Deja vu

As far as I am concerned, the number one reason not to have pets (and a reason that is outweighed by everything else) is that pets die.

And that sucks.

In 2002, we had two cats and two dogs. We lost one of the cats that summer. Then the other cat had to be put down in 2003. And just 2 and 1/2 months ago, we lost our dog Thor to what we assume was cancer. See post here. Our dog Ramius (pictured here) was the last one standing.

Ramius has always been reclusive and timid. Despite his 114 pounds, he is scared of his own shadow and typically spends all of his time hiding out in the living room. Last week, he started coming into the family room and seeking out attention. The only other time he had done that consistently was right before Thor's sickness became apparent. Then, last Thursday, we noticed a baseball size lump on Ramius' chest that had developed since he had been to the groomer just a couple of weeks before. That could not be good.

Today the vet tests confirmed that he has cancer, and it has attached to his heart and lungs. There are no realistic treatment options. The vet says 1 to 2 weeks is her best guess regarding how much time he has left.

We have canceled our Thanksgiving trip to Arizona and will spend what quality time we can with him over the next (hopefully) several days. The weird part is that outwardly, he seems fine. But we know that won't last.

And that sucks.