Sad Article in Salon.com AboutEmpty Nest and Aging Pets

This was a depressing article in Salon.com. Making it worse was how it resonates with what is going on in my life. The article discusses the animals the writer's adult kids left behind when they moved away. The writer discusses how old and frail these animals are. She mentions how she has resigned herself to the fact that her floors will always be soiled while the pets are still alive. She can buy new carpets and refinish her hardwoods, she says. She also mentions vacations she has passed on so she could take care of her animals




I had to leave my dog behind. He needs a lot of attention. He gets lonely. Since his back problems two years ago, he has incontinence and bowel problems. We have old rugs scattered across the house to minimize any damage to the hardwoods. Andy is nearly deaf, and his eyesight is poor. He mostly sleeps all day. He can still walk, but on some days he's stiff and wobbly. I was going to take a big trip after I was laid-off and take Andy with me. But when his back problems surfaced, I decided to stay home. I knew he wasn't up to the trip. He loves going bye-bye. In his younger days, he would have been thrilled to go on a big trip with me.



He'll die soon. Maybe he has a year left in him. Asking for two would be too much. This is the part of dog-ownership that sucks.