How you value your life.....a discussion

I tend to agree with Jen and Twisterdog on this one. I have and do spend great sums of money to ensure my animals are healthy and happy. I've gone so far as sending a cat to a different part of the country to get the treatment he needed. But would I die for them? Probably not. I'd do as much as I could to save them--financially or otherwise.

Statements about not being able to go on or live without them concern me. Realistically, most pet owners will outlive their pets. I look around my yard and know that I will mourn 29 deaths at some point. I expect 2005 to be a rough year around here--I have several elderly animals right now. Will it break my heart to loose them? Absolutely! But I will survive it and believe that someday I will see them again.

Loosing Hoodoo sucked! Parts of my heart are still broken and parts will always belong to him. I wear his ashes in a pendant every day, I still talk to him, still forget he's gone sometimes and call him to come get supper.

But I still love the others and still had room to love the new ones who have followed in Hoodoo's pawprints. I know that when these ones move on, that other little feline and canine lives will move in here..not to replace them, but to make their own place. There will always be another little soul who needs a safe place. I dont' think that diminishes my love for my current pets. Love is not diminished or divided when it is shared.

To avoid the pain of loss, I'd have to avoid the joy of knowing them now. That's not worth it.

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Originally posted by jenluckenbach
I am attempting to picture this event inside my head, and I must honestly say that I might not. (I am REALLY afraid of pain). But then again, the REAL situation might feel differently at the time.

My pets are very important to me. I think of their well-being by constant vet care, the right foods, and enough comforts for them to be happy. I love them unconditionally (even when they are bad) and I can't ever picture myself voluntarily ever giving one of them up. I spend countless dollars on them even before I buy the new winter coat that I desperately need, but would I go into serious debt for them? ......probably not.

Does this make me a pet owner instead of a pet parent? I don't know. All I know is that sometimes you need to be realistic and not optimistic.

But slick, you are NOT wrong! And I admire people who value their animals 100% over themselves. Maybe I am just not that good of a person.

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I think I feel the same way. I love them more then anything, I think about them all the time and I make many sacrifices for them. I hope that I never have to choose because I am not sure what my decision would be.

I do not think you are wrong, Slick. I admire you for being so dedicated to my animals.

The only time I find it strange is when people put their animals before their young children. I've known a few people that treat their pets better then their human babies. The young children get neglected while the pets are treated highly.

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Originally posted by Tonya
The only time I find it strange is when people put their animals before their young children. I've known a few people that treat their pets better then their human babies. The young children get neglected while the pets are treated highly.

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I find that extremely sad. :( The kids are their flesh and blood, something they suffered greatly to bring in the world (I'm going to assume its painful since i have never had one before ;) ), and yet they choose animals. It just saddens me. :(

If my dogs were in need of medical attention I'd give it to them, even if it were to cost thousands of dollars I'd do my very best to try and save them but I honestly don't think I'd die for them. Yes, it would be extremely hard to live without them. They've become my best friends (especially Tango) but I don't want to die nor do I want my dogs to die so I really don't know how to answer this question properly... With saying all of that I might die trying to save my dog because I would be in a state of panic and probably do anything I could to save my dog:)

Honestly I don't think there is any wrong or right answer here, I Love my furbabies as much as anyone, but I really cannot answer this simply by saying a definite yes, because I have children who need their mother, and my maternal instincts are stronger I think, however I really don't know what I would do if sadly I ever was faced with such an awful situation.

My life is important to me, I have a strong will to live, and I know there are others who rely on me and need me, ( my kids especially) so it really is not a simple yes or no, it is more a maybe.

Just because I feel this way does not mean I donot have a special bond with my furbabies, they are exceptionally important to me, I have so much love for them, sometimes it amazes me how much they mean to me, it is just the reasons above that would make me think, but knowing me in a situation as you described I would not think and would act accordingly, saving their lives and hopefully not ending mine.

And for the record I consider myself a Pet Parent.:)

These questions are always something that one can speculate on but not know the true answer to until it happens. I think it would come down to an instinctual reaction. Without a doubt all of us here care deeply for our pets, but I think it would come down to the basic human 'fight or flight' response depending on the situation. I can see myself running into my burning house to try to save my pets, but I think the instinct of self-preservation would keep me from jumping into the actual flames. I can see myself running out into a street to stop an animal from being hit but not leaping in front of a car that WILL hit me without a doubt. I'm thinking of gut, kneejerk, instinctual responses here in a situation where there is no time at all to think or consider. It's just really hard to know until it actually happens. The body's sense of self-preservation is not something easily controlled. For example, when I first got contact lenses, it took time for me to be able to not blink my eyes when putting them in. It took practice to quell that natural response.

Now on something like going without to make sure my pets are cared for, I have done so and would do so again.

I can say I'd WANT to do anything humanly possible to stop anything bad happening to my pets, and they are my kids to me, but how I would react in the heat of the moment I can't honestly say. Hopefully it'll never happen.

I think K9soul really put my thoughts into words. Hindsight, and foresight, are always 20/20. We hear stories of heroics every day....yet, who could consciously think, "yep, I would do that same thing in that situation". Who here would have said, "yes, I could do a self-amputation" as the guy stuck in the avalanche did? I don't think I could imagine doing that. But, prolly he never thought so to. The 'moment' brings out reactions unthought of, unimaginable.

I have Jonah in my life now. I have 7 cats as well. I love all 8 of these kids, without making the distinction of whom do I love more. My love for them isn't filtered by whether I birthed them or not. My love is just that, love. Would I risk x for y? Really, I don't even think like that, nor do I want to. My heart would be broken beyond bits if any of them died prematurely. Does that make me a bad parent, or bad pet parent? I don't think so. And, to those that don't understand the love we have for our pets, I am sorry for them. They are missing out on truly unconditional love.

This topic has remained on my mind. ;)

I think that even those of us without skinkids would do what we could to save another human (child or not) if they were in danger.

Your niece didn't necessarily look at the entire picture in any way. Valuing your life so much you don't care enough for others is wrong too.