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Kathryn Mayer • Writing Out Loud

I write stuff down. writer • humorist • activist

Giving BernDog Bacon

March 2, 2012 by Kate Mayer 16 Comments

Make a big deal over a pet? Not me, not ever. (said no one ever)

Many years ago, our cat Cheeseball was hit by a car.

As I struggled to the vet, pregnant, with two toddlers in tow, I scowled at my husband:

“We will not be one of those crazy pet families. I’m not spending a single dollar on saving this cat. Do you hear me? If he’s gotta go, he’s gotta go.”

Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, eh?

At the vet all those years ago, I herded the kids and hurting Cheeseball into the examining room. Ten minutes later, I had the vet by the lab coat:

“DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. SAVE HIM, DO YOU HEAR ME? SAVE CHEESEBALL.”

And they did.

Good old Cheeseball lived a long and full life, died a happy little feline surrounded by a family who loved him, including a kinder, gentler crazy pet crazy me.

I share this because we put down our 10 year old Bernese Mountain Dog, named Bernie, not for the breed, but for Yankee center fielder Bernie Williams.

In October, the vet said BernDog had 1-3 months to live, and I’ve been prepping rather attractive husband, three teens and a tween ever since. Once we heard the diagnosis, we fed him lots of bacon, and let him sleep on the couch all the time. Any time.

Didn’t make it any easier.

I took him in, and the vet did whatever she could to make him as comfortable as possible. And Bernie was grateful, I could see it in his eyes as I held him close and whispered goodbye.

Lots of people write about losing a pet, and I’m not going to be one of those pet crazy bloggers. Not me. Not today.


Auditioning for Listen To Your Mother
A Container Store for My Brain

Comments

  1. Robin K says

    March 2, 2012 at 8:58 pm

    I keep starting to write something then deleting it and now everything is blurry, and we put our dog down at ten too and how does a dog get lung cancer anyway? And how did I get here commenting about MY PET when this post is about yours. blurry stupid computer screen. <3 to you and yours.

    Reply
    • Kathy (p/t writer, f/t mom) says

      March 3, 2012 at 4:21 pm

      clean your screen. blow your nose. go to the pound and let’s do it again!

      Reply
  2. irishtwinsmommababybook says

    March 2, 2012 at 11:56 pm

    I’m so sorry. We just had to put down one of my childhood dogs, a great chocolate lab. Heart breaking. Hope you guys are healing from your loss. My dad is still having a tough time.

    BTW…love your cats name, Cheeseball!!!! Awesome. Classic!

    Reply
    • Kathy (p/t writer, f/t mom) says

      March 3, 2012 at 4:23 pm

      thanks mama.

      and I like your dad.

      Reply
  3. vbjenn says

    March 3, 2012 at 4:19 am

    Am so sorry… gigi and maggie send hugs to all… I hope that BernDog and Obie are hanging out at the bridge waiting for us…

    Reply
    • Kathy (p/t writer, f/t mom) says

      March 3, 2012 at 4:23 pm

      🙂

      Reply
  4. biorose says

    March 3, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    Kitty is 17 and dragging her death out like a faded movie star diva….super skinny…barely eating…but still super lovey. Puppy is 10 now too; hope thats not the (un)lucky number.

    Reply
    • Kathy (p/t writer, f/t mom) says

      March 3, 2012 at 4:25 pm

      Not an unlucky number at all! We had 10 great years! i love the fading diva, and Puppy is probably mocking her behind her diva back!

      Reply
  5. biorose says

    March 3, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  6. Holywhale says

    March 3, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    We’ve lost 2 pets this year. Our bunny Ralph who lived to 11 and our yellow lab Liberty. The house seems so empty. Worried about our very skinny 15 year old cat Jane. You are not the only pet crazy momma out there! And we feel your loss. It is so hard to deal with the loss of a pet. Harder than I thought it would be. Especially when you have to make the decision to put them to sleep. Here’s hoping that your family remembers all the good times with Bernie.
    P.S. maybe a framed pic of Bernie for everyone is in order.

    Reply
    • Kathy (p/t writer, f/t mom) says

      March 3, 2012 at 4:28 pm

      Thx Holywhale! Looks like you need to bring some noise back into your home, and we will too, with time.

      Reply
  7. Andrea says

    March 3, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    I am so sorry, as that must be terrible, but I so love that you fed him so much bacon!

    Reply
  8. Cathy Roche, LMFT says

    March 16, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    Tears in my eyes Kate, so sorry. Wish I was here to see you on the 6th, Hope you post your video.

    Reply
  9. scanman says

    April 25, 2012 at 4:06 am

    Thanks for making me tear up as usual, usually it’s cuz I’m ripping a stitch, but now you make me miss that sweet Bernie too. I unfortunately feel your pain and am twice as sorry for the replacement (maybe she’ll grow on you?)

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Couch shopping because sometimes you gotta know when to say when - Kathryn Mayer says:
    November 26, 2016 at 8:33 pm

    […] was three dogs, two houses, several cars, six proms, and – gulp – 19 years […]

    Reply
  2. How the green grass grows: kids chores make for good growing - Kathryn Mayer • Writing Out Loud says:
    April 23, 2017 at 12:42 pm

    […] they were younger, they had poop duty, picking up massive canine lawn bombs of first Bernie, the Bernese’s poop, no easy task, then playing Where’s Waldo with little itty-bitty Lola droppings. This […]

    Reply

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About Kathryn Mayer

Kathryn Mayer

An irreverent storyteller with a foul mouth and big heart, Kathryn Mayer (aka Kathy and/or Kate) is a writer, humorist, and (former) activist writing out loud with humor and grace about little life moments with big ripples, including the space between parenting and aging parents, social issues, angsty reflections of midlife, and, sigh, gun humpers. Still. Sometimes a big deal, sometimes not Mayer is a national award-winning columnist, according to the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and her essays have been recognized as Voice of … Read More Here...

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