Raining Cats and Dogs and Tears

Well, when it rains it pours. Anyone that knows our family knows how much we love animals. In fact we are very good at training amazing dogs and then finding them a new home, right before they reach the perfect animal stage! Many have joked that they want the next dog we "re-home"! Almost every Saturday (for the past 3 years), the girls have loved to go to Petsmart where they have the pet adoption. Keep in mind, we are never looking for a dog, just going to let the girls pet the dogs. Last Saturday, we saw a dog that both Bryan and I actually really liked. We have said that we would want a dog for Hudson some day. Although we liked the dog, we walked away. But we both thought maybe instead of looking for a pure-bred dog, we should rescue one. Two families that we are close to have rescued dogs over the past year, and they are the best dogs!

 On Sunday night I was browsing craigslist, (something that is very relaxing to me) and I saw a dog that said it was a golden retriever mix. She seemed perfect and I felt a VERY strong pull towards her. On Monday, I got ahold of the rescue and scheduled a time to come see the dog. After Ainsley's doctors appointment and lab draw, I picked up the girls and we went to go see her. We all fell in love instantly! Fast forward to the next morning... I couldn't believe that we had just gotten a dog and now we are facing the crazy, stressful journey of cancer. I was thinking, "ok, no big deal. I will just call and take the dog back." Right as I was about to tell my plan to Bryan, RhyBabe grabbed ahold of Mavis in a big hug and said, "I am so glad we have Mavis, she makes me feel so calm." Well, how could we take the dog back after that? So evidently the dog is staying. Mavis really has been a great dog. She was originally found snuggling goats on a farm in Oklahoma City before being sent to the rescue in Bartlesville. She was very thin and weary and they diligently worked to fatten her up a bit. She is in good health now. It's funny, because she still eats like it could be her last meal. I will be happy when she knows that she is loved, and safe, and home. I don't see her going anywhere! She has been very healing for me too! I love that about animals. They bring such comfort. In fact they use therapeutic dogs in the children's hospital multiple days each week! Mavis, our new at-home canine therapy friend!

So, you are now wondering what the title is referring to? Getting Mavis would be considered a happy thing right? Well, this morning, I received a phone call from Bryan. He said that our neighbor and friend, Trevor, had found the body of our beautiful kitty, Saraphina, in the road. She had been hit by a car. Last night, I had a feeling something was wrong when I didn't see 'Mew Mew' in the garage. It has been over four years since Bryan called me, while rotating in Oklahoma, and said that he'd had a strong feeling we should get a cat for Rhyan to help her in moving from Arizona to wherever we would start residency. At that time we didn't even know it would be Oklahoma. Saraphina has been amazing for my girls, especially Rhyan. She could "Love" that kitty to death and Saraphina would put up with it. They had a very special bond. When I heard the news I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. How could this have happened? Why would this have been aloud to happen now? Aren't we going through enough already? How do we now tell the girls, who are reeling from having their lives turned up-side-down by Ainsley's cancer diagnosis, that their dear pet is gone? We knew we couldn't try the whole "maybe kitty found a new home" or "maybe the kitty wandered away" routine, because these girls are resourceful and would have turned the whole town and possibly state upside-down to find her. They would be knocking on the doors of every neighbor on every street. Signs of a missing kitty would be plastered on every mailbox and telephone pole around. They would not have given up until she was safe at home.

 So we just went for the straight-forward, honest approach. Bryan told them that sometimes life seems really tough, but that we can grow from our trials. We've had some difficult news this week, and there is some more difficult news, that Saraphina was hit by a car and killed. We were all a mess again. That poor hospital room has seen many tears from this family.



Regarding pets in general, we asked the doctors what we should do with the zoo we have at home: hermit crabs, dogs, and a cat (obviously the discussion took place before the cat accident). They indicated that the potential risks of infection from the hermit crabs (assuming similar bacteria to pet reptiles) was too much and that we ought to find them another home. The cat was fine if it lived outside, as long as she didn't handle it and stayed far from the litter box. The dogs, as long as they were healthy, well behaved, and up to date on vaccines and such, were encouraged to remain as a therapeutic entity for the family much like the therapy dogs at the hospital. Maybe Saraphina's job was fulfilled in helping the girls adjust to the move from Arizona to Oklahoma, and now maybe Mavis was sent to help comfort our family through this next chapter of our big adventure? It feels right so far and I am grateful for the small promptings I have had leading up to this challenge. I am amazed how much life experiences have prepared me to face what we are facing today and will be facing over the next few years.

P.S. One day we will get a new kitty, but it won't be anytime soon. We'll wait till Ainsley is well and able to play with it. Thanks for all the kind thoughts and offers to replace Saraphina, but for now we'll stick with the zoo we have ;-)