To all the Pets I Loved before

My childhood pets

I can’t remember a time that I’ve lived without a pet. Well, there were the 2 weeks after my husband, and I got married. But that soon changed when we adopted Jake.

One day when I came home from cosmetology school to find a cute Maine Coone kitten on our bed. His name was Jake. Jake had a personality of his own, and he loved people. He was a dog in a cat’s body. He was able to open doors with his paws and climb into many places. Jake lived a full 18 years with us. He lived in 2 apartments and 2 houses with us. He saw many pets come and go. I miss him, as I do all my pets to this day.

We recently helped our dog Kya cross the Rainbow Bridge. Our family is heartbroken. Kya lived to a little after her 15th birthday, which is very old for a Golden Retriever. It still isn’t easy. We are still grieving for 2 of our cats that have passed away in less than a year. One was 15 and the other only lived to be 7.

With this loss, there are memories. Lots of happy days that we spent with them. Soon we will think of our girl Kya and smile and tell stories of her life. She will live on in our memories, but for now we grieve.

I think of all of the pets I’ve had a chance to love during my life and I feel blessed. There memories are still alive in my heart.

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The cat that grew up with me

My first pet was named Pretty Face. Her name was self-explanatory. She was a beautiful calico cat. My mom said we would get into mischief together. She was my buddy and so gentle. My heart broke when she passed away at the old age of 18. I was only 15 and was grieving. It’s so hard to lose a pet you grew up with, especially as a teen.

My sister and myself (on right) with Pretty Face

Jody my Soulmate Pet

My soulmate pet was Jody. Jody followed my sister and I off the bus one spring day. I was a little afraid of her at first. She was the biggest dog I've ever seen. She was also gentle and loved children. Jody had a metal chain that was broken around her neck. I imagine we took her to the vet; I was only 7, too young to remember. Maybe we did take her, but not that day. It was the 1970s and a Friday afternoon. There was also no social media to say, “have you seen this dog?”

Jody was a part Great Pyrenees and St. Bernard mix. We became fast friends. We did not have a fenced yard and were surrounded by farmland, so she roamed free. It was the 70s. She became a neighborhood mascot that summer. She was never far from us, and she loved us and was loved. We would walk early mornings, just her and I and we explored fields around my house. I was a shy, anxious child who was recovering from the trauma of being in a fire earlier that year. Jody got my mind off myself and brought me out of my shell. I felt like she got me.

Jody loved to roam and would get out sometimes. She chased the school bus. She wandered into our neighbor’s yard, and he threatened to shoot her. We eventually had to re-home Jody. As a child I didn’t understand why we could not keep her. It’s even more difficult now as an adult and a pet care provider to understand. I try not to judge my parents for their painful decision that they felt they needed to make. I miss her to this day.

Neighborhood mascot

A dog named Cinderella

A year later we adopted a poodle mix that we named Cindy (short for Cinderella). With her smokey color we thought it looked like she had cinders on her face, plus she was beautiful.

I was 8 or 9 at the time. she was from a family that needed to re-home their dog. I remember seeing a boy my age looking very sad. Cindy peed on the floor out of excitement. I felt as if the one parent yelled at the child like it was his fault. Maybe that’s how I interpreted it at 8 years old. That haunts me to this day. It seemed like the children were forced to give up a beloved pet as I had a year earlier. As an empath I felt this. I also realized that I could’ve been projecting my own pain.

Cindy quickly became part of our family. She was a sweet and gently soul.

Pretty Face, Cindy and Ginger The three musketeers

See See

Small Wonder

See See!! What a legend! We have stories about this 3 lbs. dog to this day.

She was my grandmother’s baby. My grandparents dressed her up in sweaters and took her everywhere. She became part of our family by proxy. See See became our own dog for 6 months out of the year as my grandparents were snowbirds and traveled to Florida.

See See was little and mighty. There is the infamous story of how See See got lost in the blizzard of 1983. My mom opened the door and See See squeezed right passed her into the blinding snow! “Look for foot prints”“I said. She scurried across the top of the snow and ended up in the garden yelping in a 3-foot snow drift. My sister scooped her up and saved her life.

Me playing dress up with See See

Ginger

Ginger was a beautiful calico cat. My mom saw her at a friend’s house and felt an instant bond with her. One night after my mom’s Trans Art meeting. (Kind of what multi-level marketing is today, but with art prints). She brought home Ginger! My dad didn’t have much of a say, but she won him over of course!

Ginger helping my mom get ready. She was her shadow. I like to think they are together again.

Thank you for letting my share my childhood pets with you! Please share your own memories with me!!

Questions

1. Did you have pets growing up?

2. Did you have a favorite pet or pets that you bonded with?

3. What special memories do you have with them?