I hope that Daisy is doing okay today.  I wanted to take a few minutes
and maybe answer your question.  Is losing a loved animal really less
important than losing a loved human?
 
No, it is not less important.  When my cousin was very young, she asked
her Mom, "Will (insert pet's name) be with me in Heaven?"  Her Mom
replied, "Honey, if you need (pet) to make you happy in Heaven, I am
sure he will be there."  I had never realized how true that was until
this past year, when I lost my Dad and also four ferrets, including my
favorite, Shadow.
 
The past year I have been in such turmoil over losing Dad, and as the
anniversary approached, I felt such unrest.  I am not sure exactly what
I felt, but I remember that I felt like he shouldn't have died and that
more could have been done.  But what?  I didn't know.  And, he was not
"really sick" for a long time.  I was just beginning to realize that I
needed to deal with everything.
 
Last Friday morning Shadow awakened me with cries of pain.  He was at
the vet most of the day and I was told it looked pretty good.  Then I
got the call that there didn't seem to be anything more they could do
and they thought I needed to take him to a more specialized emergency
clinic.  So I did.  The vet gave me the info and the prognosis - and
time to sit with Shadow.  Shadow let me know that there were things
that are worth than death - my father's words came back to me.  He
was ready to go and he was not going to hang around long enough to be
an only ferret.
 
In that moment, my heart knew the right thing to do was let him go
without putting him through any more.  No surgery, no meds, no needles
and no pain.  My head still had questions, I knew I would miss him.
Maybe there were things we should have done before.  Maybe there were
things we could "take a chance and see." But none of that mattered.
Shadow had been healthy most of his life, was with me (after rescue) for
7 years and he had been able to get around.  He told me it was time as we
sat together.  And, I knew, at that moment, it was the right thing to do.
 
Do I miss Shadow?  Yes.  Do I miss my Dad?  Definitely.  I loved them
both in different ways.  And, they were both important parts of my life.
But, losing Shadow helped me come to terms with losing my Dad.  There
are things worse than death.
 
I don't know if this has helped you, but I hope it has, and I wish the
best for Daisy.  Please let us know how she does.
 
--
renee :)
It's amazing how much can be accomplished if nobody cares who gets the
credit!
Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue & Evacuation Team (F.E.R.R.E.T.)
http://www.ferretemergency.org
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org
[Posted in FML issue 5323]