And another thing

Something else that has really gotten my goat - one of my friends is grieving for a cat and it isnt as though this cat belonged to her it belonged to someone else. Its only a cat...so I cannot understand this weeping and wailing by both mother and daughter. The cat had been ill for sometime and was dying of cancer and yet its owners knew that it was dying but rather than being kind and putting the poor thing out of its misery, they let it struggle on in pain, getting thinner by the day until it eventually died at the weekend. Now there is a massive outpouring of grief which surpasses that displayed around the world for Michael Jackson - and for what? a cat!

Don't get me wrong I am not heartless but simply cannot understand this over sentimentality - yes, if it was a child I could understand but it wasn't..it was a cat.

Earlier this year a good friend of mine had to put her dog to sleep, he was old and developed problems with his back legs, as well as having cancer. Jake was an ex police dog and had belonged to my friend for some years (she used to be a police dog handler). Jake was a massive German Shepherd - but he was a working dog and didnt take too kindly to retirement either. Sure my chum was upset but she cleared his things had her car valetted so it no longer smelt of dog but I don't ever recall this huge outpouring of grief and she certainly didnt weep and wail like my other friend. It hasnt put my friend off having another dog - she has another German Shepherd puppy called Jess (although she admits to calling her Jake occasionally). Her cat Rastus was also put to sleep recently - that old cat was 28, had no teeth and was going bald but again no huge show of grief.

Why is it that the people who actually own the animals that are put down to stop them from suffering, soon get over their loss and move on to other pets and yet those who don't display more grief and put on more of a show?

After making a comment, I was told "oh you don't understand" - call me cynical but I do understand, my grandma's dog died when I was small (I was told at the time that he had run away when in fact he had been put down because he had kidney failure), the pet cats also died (although I am sure the kittens were assisted on their way by grandma and a bucket of water), the budgie (I was scared of him) died, my goldfish died, the school rabbit Zebedee who was staying at mine during the school holidays also died and mum had to go and buy a new rabbit that looked the same so the other kids didnt get upset. There was no song and dance from me I just accepted that death was part of life and that all things die eventually.

Is that being heartless? Or is it being realistic?