What pets do you have? Feel free to post pics!

[Falkenbach]

ah, I see. Well it's good to hear all the same, as I say, I'm a strong supporter of pet therapy.

[MyssAnne]

I so agree, pet therapy is wonderful, and should be pursued as is possible. I really don't see why, if the pet is amenable, that they can't come into the room, perhaps with a pet robe?? To have a small dog/cat lying quietly on your lap would be very comforting (and warm!!!)

[RichardMEL]

A few weeks ago an inpatient was wheeled into the unit and he had a small dog on his gourney?!! It was so cute.. alas they had brought him in by accident and he was actually supposed to go somewhere else!

The nurses suggest every so often I should take my cat Celeste in.. but I can never quite tell if they are serious or not!!!

Can you imagine a cat with all those tubes and stuff floating at JUST the right height to swat with a paw and play with??? the mind boggles!! LOL...

I had thought to take her in in her carrier someday when I'm NOT on dialysis so they can meet her as they always ask me how she is... I think she's almost the unit's cat or something since half the nurses ask after her!! LOL

As people who have been on here awhile know I'm all for pet therapy after they let me take Celeste in to sit on my dying mother's bed and she (celeste) walked to right where she needed to be where my mother could just rest her hand on her back and pat her gently, and Celeste sat very quietly.. as though she KNEW this was important. The smile on my mum's face was so worth it (she adored Celeste) and a nurse and doc came in and saw her and said after they didn't think it was a good idea but having seen how good she was and the effect on mum they changed their minds....

[MyssAnne]

I agree, Richard, the mind boggles! But, as noted with your cat Celeste, SOME cats ARE special, and work well with patients.  As for tubes, oh yeah. I understand that! I have two kittens, who have been trained to NOT mess with my tubes. At all. They'll play around it, but they've learned (so far, knock on wood!) to not actually touch them. A dialysis center can be depressing enough, as it is, so why can't accomodations be made (within safety measures, of course), to make our lives a little bit brighter, darn it!!  Of course, can you just SEE what a cat and a dog together would do??? Oh, my!!!

[RichardMEL]

Sometimes I sit in the chair and have a little giggle thinking about such things.. if a dog or cat was let loose in there going from station to station playing and causing mistchef! Well you guys know how it is - you gotta find all kinds of ways to make the time pass!!

Not quite a dog but one of the nurses once brought in a full sice R2-D2 (Star Wars) robot in he has.. it was the funniest thing! He sent it all around the ward from patient to paitient beeping at them and doing things... It was voice activated so if you said something like "What do you think of Darth Vader?" it would shreik and make scared noises! OMG it was the funniest thing.. though I think some of the older patients were a bit like "what the HELL??" but I was laughing so hard I thought one of my needles might come out!

good times.

[MyssAnne]

Richard, that's exactly what I'm saying! Why, oh why, can't it be like that? Or like Matty, with MEALS!!! Man!!! Common courtesies, conveniences, dagnabbit, we may be dialysis patients, but we ARE human!!

And, I like your thinking!!!! 

[Falkenbach]

As people who have been on here awhile know I'm all for pet therapy after they let me take Celeste in to sit on my dying mother's bed and she (celeste) walked to right where she needed to be where my mother could just rest her hand on her back and pat her gently, and Celeste sat very quietly.. as though she KNEW this was important.

That's beautiful, Richardmel. Recently I saw a story on television about a resident cat at a nursing home which apparently predicts when a resident is about to pass away. The cat goes and sits quietly with the resident on their bed, keeping them company, and keeping them happy, and won't leave their side. Every time this cat goes to one of these residents' beds in this manner, the resident passes away within days. It is kind of sad, but very comforting at the same time. There's nothing 'supernatural' about this, in my opinion. This animal clearly has an instinct beyond our understanding, and uses it to comfort the patients.

[RichardMEL]

Oh yes.. I saw that story... the cat was quite cute too but aparently anti-social to most people EXCEPT when it went and sat with someone close to death... and the interesting thing is that if it was booted out or not allowed in a room where someone was it "needed" to get to it would howl and act up...

how amazing.....

I am typing this with Celeste sitting on my lap all warm and comfy and I think... cats are just the best *blush*

[paris]

My Mom was in an Alzheimers wing and was not an easy person to be around (although she related well with me, not my siblings).  One day while visiting, they had a "dog show" in the main visiting area.  I took Mom from her room to see the dogs.  She perked up and talked to everyone about the dogs she had and wanted to pet each dog there.  Yes, pet therapy is wonderful and I thanked the owners for giving my Mom a good day (she didn't have many).  My dog knows when I am having a bad day--sticks right by me.  Love our pets, don't we?

[Falkenbach]

When I first started taking Chloe to the nursing home, there was one old man in the dementia ward he would usually say nothing except "Wonderful!". It was just his word, his thing!

I introduced myself and Chloe, and he said "Wonderful!". The nurse rolled her eyes and said "that's all you'll get out of him, he won't say anything else".

Well, I sat with that man, and as he patted Chloe I asked if he'd had dogs in the past and he told me yes he did, and we had a reasonably coherent conversation about dogs and his childhood.

[paris]

Cycobully, you mad me cry!  That is exactly what my Mom did.  She started talking about dogs from her past and was more coherent than she had been in a long time. It was a good day for both of us!

[Falkenbach]

That's so sweet. Obviously animals bring out the best in us all.

[kitkatz]

Missy- the dog at my house.

[Falkenbach]

She's sweet Kitkatz! She looks tall. Do you know what breeds she has in her?

[Joe Paul]

Nice looking dog     

[RichardMEL]

As I've said before pets are way more perceptive and knowing than most people give them credit for. I shouldn't really use the word pets because I consider Celeste a member of my family. She's not a pet she's my best mate and she KNOWS when I'm not feeling the best and she just sits quietly by me for as long as it takes. That's the kind of unconditional love and support that our 4 legged friends give us and ask so little in return. Frankly I don't know where I would be without Celeste right now.

[tamara]

Ditto with my baby boy Woofa too Richard, they are the best 

[MyssAnne]

I so agree!! I have two cats, Agatha & Poirot, they're just settling in, but they have brought so much joy in my life, I hadn't realized what I was missing!

[kitkatz]

Missy is Mutzah Breed. You know mutt and whatever.  We thinlg Labrador and whippet. We call her our Licket because she licks everyone.

[Falkenbach]

Missy is Mutzah Breed. You know mutt and whatever. 

My old Diesel was a bit like that.  edit: not sure why that "rant" emoticon was in there, that was accidental! Maybe I wanted something like this: 

Much <3 for my old Diesel. RIP old fella.

[VLZS]

Wow, I thought no one would ever ask.
I have three cats--and that's not too many for me at all!  Tony, Jerry, and Mup.  They're tabbies.  Tony & Jerry have short fur and long tails.  Mup, the girl, has long fur and a short cotton tail.  They turned 6 years old on Aug. 29, 2007.
Let me see if I can put a picture on here...Nope--guess not until I get them on a webpage or something.  Just like PlanetIsuzoo.com.  (Yes, I own an Isuzu)
Well, if I figure out how to put pictures up, I will.

[Falkenbach]

Hi VLZS - when you go to "reply" you'll see at the bottom of the screen "Additional Options". Click on that and you can upload a picture straight from your computer (not from a hosting site).

[Sluff]

Keep the dog, fill in the holes, and enjoy being grandma.

Sounds good to me, but what am i supposed to do with Sam  

What did you fill the holes with?   Just kidding Sam buddy ole friend.

[brenda]

Our last camping trip (Sept long weekend), my son Nevada just got a new Bunny so he brought it camping!! Nelly thought it was great, someone for her to play with!!

[Falkenbach]

Now that's a cute pic. I don't think I could ever put a little bunny in front of my dogs and still ensure that bunny's safety.... they ARE terriers, after all.