THANK YOU NOTES #39
The Preciousness of Waggy Tails Can Be Absorbed into your Heart and Soul
Who’s Emotionally Supporting Who?
I’m not much of a collector. Maybe it’s because of all the traveling I’ve done throughout my years. Having to box things up became the telltale sign that I had too much.
What has become precious to me has four legs and a tail, two ears, two eyes, and four paws. First, it was a single cat (Ziggy) I adopted when I was in college and had to abruptly give away. I didn’t adopt another animal for many years, for fear I would be heartbroken again.
Then I was at an outdoor fair and saw cats available for adoption. I stared at one of them, a tiny grey ball of fur. I asked to hold it, and he fell asleep in my arms. When he peeked his eyes open, I saw two stunning blue eyes. My heart melted.
I held him for a while and put my name on a list. I needed to think about it, but secretly I wanted him. Within a few days, I got a call from the adoption agency asking if I was still interested. Call it a sign. Call it whatever you want, but I had been thinking about that little kitten since I put it back in its crate. So the phone call made me think maybe it was meant for me. It didn’t help that my brother, who I lived with at the time, mentioned he would pay the adoption fee.
I headed down to the agency the next day and walked out with a small ball of fur in a cardboard carrier box. He didn’t meow. He just sat quietly in the carrier the whole ride home.
When I got him home, he still didn’t make much noise. In fact, he was so small and so quiet that I had to put a bell around his neck just to find him.
As days went on, my little buddy, Micah, became sweeter and more cuddly when we were together. But I had a tough time getting him to eat when I would get home from work. I had to hold him for a half-hour and then lead him to his bowl.
Eventually, I began to feel guilty, and after talking to my friends, decided to go back to the agency to see if they had another kitten for adoption. Indeed, they did! It was a tuxedo cat, also male. They were weeks apart in age. Was it a sign?
They told me he was found in an alley. You know they tell you stories like that to break your heart, and so it did. And so I also knew he was meant for me.
Now I was the owner of two precious waggy tails. One was black and white (Amos), and the other was all-grey. There wasn’t a lick of any other color on Micah. They became instant best buds, and I didn’t have to feel bad about leaving Micah alone all day while I was at work.
Every day when I opened my front door after work, I sighed a deep sigh, seeing my two cats staring at me, waiting for me to come home. There was something about their presence that brought me immense peace.
There is more to the Emotional Support Animals than we think. Because of that, I think everyone needs a pet. When my two cats finally passed, I had since gotten married, and the two of us were so heartbroken. The loss of those two cats left a hole in our hearts. I’m sure most pet owners know what I’m talking about.
A few years after they passed away, we decided to adopt another animal. This time a dog. We went to the shelter and looked around, seeing an old beagle wrapped in a blanket on the cold cement floor.
If you’ve ever looked into the eyes of a beagle, you know how soulful they can be. He just stared at us. My husband said, “What about him?”
We inquired about him, heard his painful back story, and when the counselor asked whether we were up for a dog like him, we both said, “yes” simultaneously.
He was a 12-year-old beagle who had been dropped off at the shelter one evening. The counselor was the last one there and was just about to go home. She said a man carried him in, placed him on the counter, and walked out.
When the counselor looked at the beagle, she immediately called the vet and told her she needed to come that night. She wasn’t going to leave without that poor beagle being taken care of. His nails had gotten so long that they curled under into his pads, so he couldn’t walk.
There was some severe neglect, but that beagle (our Reggie) was the sweetest old guy in town. I kept saying if any animal should be pissed off at humanity; it was Reggie. But he wasn’t. He was a sweet old soul.
“Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses.” — Elizabeth Taylor
He was with us for a couple of years before he suddenly stopped eating and moving. When we got him to the vet, we learned he had cancer, and it had moved rapidly through his body.
Reggie had not only been a soft spot for us, but also for friends and our pet sitter. When we had to let him go to doggie heaven, those who knew him mentioned it stopped them in their tracks, causing them to shed a tear. He had that kind of effect on people.
After Reggie, my husband and I realized that maybe we were meant to carry on a tradition of taking in senior animals.
So, our current senior lady is Dolce, a mix of Chihuahua and Terrier (we think). We knew the moment we saw her she was ours, and she took to me immediately. At least that’s what the foster mom told us.
Sweet Dolce has been with us for three years, and we hope she will remain with us for many years.
I have had a few animals in my lifetime, all of them sweet in their own way. They all leave a mark in my heart as I remember the preciousness of their waggy tails. So, maybe that’s it. I collect waggy tails.
RIP Roberto (childhood parrot), David (childhood dog), Ziggy, Micah, Amos, and Reggie.
If you are not already a Medium member and would like to join the fun, click below. A portion of your membership will be allotted to me, which will help me continue to do what I am called to do. I appreciate your consideration.
If you would like to receive an email every time I write an article, please sign up HERE.
I am thankful for everyone who stops by to read. I recently turned to freelance writing and editing as a full-time job. If you would like to hire me, please email me at [email protected]. In the meantime, if you’re interested in buying me a cup of tea, I would appreciate it! Click HERE.
