collars come in all kinds of colors, sizes and styles and tags can be ordered online or most local pet supply stores have a small selection of engraveable tags. When ordering the tags, I always include the area code with my phone number, my address as well as the city and province. I include this information because, there have been several instances where I have found a dog with a tag and all it has is the dog’s name (which is great) and a phone number with no area code and no city. More often than not the phone number is from the same area code where the dog is found but what if it isn’t? That could be quite an issue and it can become nearly impossible to figure out the correct area code.

Pros
• Simplistic easy way for the finder to determine that the dog is owned
• Contact information of the owner is readily available providing that it is up to date

Cons
• Collars can fall off or maybe you don’t always have your collar on your pet. Cats are famous for losing their collars
• Collars can be easily removed by someone that wants to steal your pet
• When contact information needs to be updated, it can take a bit of time to receive the updated tag if you order it online

Tattoo
Tattoos are another common method for ID’ing your pet. Generally, the placement of the tattoo is in the right ear however, sometimes they can also be on the inside of the thigh. The procedure is performed under anesthetic and can be done when your pet is being spayed or neutered. This procedure heals very quickly and your pet won’t even notice. The tattoo is specific to that individual animal as well as the vet clinic that tattooed your animal.

The pros and cons associated with this type of identification are:

Pros
• Permanent form of identification
• Simplistic way for the finder to determine that the pet is owned

Cons
• Tattoos can fade and become unreadable over time
• Some finders may not know to check other areas on the pet’s body other than the ear
• The owners contact information is not readily available to the finder

Thirdly, there is microchipping
Microchipping involves the implanting of a microchip under the pet’s skin and the information can be read by a scanner. A needle is used and the procedure is relatively painless. It can either be done at the time of spaying or neutering or at a regular vet visit. No anesthetic is required. The microchip number is specific to the individual animal.

Pros
• Permanent form of identification

Cons
• The finder has no way of knowing that your pet is microchipped unless it is wearing a tag that says it is microchipped
• The finder may not know to take your pet to a local vet clinic to have it scanned for a chip as this is not general knowledge to everyone
• A microchip is useless unless it is registered and the contact information is up to date
• Currently there is no microchip scanner that is universal that reads all microchips
• Microchips can migrate from the area where they are placed and can be difficult for the person scanning to locate the chip

My dogs have all three forms of ID however, my cats only have 2 (tattoo and microchip). They are indoor only cats but accidents can happen, doors get left open or someone lets them outside by accident. I don’t put collars or ID tags on my cats because, I am worried that the collar may get hooked on something when I am not home and that they could strangle themselves.

If your pet does manage to get lost, a couple of tips that could help reunite you with your pet quickly are:
• Put a missing pet sign up in your front yard with a picture of your pet…often they are just a few blocks down the road. A lot of times when people find a wandering animal, they will drive around the neighborhood to see if anyone is looking for their missing pet.
• If your cat is missing, put their litterbox outside so that they can smell it.
• If your dog is missing, put one of your shirts or sweaters outside. Their sense of smell could lead them right back home.

Check local shelters and animal control in person and bring a picture of your pet. Often times when pets have been missing for a long time, they can be dirty and have matted fur and may not look quite the same so looking in person can ensure that your pet is not overlooked by staff.

Many strays come into shelters with no ID and it is heartbreaking to know that they may have a family out there somewhere but because they don’t have ID, there is no possible way for them to be reunited unless their family is actively looking for them.

What is your preferable way to ID your pets?