Cheryl wrote:

> Gary wrote:
> > In honor of your departed loved one, rescue one that's had a bad life
> > and give them a loving home. What a difference you can make in a
> > life. :-D
> >
> While a new one can't replace the lost one, I try to look at it as
> having room to save a homeless animal. It is painful to lose a beloved
> pet, that's for sure.

A household that loses a one and only pet after many years is not fun
to come home to. When I was married with young children, we lost a
very beloved cat early. She was only about 3 years old. The one day we
let her outside, she got very sick (always suspected she might have
been poisoned). The vet couldn't help either. Long sad story short
after a week of daily antibiotic shots, we had to have her put down.
The vet agreed.

What a quiet depressed household we had for the next week. Then I ran
into someone that needed to find a new home. I brought him in and
just his playful mannor cheered up quite a bit. We still missed the
one that died but new happy kitty was a nice distraction and helped a
lot.

G.