It’s another Caturday, and reader Julie W. is taking a “work-at-home day” with Ladybug. “Working hard and we are hardly working in this pic i just took.”
Weekend Open Thread
61 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”
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It’s another Caturday, and reader Julie W. is taking a “work-at-home day” with Ladybug. “Working hard and we are hardly working in this pic i just took.”
Comments are closed.
Well, hello there, Ms. Ladybug. Looks like you’ve mastered the “hardly working” part of the deal – it’s a dirty job but somebody’s gotta do it. I guess it also doesn’t hurt to be gorgeous. 😃
Hello, peeps. I have some sad news. Shorty, one of my favorites among the neighborhood cats, was hit by a car and killed this week. Several years ago, he approached me and rubbed against my legs and we had been friends ever since.
It was Shorty who taught my rabbit Ani that she could walk on the hardwood floor. She had been keeping to a path I’d set up with rugs but once she saw him walking everywhere she started doing it too.
Shorty liked to cross right in front of me as I walked, so I would have to watch my step when he was around. He was full of quirks and surprises; once when I bent over to pet him he jumped into my back instead, and I had to stay in that position until he jumped back down.
Here he was, sitting in a favorite chair on my porch. It always made me happy to see him relaxing there. This is where I’ll see him from now on.
Oh, Mike, I’m so very sorry about Shorty! That’s a terrible, sad shock. My heart goes out to you and Ani, and to everyone in your neighborhood who knew and loved Shorty. He looks beautiful in your picture, and it’s clear from your stories that he was beautiful all the way through.
Sorry Mike & EMS to hear the news about the kitties. It’s always hard when they go and when it’s sudden, it can be even harder. Here’s to them chasing feather wands together at the Rainbow Bridge and hugs to both of you.
I’m very sorry Mike. That is a painful shock and loss. He was a beautiful boy. You have at least one great picture of him and some lovely,happy memories. Clearly, he cared for you too.
Im so sorry to hear about Shorty, Mike! It never ceases to amaze me how much joy and fun and love our animals bring to our lives. 🐈💙🐱💙
This is SUCH a lovely picture of Shorty! What a handsome boy! It’s so tragic you’ve lost him — but consider the fact that you gave him a much better life than he might have had otherwise. He learned a lot of trust and even love from you that he might never have even entertained for one hot second before meeting you and your critters. No, you done good with Shorty. His death is very sad, but his life was infinitely better than it could have been thanks to one Mike B.!
Poor ol’ Shorty is a twin to my BenHim. So sorry you have lost him. Cats can be very good friends to us humans. I know you will miss him.
Yes, this has been a tearful week. My beloved Felix disappeared last Sunday. He most probably had the same fate as Shorty although I never found his body.
I am so sad for Shorty as well, maybe they are playing now together somewhere across the Rainbow Bridge
Aww, sweetie, I’m so sorry. My heart hurts for you. 💕😢
Oh, Ems, that’s heartbreaking! I’m so very, very sorry. I am holding good thoughts for Felix, and for you.
I am so sorry. Not being able to find him adds the pain of uncertainty to the pain of loss.
Felix may be nearby. A few years ago my last kitty, Emily, managed to sneak out and disappear. She was nearly 18, almost toothless, and arthritic enough I knew she couldn’t hunt any more to sustain herself. So I started putting food out on the front steps at dinnertime every day. It disappeared every day. And then my next-door-neighbor came over and told me he thought she was hiding in their yard. They had a stretch of *dense* woods about 10 feet (3 meters) deep at the back edge of their property, and Emily was hiding in there! She was gone for nearly a month, and turned a bit wild while she was gone — but I finally was able to go over and talk to her so that she could recognize my voice, and she came to me and chewed me out for leaving her outside for so long (even though she’d run away from every attempt to retrieve her)! Cats!!!
But Felix may be nearby. If you don’t have a bunch of feral animals, you might put some food out for him. If it gets eaten regularly, it may very well mean that he’s nearby. The Humane Society told me that cats are usually found within a block of their home, so you may find Felix hiding in a neighbor’s yard like Emily was. And put up signs with a picture so all your neighbors know you’re looking for him! That was how my neighbor knew to come let me know Emily was in his yard! Good luck. Kitties can be *unbelievably* stubborn once they’ve snuck out, so it may take some patience, but I’m willing to bet he’s nearby and he’ll come back to you. Or else a neighbor child may have seen him taking off in some unexpected direction. Hang in there — it’s too early to give up on him yet!
I wish you and Debg were right about him being nearby.
I have spent about 3-4 hours every day to search our neighbourhood and talk to as many people living nearby as possible since Sunday. Not only with the hope of finding him but if one of the neighbours ran him over, I would have wanted to know. I get up even at nights when I hear a faint meow and rush outside, but it is never him.
On Monday when I was searching for him for the first time, a guy was walking a husky and they offered me help and the husky sniffed out 2 dead cats in the abandoned graveyard nearby, but thankfully they were not Felix. We also found an alive one, not Felix either.
I think what is different in my situation is that both you and Debg have kept the cats inside so for them the newly gained freedom temporarily outweighed the love they get at a closed home. We keep all the cats as inside and outside cats so they can come and go freely. In May when Felix was ill and had to keep him inside for more than a month, he didnt want to come back inside once he was released again, but these days he can just come and go so this kind of freedom is maybe less valuable to him.
My other cat, Marci is not so much attached to us emotionally as Felix so I could totally imagine him in a similar situation, not coming home as long as he has enough mice/birds etc to hunt, but Felix is a lovebug, running to me like crazy every time he heard my voice.
Anyway, I am not ready to abandon searching yet, so I will go to look for him today as well.
(if he is injured somewhere, the earlier I find him, the better)
Mike, you’re such a good and kind person and I’m so sorry for your loss. I know Shorty will live on in the memories of all who knew and loved him and yes, he will always remain on his pink porch chair.😢😢😢
Julie W., congratulations on having such an excellent staffer in the lovely Ladybug!
And here I am to add to the sadness. Mike and Ems, I understand your feelings all too well. We’re taking Melody to the vet this afternoon….and we’re not coming home with her. She told us last night and this morning it was time, so we don’t want her to suffer one extra second if we can help it.
What are we going to do without her? She’s been the center of our family ever since she first walked in the door nearly five years ago!
Oh Laura, I’m so sorry about Melody. That is one of the most difficult decisions to make but yes, they do let you know when they’ve had enough. For me, I could tell by their eyes when it was time.Sending healing hugs to everyone in your house. Hope Sebastian is doing better.
Oh no! It seemed that she would have more time! You described her so vividly it makes your loss more vivid. She knows you love her.
Thanks, guys. I am at least comforted by the thought that she’ll soon be able to run free again. The poor sweetheart did great for two weeks and then just went straight downhill. She couldn’t even make it walking into the kitchen for breakfast this morning. Just watching her try to walk hurt so much I had to turn away, and when I turned back she’d gone back to her bed in the dining room midway between the bedroom and kitchen. But seeing her in my mind’s eye running like the wind again helps a lot because she simply ran for the sheer joy of it!
Ok now you’ve got me crying.
Welcome to my world. We’ve all been crying for weeks. I wish it helped more!
My husband fell apart at the dog park right after she was diagnosed — he said, “I just realized that I’ll never see her run again.” The joy she expressed by going 40 mph or so was unbelievable. She was built to run, and that was her greatest delight.
Watching this graceful creature struggling to hobble has become just awful. I honestly think we couldn’t have waited even another day and still lived with ourself…
I am sending hugs your way, Laura, can you feel them?
I am so sorry Laura. This is heartbreaking.
May you find the strength and comfort you need in a new world without Melody’s physical presence in it. She will always be in your hearts. You are doing the very best by her, as you always have. I know—all too well!—that doesn’t make it feel better, but it is worth acknowledging all the same.
This just breaks my heart but I am certain you’re doing the right thing at the right time. I had so hoped you’d have more time with your sweet girl but it was not to be. I wish I had some words of comfort but right now I’m crying too hard to think properly. My thoughts and prayers remain with you, my friend. 💕💕💕
Ladybug is just beautiful! I’d never get any work done if she was around.
Hi NTMTOM and everyone else facing losses today, and everyone with kind words to say about our Ladybug! We love her so much. Her origin story is relevant. We had lost a beloved cat, our Lucy girl, just before thanksgiving 2017, to a car. She was a young foster teen-mother cat, tiny and adorable, and as a feral she would not accept being indoors-only. it took a few months to domesticate her but she became a loving snuggle bunny. losing her was devastating. after 2 months of grief, i forced my husband to go to the pound with me. in a tiny cage in the smelly sick/isolation room was Ladybug. she heard our voices and started rubbing against the bars of her cage, telling us clearly that she was ours and we were hers. she was 4 pounds, starving and dehydrated and with a cough. she had been found wearing a pink sweater out in the cold. she had people, but lost them in some unknown catastrophe. anyway, she is now a healthy 10 pounds and super happy, and she saved us from grief. not a replacement, but a reminder. thanks for listening, and thanks for loving your pets so sweetly,
Julie W.
Cats find us when we need them to get through difficult times. Ladybug’s story turned out so well for you all.
Ladybug is just lovely! I’m so happy to hear her story. That’s my favorite kind of rescue story, taking a sick tiny starving animal and raising it to glowing health. Ladybug is certainly proof of your love and wonderful care!
“Not a replacement, but a reminder.” How beautifully, perfectly expressed. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Ricky, even as my bond with Bibi grows stronger step by step. I am glad you have Ladybug to remind you of your departed Lucy, and to be her own sweet self. And she is lucky to have you.
What a heartwarming story, Julie. Ladybug is beautiful.
So very sorry about all the sad pet news. Ems, Mike, and Laura I’m holding you all in my heart.
Ems, here’s hoping Felix will come home and wipe your tears away. It was 3 years ago around this time that George Weasleycat got out of the house, was gone for 17 days, and then got coaxed back inside.
Mike, your Shorty friend was an angel spreading love and joy around the neighborhood. You and Ani will miss him and his love.
Laura, you’re doing the right thing but it hurts like hell. Hugs to you and your family. Take care of yourself in your grief.
Ladybug is lovely and clearly knows how to make herself comfy.
I wish Felix came back, but I don’t really have high hopes any more.
The worst part is remembering our last time together. The whole September has been very hectic, lots of things have happened both at work and at home. Last Sunday I played a little with Felix and then I went to run. I remember feeling that finally an okayish day when nothing tragic/unexpected/”urgently needs to be solved” thing happened. And I wasn’t aware that it would be the last time I played with Felix.
Normally I feel it in advance when something bad is coming my way, but it seems even that sinking feeling in the stomach can fail. I don’t have much regret in my life, but if I wasn’t so stupidly hooked up on sports, I would most probably still have my sweet kitty.
Please don’t blame yourself in any way. We can only do the best we can and I’m 100% sure you gave your all to your sweet little guy.
Sending gentle, feathered, Vick’s-scented hugs to everyone today.
Mike, Laura and Ems, I’m so sorry for all your sad news. 😢
I don’t have anything big going on, except we’re doing my birthday dinner tonight (my birthday is Tuesday, but that’s a work day and my brother is leaving for vacation the next day). I requested roast chicken. I was off this week (because of fiscal month timing and time-off use-by dates I couldn’t take off my actual birthday week). Didn’t do a whole lot; had a doctor appointment Thursday and went for a couple tests yesterday. They called a few hours later to tell me the one was normal and the other I should get results on Monday but I’m not too worried about that one. Did a couple of (rather fruitless) shopping trips. Got stuck in one section of the outlet mall because it poured rain for about 20 minutes and I didn’t bring my umbrella from the car. That was fun… Also most of my shows started their new seasons this week. Also treated myself to a peach pie from the orchard shop. (Which reminds me, I need breakfast. 😉 🍑🥧)
Now I’m just waiting to see if my supervisor tells me to work from home on Monday or not. They’re repaving the parking lot at work, so if we have a company laptop and can work from home that’s that many fewer cars they’ll need worry about. (It’s a warehouse so they can’t just have everyone not come in. Not sure how that’s gonna work but not my problem. I would have thought they’d do it overnight; that’s what they’ve been doing on the highway near me.) Too bad I don’t have a kitty to keep me on task. As much as I don’t like working on my tiny laptop screen, it’d be nice to be able to work in my PJs for a day or two.
Nikolai Devinovich sends purrs to everyone facing sadness today.
Getting ready for 9 nights of Navaratri starting tomorrow. First time without the late great Dmitri gracing (and wrecking) the proceedings, but there it is. Nikolai will have to learn how to cutely destroy decorations on his own.
First holidays without a loved one are always hard. May you and Nikolai have a wonderful nine nights’ festival.
I’m so sorry for everyone’s losses! Here I am sitting in the dealership customer lounge while my car is being serviced and bawling my eyes out. I’m sure everyone thinks I’m weird! Laura’s comment about not seeing Melody run free again is what really triggered it; it brought my Irish setter Ginger to mind. Those gloriously red feathers streaming in the breeze as she raced the wind……..
Hugs and ❤️ to everyone 😢
I can picture your Irish setter running with all the feathers flying, Jan. We had a golden who had a lot of Irish setter in him, and he was the same way, running with ears flapping and feathers flying! It was just delightful! I’m sorry to have made you cry, though. I totally understand.
Melody is gone now, and I expect I’ll be crying for the next week.
Hugs to you.
Yes, the part where you go home and they’re not there. That’s really painful.
It’s so good that we have each other when tragedy hits. You all got me through losing Ursula, almost losing Fred, and so many other sad times. Group hug.
Yes Allein that’s so perfect. Group hug to you all. Our fur babies give us so much exquisite pleasure but the pain of losing them is also exquisite. My heart aches for the losses this week.
So sorry for each loss and heartache. Each animal being we get to know or live with are such special gifts for our souls. Being parted is almost unendurable…
This is indeed an exceptional community, you people are really a huge help to get over all this.
Thanks to each of you for the kind words and support.
I was here earlier today and had to take the afternoon to process all the sadness that is being felt. Mike, Laura and Ems, I am so sorry guys. I thinking of you and feeling part of the hurt too.
Hello, I want to thank everyone for the condolences about Shorty, and in turn to offer my best thoughts to Laura and to Ems.
I can’t even begin to thank you all for the comfort you’ve offered today! Please know that I appreciate each and every one of you. Mike, you have created the best small, loving community on the entire interwebs, and don’t you doubt it for even a second!
This may help others who are going through a loss, too. A friend of mine who writes professionally sent me an email this afternoon that said, in part:
“I believe she will stay with you whether you can see her or not. You might think you hear her, you might think you have felt her touching you with her paw, was that her shadow passing the doorway? and you may question your sanity. Don’t question it. Your sanity is intact. She is there. She will not leave you until you are ready.”
I hope you get as much comfort from it as I have!
Oh my. I believe they stay.
One day I found a strand of Pablo’s fur poking out of the fabric of my chair. At work. Several months after he left us.
Yeah, that happens a LOT. Our previous dog was a yellow lab, and he shed ALL OVER the car we call the Dogmobile. We’ve never been able to get all the dog hair out, and frankly, we’ve about given up! But it makes us laugh with pleasure, rememering Isaac when he went and lay down in a mully gulch and came up with a line of mud right down his middle….and any other muddy/dirty spot he could find! That boy was attracted to dirt like it was a magnet and he was pure iron filings!
Melody didn’t shed. At all. Ever. In fact, at the vet today when they shaved a spot on her leg to insert a catheter so they could give her the meds easily, I picked up the tiny bunches of incredibly short, fine hair. It felt like the finest down you’ve ever touched! Just smooth as silk. She really was the perfect dog…..and the house feels SO EMPTY without her!
I’m sending Felix all the encouraging brain waves I can so he’ll come back home to you, Ems! Please don’t give up on him, he still needs you, wherever he may be!
Pablo was a short-hair Chihuahua, and his belly was all but bald. I used to wonder how a dog with so little fur could shed so much. The fur in my work chair amused me because I obviously brought it in on my clothes and it still stuck around that long.
That is just so beautiful and perfect Laura. Thank you so much for those poignant words. xxxxxooooo
I was doing OK with this creeping cancer, until this last week when I was told I have a leaky
heart valve. Just when one adjusts to some crappy news, another bit comes flying in.
Since I’m near eighty, I should be better at this adjusting to mortality, but I’m a slow study.
Grrrrrrrrrr! and sniff! Anyway
Oh dear Phredsmom. That big thumb that comes down from the sky sometimes doesn’t feel random does it? All the best to you. You’ve had the strength and courage before and you’ll get through this too!
That big thumb sometimes feels like the big Monty Python foot, Dulcie.
Thanks for the image, made me laugh. Yep, we all have one dang thing
or another. That’s called life, until it’s not.
Oh boy. I’m so sorry everyone. Such a sad Saturday. Sending you all love and hugs and wishing I could lighten your pain for your lost friends. hearts hearts hearts xo