Living On Farm Helping Me Accept Death

[Gloria]

I just got off the phone calling animal control, public works and my veterinarian. I tell them "My goat is dead" and I have to repeat and explain ten times because this is not a normal call for them. I'm really sad but the goat was 14-15 years old and the lady who I found (this morning) and is selling me some kids (baby goats) said that 12 is very, very old for a goat.

It was sad. My Native American Indian friends taught me not to take the dead animal away from the others but to let them see the dead animal so they can accept it better. When my Siamese cat died, we didn't show our other cat the body and she cried and called for him for months. So I let the animals say good-bye. My youngest horse licked her ear and tried to paw her to get up. The other goat looked very sad. The other horses weren't too heart broken. This goat used to eat the tail of my one horse and he couldn't switch away the flies so I guess he's not heart broken.

But..... I hardly cried. I knew I had give this goat a very good life as she was given to me by a breeder because she was too old to breed and then she lived 7 years with me and got fat and had a lot of fun because I would build them things to climb on and they would play "King of the Mountain" and butt each other around.

So my Greta (an Oberhasli) is dead. But.... don't be sad. Here are the new kids. They are not going to be raised for meat or abused and will be coming to live with me shortly. These are pigmy goats and they are babies and so I will laugh and laugh when they play and Helga (my old goat) may have fun playing with them and make her feel young again. Believe it or not, this is helping me deal with the impending death of some very close loved ones. Living on a farm, you see birth and death and it all seems natural.

 

[Sammy]

I am still sorry for your loss of Greta. I believe the fact you gave her a great life makes it easier. She was lucky to have you! The babies are SO cute! They are going to be so fun for you! Congratulations on your new babies! :tup:

 

[timetorecover]

Sorry about Greta!

Your post reminded me about something that I learnt in therapy and that is:
"To Process allows us to accept. Denial festers"

I agree with your friend telling you to allow the animal not to be removed. It is the same process as when a human dies, its recommended to see the body apparently??!!

Your new fluffy kids look gorgeous, enjoy xx

 

[Rhyelle]

I love goats. My family has raised many, but I'm stuck living in town right now so I only have a dog and a cat. My cat is on her way out. Her story is very similar to Greta's. We saved her from a house where she was tied under a bed and over-bred. She's been so happy since she learned to trust us. She's 26 years old now I think though. My PTSD makes me unsure of details regarding time often. But she's really old anyway. I wish I wasn't so messed up so I could just love her more, but I'm stuck inside myself and don't want to be 'bothered' by her sometimes, with her drooling on me (really a lot!) and walking on me with her little needle-legs that hurt cause she's so heavy. Still, I try to love her and make her life comfortable. She hates the dog, but I love them both. Maybe getting the puppy wasn't the best thing for my cat, but I put myself first. I hope your new kids will do for you what my dog does for me - give me unconditional love and make me laugh. Good luck!

 

[Gloria]

It was so weird. It's very cold here so when I put out the evening feed, i just run out with their bucket and put it outside their goat house but Greta was making this moaning sounds so I tried to get to eat but she wouldn't. But I had a peppermint in my pocket and she liked them and she ate it. I gave her a bid hug and told her not to die on me. Normally, I don't spend too much time with the goats unless it's summer and I'm sitting in the paddock so it's really weird that I got to say good-bye. This happened to my sister. She had the best weekend in her life two days before she died. I kept asking the priest why did she dye when she went to her first ACOA retreat and the priest told me that they could let go then. Maybe my Greta had to say good-bye to me before she could go.

We are so excited about the babies coming next month. I didn't realize it but Greta was 80 lbs. I picked her up and carried her out of the paddock and my son couldn't figure out how I did it. I think when you get emotional, you get this surge of adrenalin because she was dead weight and my son could hardly pick her up. I was crying all day yesterday. Helga is so upset. Greta was her sister and had been with her her entire life and she is a mess so I'm going to buy a whole bunch of raisins (she goes crazy for raisins) and sit with her today.

Seeing the goat's dead body didn't bother me like seeing dead bodies before so this is progress. I was really triggered recently when it was all over the news about a woman who was a hoarder and the condition of her house and how they couldn't find the body for days because of the mess. Well, five years that's exactly what happened when my sister died. I felt so sorry for the son. It was traumatic enough to see the filth and to find her decomposed body without having it all over the news. I don't know why they made such a big news story about it and how it never was mentioned in the papers when my sister died. I think the media is so off balance. They make a big deal when some rich caucasian child disappears (but every day children are murdered by their parents in the slums of Chicago and it doesn't get in the newspapers.)

Oh well! Happy thoughts! I am going to get chicks from Farm and Fleet around the same time as I get my 8 week old baby goats (that would fit in your hand right now!) So Easter is going to be so wonderful with my newly planted flowering trees, flowers and all the baby animals. My friends from the city always come to visit on Easter weekend. How much fun!

 

[Gloria]

Maybe getting the puppy wasn't the best thing for my cat, but I put myself first.

When my 24 cat was diagnosed with kidney failure, I got a kitten thinking that she wasn't going to live long. Well, a year and half later and IV fluids every day, my cat is as healthy as can be but she has to put up with this young kitten (now cat) that will NOT leave her alone - ever. I feel bad for putting my old cat through it because Oscar is one pesky kitty and she never stops getting into trouble.:eek:

It might be good for your cat to keep her on her toes!
Hugs,
Gloria

 

[Chook]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about "Greta" Gloria. Sounds like she had a good life with you and yours.

Like you say, it must be confusing for other animals when one suddenly disappears from their lives.

I also believe it's important to allow other animals contact when another dies. Just leave them alone to investigate in their own way for an hour or so. Then remove it.

I have done this with my dog hit by a car, wrapped in a blanket and left quietly with her soul mate for a while. He was able to sniff and be with her for a while.

Then he seemed to loose interest and came to the back door. That was my cue to bury her.

 

[Gloria]

I went to farm to pick out the baby goats that won't be ready for a few weeks. I'm naming them Harold and Maude. Maude is a pigmy but a total runt so she is tinier than tiny! Harold's ear stick out! They are so cute!

Here is my tiny Maude. I love the names Harold and Maude because I love the movie! Maude is standing next to her twin brother. She is tiny! And she likes me. I held her and she kissed me!

 

[Sammy]

She is so cute!! Congratulations! So precious! We had goats when I was little and they are some of my "happy" memories from early childhood. I don't have a ton of memories but I remember the goats! They were so fun.

 

[Gloria]

I got hooked at them at the county fair. I stood in the goat tent and laughed with delight watching the goats butt heads at each other! It's hysterical and they climb everything. They eat all the weeds but the down side is that they eat the paint off of license plates and no tree or flower or expensive leather bridle or saddle is safe if withing their reach. I let my goats in my horse barn feeling sorry for them becaue it was raining. Every rein or piece of leather that was in their reach was chewed away. I built a special goat house the next day.

Here are my pics of my first introduction to Harold and Maude..... As you can see from my face, I was totally enamored with the little darlings!

 

[Rhyelle]

I love that movie too.

 

[Gloria]

My son is a disabled veteran and quite a recluse on this farm. He is extremely attached to his chickens and gets very depressed when one dies. I'm learning to deal with it.