Seriously. I look at the TuDiabetes profile pictures and other photos and see more dogs and cats than I see people. I read post after post about cats playing with insulin pump tubing like it was a ball of yarn. I click on the Texting my Pancreas blog and read about author Kim’s beautiful relationship with her very own Billy Corgan (the dog, not the Smashing Pumpkins lead singer).
Am I missing something? Am I the only person who has diabetes but doesn’t have a dog or cat? (My wife would never allow it anyway). Is there anyone else out there like me who only lives with other two-legged mammals?
TuD has always made me feel like part of a community, but when it comes to this, I feel so alone…
hahaha! great post! I always had pets, so I can’t relate. However, I can say that I had dogs/cats long before I got diabetes and I am pretty sure I would still have them if I didn’t have diabetes.
Neither can I relate …had an interesting Siamese cat , called Tia ( short for Tia Maria ) , who hated all the boy friends , except for my Love , who became Hubby in 1985 …by the way , you know about pets able to lower BP ??? …keep on hugging them …if you are not allergic !!!
PS I should upload our latest story on my TU page …2 senior BLACK cats from local SPCA we have at home
Interesting post! Neither can I relate since I have two rambunctious terriers myself and a kitty cat named Twinkie. But I have had pets ever before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Im sure we have some members on here without furry or feathered (or scales) friends in their homes…they are such a handful sometimes. But such a wonderful delight too!
Hi Scott. When we lived in a duplex with the landlord next door, I started really collecting pets. The landlord said no dogs, so I had cats, birds, lizards and snakes. I’ve thought about why I find animals so necessary, and decide it’s because they are a link to nature, as important as my getting out into the “great outdoors”. Now in our own house, we have just dogs. It fascinates me to see the dogs’ basic instincts and how often those instincts are similar to their ancestral wolves. The fact that dogs are such social animals make them extra special. The best of all is when they do such neat things as alerting to diabetes, which my Mini Dachsie did for me, and not long ago, my 3 Goldens barking off the burglar(s) when I was home alone. Back when we had cats, I enjoyed their independence along with their great capacity for bonding, and I’m told they also have the ability to alert to diabetes. Well, and animals around are just fun.
Another no pet household here. My wife and I have erratic travel schedules, so any pet we owned would have to spend a great deal of time in a kennel, which doesn’t sound like a good life for a dog. We both are allergic to cats so they’re out of the picture; we’ve both owned dogs growing up and before our current careers.
As you can probably tell I have cats. I have had pets ( dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, fish and hermit crabs) since my husband & I have a house. Most of these were when our kids were small. We are left with just the 2 cats. I think people have animals b/c they are non-judgemental and love us all the time no matter how we feel. They are also a great picker-upper when we feel down, which happens alot with D. Unless both you and your wife want a pet, then you are better off not having any b/c they are a lifetime responsibility. You can still stay in TuD. LOL !!!
ohh get a pet. They are the best for all those private talks that no one else will ever hear. They will always listen and 100% guarantee will not tell anyone. It seems my doggy knows my sugal levels before I do. When she start to sit close to me and uncomfortable i know it’s time
Well, if you have a wife who takes care of you and ESPECIALLY washes dishes or cooks, then I think you’re doing GREAT!!! You’re definitely NOT alone, by definition!!
I do have cats, but then I don’t have an adoring spouse, and I need the comfort of having other living creatures around me. You and I are both satisfying a basic human need, just in different ways. Go home and tell your wife how much you love her!
Well, I generally do the cooking in the house (it helps since I need to know exactly what and how much of it is going in my body)! But I definitely do appreciate my wife… especially since she’s been carrying our not-yet-born child for the past eight months!
But on the issue of pets, I wouldn’t want a cat, and she wouldn’t allow a dog. Hopefully one of these days I can talk her into getting a parakeet or a fish tank. I’ve had both before (guinea pigs, too), and a pet would be great for the kid(s).
Hi Scott,
Just saw your post. That cat that I am holding in the picture “Sasquatch” is no longer mine. My brother now has him mainly because my hubby is not a fan of pets and the smell from the litter box was just too much for him.
Pets are nice and have their place, but I can relate your post!!
I know this post is old, and I'm generally not one for shameless "self-promtion", but I thought those of you who commented here might be interested in this story about a young T1D girl who has -- for the moment -- a T1D dog. I discuss it on my new blog; you can read about it here: http://rollinginthed.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/a-furry-d-companion/
??