Lessons Learnt From Losing (and loving) a Pet

05:14 khadijamuzaffar 4 Comments



I was going to say 'best friend' instead of pet in the title of this post, but I think that goes without saying. Anybody who has ever owned a pet knows what I'm talking about. They're so much more than just a best friend. They become a part of your family, a proper member, mind you. Before you know it, they've got a permanent place in your heart, and, this may sound creepy, but I swear there's a soul-to-soul connection going on somewhere. They've got you bewitched mind, body and soul, havent they? So I'm not sure 'best friend' is the most appropriate choice of words, or that it does our pets justice. Maybe we should start calling them soul mates instead...

On the 13th of January, I lost my soul mate...one of them at least. Caramel, born on the () 17th of February was my six year old Springer Spaniel. She was one of the craftiest, most clever dogs I have ever seen. She learnt how to open doors, how to find food ANYWHERE, and how to maul pigeons. And before we knew it, she was battling a uterine infection, pneumonia and bronchitis all at once. After about a week worth of drips and injections and near starvation, we decided to put her to sleep to end her suffering. 

As a tribute to her, I wanted to talk about things she taught me, and she taught me a lot. 

  1. It doesn't matter if you're smaller than the rest of the people, bite them if you must, but ALWAYS end up getting your way.
  2. Eat everything. If there's anything left, eat that too. Seriously, eat all the food.
  3. Sometimes, your human will try to give you boring dog food, while they eat fancy human food. It's probably delicious, so make sure you eat the human food too.
  4. Learn how to open doors. Sometimes, people shut you out. This is a handy trick to know for such times.
  5. Cats are evil. Even if they scratch you and your nose is bleeding, do NOT stop barking at the cat. EVER.
  6. On a similar note, hens. Not necessarily evil, but they dont help your cause either. Bark at them too.
  7. Bark whenever you think you're about to go for a walk. Bark loud and bark crazy. If your human tells you to stop barking, ignore them.
  8. Prick up your ears when you hear the rustle of a packet. Who cares what kind of packet?? There's bound to be food!
  9. If there's a chair available, or any kind of raised platfrom really, why sit on the floor? You're above that sorta thing, dawg. (Pun somewhat intended.)
  10. If your human is trying to make you look at them and their face is near yours, lick them till they turn away.
  11. Again, if you think your human is sad, lick them till they laugh, or push you away.
  12. If you find yourself inside the house, make sure to sit on every couch, every chair and every bed in the house. The more hair on the sofa, the better.
  13. If a pigeon is being sassy, maul them. Fo realzies.    




I think most dog owners will agree that dogs are INCREDIBLY and INSANELY loving animals, and the way their eyes light up when they see you or hear your voice, and how their tails wag when you come closer to them, just FILLS your heart with love. I love both of my dogs SO SO much, I always feel like i wanna hug them and never let them go, like literally, they are like my children. My mother cringes when I say that, but its true. I've been with them through EVERYTHING. And these last few days when I was nursing Caramel, trying to bring her back to health, they made me realize that sometimes we take our pets for granted. We think they'll be around forever. But the truth is, they have much shorter life spans than us, and we're probably going to have to say goodbye to them someday. And that just crushes you. A part of you dies from inside, and not a day goes by that your eyes don't fill up with tears as you realize that you'll never hear them bark again, or see their short stubby tail wag furiously. And you just cant believe that you're no longer the owner of two dogs, there's no longer a 'Chip & Caramel' duo. 

So I guess. Idk. Go, spend time with your animal. Don't be a lazy idiot, and go play with them. Dogs love to play, so go on and throw that ball. Run after them. Take them for walks. Enjoy them while you can.


Lots of Love,
Khadija.

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