I have had the "Just get rid of them" or "just have them put down" (or worse, with the horses, "why don't you just have it shot?") from so many people when I've mentioned vet bills, ill animals etc. Needless to say anyone coming out with a comment like that sees another, not quite so easy going, side of me - my animals are my life as they are for so many people. When Ellis got run over, I could barely cope at work until I knew how he was and when Baldrick went missing before Christmas I couldn't do anything at work for worrying about him. My current colleagues don't understand that at all, which doesn't help - at least where I used to work were used to me!
I haven't lost any of my pet cats yet, although my adopted farm cat died when she was quite young and I was in pieces when I was told her body had been found - I didn't even get the chance to see her as the person who found her said "it was only a cat" and disposed of her
I still miss her now, and this is at least 14 years later. Losing a horse is difficult enough, and they aren't a part of the family in the same way a cat is, quite. I've had 3 horses PTS and, fortunately, have had colleagues who understood enough not to come out with any crass comments even though they weren't particularly animal lovers themselves. I still can't talk about any of them, though, without tearing up.
It sounds wrong, but I think I've cried at least as much over losing Coal (the adopted farm cat) and the horses as I did over losing my Dad. You expect your parents to die before you, really, but also should expect your animals to have shorter lives than you yet it's still very hard to accept. It's a different bond than the one between human family members but just as strong.
