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Nix
8 years ago
https://twitter.com/tegondragon/sta.....99316052287493
This is Nix.
Nix was my bearded dragon. She passed away yesterday. I believe she was about 12 years old.
I adopted Nix about four years ago when she was 8. This was the spring before my senior year in college and coincided with my surge in interest in reptiles after joining FA. In fact, you'll see one of my earliest submissions to FA is a photo of a bearded dragon at the Baltimore Aquarium. At the time it was taken, before I had joined FA in 2012, I didn't even know what it was and had to look the species up!
Nix had already lived a nice, long life with a family who clearly loved her. They told me they had several offers before me, but felt more comfortable with my concern over her wellbeing. Because of a move to another state they were forced to adopt her out and I took her in as my first real pet. Sure, my family had an assortment of cats, dogs, fish, and birds in the past, but Nix was someone *I* took in, of my own accord.
Those who have read my stories might believe I named her after the protagonist in my first story, but in reality she was named after my favorite track from the Midnight Club II soundtrack. Which is how that protagonist got his name, too, so I guess in a roundabout way both answers are right.
I remember when we first brought her home she was petrified and barely moved for days. We bought all her toys, equipment, and "furniture" with her, so I'm sure that helped her settle in eventually. I'm lucky enough to live near a Wegmans with plenty of the exotic greens that are good for her. I chopped up her salads, made sure they didn't wilt, and was obsessed with learning everything about beardies. One time I was really lucky and cactus pears were in season at the grocery store. She absolutely loved that! It smelled awesome too.
After six months or so, she became very picky. I'd buy mustard greens or something and they would go bad in the refrigerator before she'd touch her salads. I tried to pique her interest by doing all sorts of things like hiding worms in the salad and dousing it in bearded dragon "dressing" (some kind of strawberry flavored goo). I tried hand feeding and that worked for a while, but eventually she'd close her eyes and turn her head up and that was that. I lost interest in keeping up and asked my dad to help. I was significantly more immature at the time and didn't take the responsibility as seriously as I should have. After the summer I flew back to college and my dad took over full daily care of her. Occasionally when we would Skype I'd get to say hi. Lately I worried about her on every vacation I took and made sure my dad kept me apprised of her feeding and bathing schedules.
Diet wise, she ended up settling into being a meat eater like her "dad." I and my dad tried my best to make sure she was getting her nutrients otherwise, like calcium dusting and gut-loading her feeders. She was also basically hand fed every day using tongs. She always loved superworms but was hot and cold on crickets. Crickets are also terrible for us owners because they make lots of noise, drown in standing water, eat each other, and smell. About a year ago I started a dubia roach colony for the nutritional benefits, but she wasn't interested. We had to give the colony away. Asking around at reptile shows I didn't feel too badly since I heard other stories of extreme pickiness. And it reminded me a lot of myself.
Of course I beat myself up now. I think about how I should've denied her her favorite foods until she ate what she was supposed to. I should've kept making salads even if she didn't eat it. Their diet is supposed to be like 60% greens and 40% insects. Hers was more like 5% - 95%. To some credit we were able to get a various assortment of fruits and vegetables into her sporadically over the past year. She liked bananas, but of course that's only supposed to be fed rarely.
She liked to "go" in the bath, so my dad and I gave her very regular baths. He took care of her more than I ever did. Regardless, I'm happy to say we did really well on that front. She was always well hydrated and never had problems shedding. Of course she'd always get a little cranky when she shed, hehe.
Nix was a sweetheart. She never, ever hissed at anyone, even strangers. She'd open her mouth once or twice, but we knew she was just playing because her beard would never inflate. All we had to do is rub her on that little ridge behind her eyes and she'd quickly shut her mouth and close her eyes. I think that's the universal beardie signal of "I like dis." I liked to put her directly on my bare chest and then under some blankets. That would help retain some of my own heat since she can't do that on her own. We've played some video games together, and watched a few Orioles and Ravens games. She usually fell asleep hanging onto me and I gently woke her up before placing her back in her tank. She was always fidgety in the process of transferring her between tank and shirt. I always worried about her hurting herself because I once scraped her head slightly on the tank frame in the process.
I wish I had done this more. I wish I hadn't come home often and said "nah, some other day." I wish I hadn't put off taking her outside so often for natural sunlight. I'd use her tendency to lick everything as an excuse to keep her inside (I was worried about her eating bugs affected by pesticides). I'd use her lying under her hide or drying off from a bath as an excuse not to pay her attention. But she deserved more. One time I was on my phone and it slipped out of my hands and hit her on the top of the head. It was a glancing blow and she barely reacted but I felt terrible for the rest of the day.
For her substrate, we used slate tile. Soon after we got her we were shocked to see her pass eggs! We found out that female beardies produce unfertilized eggs for their lifetimes unless they are spayed. For egg laying we temporarily gave her a lose sand substrate, but I removed it after a while because I was always so worried about impaction. That's when a beardie eats something indigestible like sand along with their food and it gets trapped in their digestive system. Her diet made her a little constipated so I wanted to make sure nothing was present to make it possibly worse. As far as the eggs went, we really hadn't seen any more for a long time after that.
About a week ago, we noticed she went in her tank, which was very unusual for her. She was never a trouble to us, and just one example was that she made cleanup easy by going in her baths. There was a little blood. I immediately suspected parasites and we fully disinfected her tank. Since it takes about an hour and a half I'll admit we let it get filthy. She deserved more regular cleanings of her tank. At least in the last week of her life it was pristine. At the time I also scheduled a vet appointment.
On the morning of her appointment she went again and there was significantly more blood. Beardies are small enough to begin with, so even a little blood is concerning. She hadn't eaten in a few days and at this point I was worried sick. We collected her up and hurried over. The vet we chose is one of the best in the state, very experienced in reptiles and was able to quickly diagnose that she was egg bound. This means that she was still making eggs unbeknownst to us and having trouble passing them. Untreated it's almost entirely fatal. Regardless of the circumstances it's a dire situation.
She was clearly uncomfortable. Unlike how she'd normally sit with her belly lying on the floor, she was lifting it off the ground and wiggling her back legs. They needed to get a blood sample from her to assess the possibility of emergency surgery. They had to get it from her tail and I couldn't watch. I saw her struggling and even heard her hiss a bit. I'm so sorry she had to deal with that, and I know that she only hissed because she was afraid. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize the signs of egg binding and I'm so sorry she didn't have loose substrate to dig into. I blame myself for not exercising her more. Her muscles probably weren't strong enough because of that. The doctor assured me they have trouble with eggs at that age regardless, but who knows for sure. I'm glad at least that spaying really wasn't an option prior, though, because she was already old and it's a pretty major surgery.
They said she had already lost a good amount of blood, but could endure surgery. I breathed such a sigh of relief because I knew it was either going to be that or euthanasia. A while back, I downloaded a veterinarian's textbook on reptile care and know the ghoulish ways they perform euthanasia for reptiles. It was going to be a thousand dollars for surgery and I signed the paperwork without hesitation. This is a lot of money for me and for most people, but that's part of the responsibility of owning a pet in my mind. Beardies have been known to live over 15, and she had no other health issues I was aware of. It wasn't fair to put her down simply because she was bleeding to death.
They whisked her away, but not before I pet her and told her I believed in her. I had no doubt she would make it through the surgery. And she made me so proud. She did. They said that she had a strong heartbeat and no major source of bleeding post surgery. Unfortunately the anesthesia used to sedate her was just too much for her body to handle. She stopped breathing yesterday afternoon and wasn't able to be resuscitated. I imagine this in my head and it breaks my heart. If I were there I would have done damn mouth to mouth for hours no matter how ridiculous it sounds. It's so frustrating that even throwing money at the problem didn't help. But I know the surgeon was experienced and did his best. In fact, I'm shocked at the quality of care for reptiles in today's day and age. Within hours she had radiography, blood tests, and surgery done. A few decades ago this would've been impressive for a human.
Most of us would be happy to pass away so peacefully. She was awake one moment...and then nothing. I've been listening to Alan Watts a lot recently, and he makes a point about how animals have it so great. We stress and worry and concern ourselves about death, but animals just live life to its fullest and live in the present until it just ends. Nix is feeling no pain right now. I hope there's some way in which her spirit lives on. Who really knows. And even if she made it through surgery, she was going to pass away one day. Maybe she'd have lingered in pain post-surgery until just not waking up one day.
My dad and I were both too emotional to pick her up last night. He went out to the car and almost immediately came back inside. He half-laughed at how moved we were by a bearded dragon. I cried so hard I got a nosebleed and a splitting headache. I missed and still miss my little girl and just want to hold her and tell her it will be alright. She was there for me when I suffered through a serious bout of anxiety and panic attacks in 2015. In her own way she let me know it would be alright herself.
We went back to the vet first thing this morning and her box felt so cold. They froze her overnight. I didn't look inside. I signed for her treatment, which wiped out my savings for MFF, but I don't care. I would've maxed out my credit card for a few more years with her. I was desperate for the vet to call us before that morning and say they made a mistake, and that she was actually okay. I thought the cold would've put her in suspended animation and her body would be kickstarted again. I hesitated even going because there was such a finality about picking her up from the vet and never being able to go back. I was so sorry I couldn't have been there for her before she went under. She was alone and afraid and had no idea why she was being "punished" for being sick. We buried her outside the window she loved to look out of at passersby. She's back home now and close to us.
I'm having trouble accepting that collection of neurons that defined Nix no longer exists. I'm having trouble knowing she's a handful of feet away from me and there's nothing I can do for her. I have to hold back the horrible feeling to rush down and dig her up and rub her back to life. I feel like I'm running out of time to take action. I'm having trouble with the fact I can't go downstairs and slip her out of her cage for one last nap. I'm having trouble seeing time slip by, and knowing the last time I did all of the daily things I do as part of my routine she was still alive. I can get another bearded dragon, but she won't look like Nix. She won't turn her face up at all the greens like Nix. She won't tolerate being handled nearly as well as Nix. I really wish I knew if she had any siblings or what her parents were like. We lost contact with her first family and only knew that she was born around 2005.
I wanted to share this story because Nix didn't deserve to suffer for a second. She was my friend, and was the most beautiful and well-behaved bearded dragon I have ever met...and I've seen a lot in reptile shows! I want her to be remembered and appreciated even by strangers as an exemplar of a reptile pet. She had a personality with its own quirks. She felt completely comfortable around me. She depended on us entirely to survive. She was so much more than "just a lizard." I donated to a reptile rescue in her name so hopefully others like her can be helped with all the care they need.
Right now I'm devastated and obviously feeling enormously guilty over all the things I could've done. But hopefully telling everyone about Nix will serve as the memorialization she deserves. Please feel free to share your own stories here about your pets and I'd especially like to hear how you are managing to cope. I've been mentally exhausted the past two days, and physically ill. I feel I don't deserve to be happy or laugh because it would insult her memory. I'm petrified of moving on because I don't want to forget her and what she meant to me.
This is Nix.
Nix was my bearded dragon. She passed away yesterday. I believe she was about 12 years old.
I adopted Nix about four years ago when she was 8. This was the spring before my senior year in college and coincided with my surge in interest in reptiles after joining FA. In fact, you'll see one of my earliest submissions to FA is a photo of a bearded dragon at the Baltimore Aquarium. At the time it was taken, before I had joined FA in 2012, I didn't even know what it was and had to look the species up!
Nix had already lived a nice, long life with a family who clearly loved her. They told me they had several offers before me, but felt more comfortable with my concern over her wellbeing. Because of a move to another state they were forced to adopt her out and I took her in as my first real pet. Sure, my family had an assortment of cats, dogs, fish, and birds in the past, but Nix was someone *I* took in, of my own accord.
Those who have read my stories might believe I named her after the protagonist in my first story, but in reality she was named after my favorite track from the Midnight Club II soundtrack. Which is how that protagonist got his name, too, so I guess in a roundabout way both answers are right.
I remember when we first brought her home she was petrified and barely moved for days. We bought all her toys, equipment, and "furniture" with her, so I'm sure that helped her settle in eventually. I'm lucky enough to live near a Wegmans with plenty of the exotic greens that are good for her. I chopped up her salads, made sure they didn't wilt, and was obsessed with learning everything about beardies. One time I was really lucky and cactus pears were in season at the grocery store. She absolutely loved that! It smelled awesome too.
After six months or so, she became very picky. I'd buy mustard greens or something and they would go bad in the refrigerator before she'd touch her salads. I tried to pique her interest by doing all sorts of things like hiding worms in the salad and dousing it in bearded dragon "dressing" (some kind of strawberry flavored goo). I tried hand feeding and that worked for a while, but eventually she'd close her eyes and turn her head up and that was that. I lost interest in keeping up and asked my dad to help. I was significantly more immature at the time and didn't take the responsibility as seriously as I should have. After the summer I flew back to college and my dad took over full daily care of her. Occasionally when we would Skype I'd get to say hi. Lately I worried about her on every vacation I took and made sure my dad kept me apprised of her feeding and bathing schedules.
Diet wise, she ended up settling into being a meat eater like her "dad." I and my dad tried my best to make sure she was getting her nutrients otherwise, like calcium dusting and gut-loading her feeders. She was also basically hand fed every day using tongs. She always loved superworms but was hot and cold on crickets. Crickets are also terrible for us owners because they make lots of noise, drown in standing water, eat each other, and smell. About a year ago I started a dubia roach colony for the nutritional benefits, but she wasn't interested. We had to give the colony away. Asking around at reptile shows I didn't feel too badly since I heard other stories of extreme pickiness. And it reminded me a lot of myself.
Of course I beat myself up now. I think about how I should've denied her her favorite foods until she ate what she was supposed to. I should've kept making salads even if she didn't eat it. Their diet is supposed to be like 60% greens and 40% insects. Hers was more like 5% - 95%. To some credit we were able to get a various assortment of fruits and vegetables into her sporadically over the past year. She liked bananas, but of course that's only supposed to be fed rarely.
She liked to "go" in the bath, so my dad and I gave her very regular baths. He took care of her more than I ever did. Regardless, I'm happy to say we did really well on that front. She was always well hydrated and never had problems shedding. Of course she'd always get a little cranky when she shed, hehe.
Nix was a sweetheart. She never, ever hissed at anyone, even strangers. She'd open her mouth once or twice, but we knew she was just playing because her beard would never inflate. All we had to do is rub her on that little ridge behind her eyes and she'd quickly shut her mouth and close her eyes. I think that's the universal beardie signal of "I like dis." I liked to put her directly on my bare chest and then under some blankets. That would help retain some of my own heat since she can't do that on her own. We've played some video games together, and watched a few Orioles and Ravens games. She usually fell asleep hanging onto me and I gently woke her up before placing her back in her tank. She was always fidgety in the process of transferring her between tank and shirt. I always worried about her hurting herself because I once scraped her head slightly on the tank frame in the process.
I wish I had done this more. I wish I hadn't come home often and said "nah, some other day." I wish I hadn't put off taking her outside so often for natural sunlight. I'd use her tendency to lick everything as an excuse to keep her inside (I was worried about her eating bugs affected by pesticides). I'd use her lying under her hide or drying off from a bath as an excuse not to pay her attention. But she deserved more. One time I was on my phone and it slipped out of my hands and hit her on the top of the head. It was a glancing blow and she barely reacted but I felt terrible for the rest of the day.
For her substrate, we used slate tile. Soon after we got her we were shocked to see her pass eggs! We found out that female beardies produce unfertilized eggs for their lifetimes unless they are spayed. For egg laying we temporarily gave her a lose sand substrate, but I removed it after a while because I was always so worried about impaction. That's when a beardie eats something indigestible like sand along with their food and it gets trapped in their digestive system. Her diet made her a little constipated so I wanted to make sure nothing was present to make it possibly worse. As far as the eggs went, we really hadn't seen any more for a long time after that.
About a week ago, we noticed she went in her tank, which was very unusual for her. She was never a trouble to us, and just one example was that she made cleanup easy by going in her baths. There was a little blood. I immediately suspected parasites and we fully disinfected her tank. Since it takes about an hour and a half I'll admit we let it get filthy. She deserved more regular cleanings of her tank. At least in the last week of her life it was pristine. At the time I also scheduled a vet appointment.
On the morning of her appointment she went again and there was significantly more blood. Beardies are small enough to begin with, so even a little blood is concerning. She hadn't eaten in a few days and at this point I was worried sick. We collected her up and hurried over. The vet we chose is one of the best in the state, very experienced in reptiles and was able to quickly diagnose that she was egg bound. This means that she was still making eggs unbeknownst to us and having trouble passing them. Untreated it's almost entirely fatal. Regardless of the circumstances it's a dire situation.
She was clearly uncomfortable. Unlike how she'd normally sit with her belly lying on the floor, she was lifting it off the ground and wiggling her back legs. They needed to get a blood sample from her to assess the possibility of emergency surgery. They had to get it from her tail and I couldn't watch. I saw her struggling and even heard her hiss a bit. I'm so sorry she had to deal with that, and I know that she only hissed because she was afraid. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize the signs of egg binding and I'm so sorry she didn't have loose substrate to dig into. I blame myself for not exercising her more. Her muscles probably weren't strong enough because of that. The doctor assured me they have trouble with eggs at that age regardless, but who knows for sure. I'm glad at least that spaying really wasn't an option prior, though, because she was already old and it's a pretty major surgery.
They said she had already lost a good amount of blood, but could endure surgery. I breathed such a sigh of relief because I knew it was either going to be that or euthanasia. A while back, I downloaded a veterinarian's textbook on reptile care and know the ghoulish ways they perform euthanasia for reptiles. It was going to be a thousand dollars for surgery and I signed the paperwork without hesitation. This is a lot of money for me and for most people, but that's part of the responsibility of owning a pet in my mind. Beardies have been known to live over 15, and she had no other health issues I was aware of. It wasn't fair to put her down simply because she was bleeding to death.
They whisked her away, but not before I pet her and told her I believed in her. I had no doubt she would make it through the surgery. And she made me so proud. She did. They said that she had a strong heartbeat and no major source of bleeding post surgery. Unfortunately the anesthesia used to sedate her was just too much for her body to handle. She stopped breathing yesterday afternoon and wasn't able to be resuscitated. I imagine this in my head and it breaks my heart. If I were there I would have done damn mouth to mouth for hours no matter how ridiculous it sounds. It's so frustrating that even throwing money at the problem didn't help. But I know the surgeon was experienced and did his best. In fact, I'm shocked at the quality of care for reptiles in today's day and age. Within hours she had radiography, blood tests, and surgery done. A few decades ago this would've been impressive for a human.
Most of us would be happy to pass away so peacefully. She was awake one moment...and then nothing. I've been listening to Alan Watts a lot recently, and he makes a point about how animals have it so great. We stress and worry and concern ourselves about death, but animals just live life to its fullest and live in the present until it just ends. Nix is feeling no pain right now. I hope there's some way in which her spirit lives on. Who really knows. And even if she made it through surgery, she was going to pass away one day. Maybe she'd have lingered in pain post-surgery until just not waking up one day.
My dad and I were both too emotional to pick her up last night. He went out to the car and almost immediately came back inside. He half-laughed at how moved we were by a bearded dragon. I cried so hard I got a nosebleed and a splitting headache. I missed and still miss my little girl and just want to hold her and tell her it will be alright. She was there for me when I suffered through a serious bout of anxiety and panic attacks in 2015. In her own way she let me know it would be alright herself.
We went back to the vet first thing this morning and her box felt so cold. They froze her overnight. I didn't look inside. I signed for her treatment, which wiped out my savings for MFF, but I don't care. I would've maxed out my credit card for a few more years with her. I was desperate for the vet to call us before that morning and say they made a mistake, and that she was actually okay. I thought the cold would've put her in suspended animation and her body would be kickstarted again. I hesitated even going because there was such a finality about picking her up from the vet and never being able to go back. I was so sorry I couldn't have been there for her before she went under. She was alone and afraid and had no idea why she was being "punished" for being sick. We buried her outside the window she loved to look out of at passersby. She's back home now and close to us.
I'm having trouble accepting that collection of neurons that defined Nix no longer exists. I'm having trouble knowing she's a handful of feet away from me and there's nothing I can do for her. I have to hold back the horrible feeling to rush down and dig her up and rub her back to life. I feel like I'm running out of time to take action. I'm having trouble with the fact I can't go downstairs and slip her out of her cage for one last nap. I'm having trouble seeing time slip by, and knowing the last time I did all of the daily things I do as part of my routine she was still alive. I can get another bearded dragon, but she won't look like Nix. She won't turn her face up at all the greens like Nix. She won't tolerate being handled nearly as well as Nix. I really wish I knew if she had any siblings or what her parents were like. We lost contact with her first family and only knew that she was born around 2005.
I wanted to share this story because Nix didn't deserve to suffer for a second. She was my friend, and was the most beautiful and well-behaved bearded dragon I have ever met...and I've seen a lot in reptile shows! I want her to be remembered and appreciated even by strangers as an exemplar of a reptile pet. She had a personality with its own quirks. She felt completely comfortable around me. She depended on us entirely to survive. She was so much more than "just a lizard." I donated to a reptile rescue in her name so hopefully others like her can be helped with all the care they need.
Right now I'm devastated and obviously feeling enormously guilty over all the things I could've done. But hopefully telling everyone about Nix will serve as the memorialization she deserves. Please feel free to share your own stories here about your pets and I'd especially like to hear how you are managing to cope. I've been mentally exhausted the past two days, and physically ill. I feel I don't deserve to be happy or laugh because it would insult her memory. I'm petrified of moving on because I don't want to forget her and what she meant to me.
I haven't experienced the loss of a pet like that, but when my boyfriend of the time passed away unexpectedly 2 1/3 years ago, I am sure it was a similar experience. What helped me the most was to remind myself of what he would have wanted. That, and time. Anyone who loves you wants you to be happy, and so it is a way of honoring their memory to try and smile or laugh even though it may be hard. You won't forget Nix. I promise. There will always be days when you think of her.
I had a guinea pig once, we called him Vanilla because of the soft yellow and white fur pattern he had. Vanilla was ALWAYS timid around us. Despite that, we regularly cleaned, fed, and played with him as best as we could despite our elementary-school-kid mindsets. I'm ashamed to admit it, but as years went on I fell in the same pattern as you did; passing off necessary daily tasks for another day. I still took the majority of care for him, feeding and petting him every day. Cleaning his cage was a pain, but I never complained because I wanted my friend to always live in a clean, healthy home.
One morning... I found him peacefully sleeping with his head slumped in his food bowl. The first thing I wanted to do was pick him up and hold him in my arms and cry. My mom made a crack about his position after we all shed some tears, but I couldn't bring myself to laugh.
What's amazing about it, is that Vanilla lived to be 7 years old, a pretty long time for a little rodent like him. The thing that killed me the most was the fact he spent far more time in that cage than I can bring myself to admit. I wished and wished for weeks, and even to this day 4 years later, that I had taken him out more often and played with him more, and forgave him for pooping on almost every surface we set him down on (especially blankets).
I've also had my share of dogs departing, though I was never there to witness medical procedures. I just grew up watching them walk slower and slower, being told they're just getting old. Then one day I come to a family's house and they're no longer around. I just grew up accepting that family pets disappear and go to heaven. Now that I'm older, I cry my eyes out remembering those pets and wanting nothing more than to hold them one more time and say good bye, and how much I loved them. I would even take smelly, slobbery kisses.
But a lesson I had to learn without being taught it, per say, is that the fact our pets came into our lives means it was meant to be. To the people who mourn over them, they're truly the good ones our pets deserve. It means they're loved even after death, and their lives were meaningful. They had a purpose.
Tragedies are inevitable. It's no good to blame yourself over something you can't help (I'm having a hard time seeing the letters through tears). I know for a fact if my dogs could speak english and tell me something, it's "C'mon! Let's play ball! It's always fun to play with you! Oh, and could you scratch my back? Ooh! Ooh! And a tummy rub!" I have to live on with a positive place in my heart my best buddies can rest in. I want their efforts of making me smile carry on for the rest of my life. Otherwise, by telling myself I could have done better and putting myself down, I forget all the things my buddies lived for.
Apologies, that went on for a bit longer than I intended. That was my bit of weight on the topic. I sincerely hope the best for you and your family. Nix will forever stay in your heart, and that's not someone you can simply replace with another lizard. Take your time to mourn, and never let anyone tell you otherwise. Everyone carries through grief differently. And always remember to say your thanks for Nix's existence. That's the best thing that helps me out, maybe it'll do the same for you.
Take care.
i have a female dog, right now she's getting old, she's 13 years old, i understand they dont live that long ... sooner or later i'll experience the same you and dsc85 are experience, nevertheless great times... wish they could live as long as we can live
I just lost my first pet myself just last Saturday. Came home from a hellish night of work, to find my cat Quixy laying dead on her side in our basement, just inches from her bed.
She was 19 tho, which is quite a long time for a house cat, got her when she was 5 months old, so she lived a long live.
Still, I agree with what you said about how carefree pets are when it comes to life and death. Here's hoping their both up in pet heaven, free of the pain and earthly boundaries and watching us from above :)
So my family extended her life from 5 months to 19 years, which really made me tear up when they told me (I was 8 when we got her, so they waited till I was older to understand :P )