The pet, if they are attached to the person who leaves, will get depressed and sad, because someone that is a part of their world is suddenly gone. They will also pick up on the sadness in the household generally, and that can make them depressed as well. In some cases, I have heard people have given up their family pets, if they had to move or couldn't afford to keep them. That would be the end for my pets, not to mention me. We would just give up all together, and probably die of collective heartbreak.
When my ex-husband left, I can't say I was all that surprised he left me, because he made it clear he wasn't all that fond of me, anyway. But I was surprised that he left the dog. Dogs have that kind of effect on a person, it seems. There is something about all that unqualified adoration and devotion they give that is undeniably enticing.
Personally, I can't imagine giving up my pets for any reason. It would be like giving away a member of the family. I'm not sure I would have made it through my divorce without my pets. They are very important to me, and I try my level best to take the best care of them that I possibly can. However, having said that, I think it's important to recognize that pets do not come without a certain amount of, shall we say, trouble. Or, in the case of one of ours, Trouble with a capital T.
We have a little dog, purebred Papillion, championship stock, in fact. He is the cutest dog I have ever seen, incredibly smart, very lively, and always enthusiastic, especially about eating (that would explain the 13 pound body on the nine pound frame....) He is very important to me, because he was there for me when no one else could be. So naturally, because my life is my life, he is always having a problem. Let's just say the emergency vet hospital is number one on my speed dial.
When he was a puppy, he refused to eat. When he was down to less than two pounds, I was afraid he was going to die on us because he was so fragile and sickly and pathetic. I bribed him, cajoled, hand fed, force fed, and cried over him, and eventually, this troublesome little sprite got the idea and started eating. He has not stopped since.
He eats everything. Absolutely everything. Including a lot of stuff he is not supposed to eat.
- Like a full bottle of Adderol, which he somehow got off a high table, and which is normally used for ADHD. That required a two night stay at the emergency clinic.
- My son's earplugs, which he seems to consider a particularly delectable snack.
- Dirty litter which has spilled out of the cat's box.
- Fungus, blueberries, raisins, chocolate.
He has never seen a poison he didn't want to scarf down whole. Augh.
Being only 13 pounds, it doesn't take a whole lot to mess up his system (hence the first name basis I am on with my vet. And his staff.) Last week, we had another... Incident. He goes to bed, he's perfectly fine, he gets up, he's vomiting everywhere. Then he's vomiting blood. For days this little dog occupied my every waking moment, while we tried to figure out what was going on, and what would happen next.
Pretty dramatic, right? Is your heart racing, your blood pounding? Are you on the edge of your seat wondering what happens next?
Actually, he got well. NO, not just like that. It's been a long, slow process, and I have worried every step of the way. But eventually, he will be back to normal, and I will once again have brief piece of mind, until the next time.
Why am I telling you about my troublesome pooch? Because pets are a part of divorce, too; a part that is taking a fascinating turn, both emotionally and in the courts, it seems. I have read recently about several couples who have gone to court over who gets the dog when someone got the door. For some reason, cats, birds and fish do not seem to inspire this kind of passion in their owners, or at least, not that I have read about. Because all the cases I have read about have been dogs.
But anyway, it seems that people are going to mediation, and actually including pet visitation schedules in their divorce proceedings these days. I am not surprised. Personally, I'd rather have custody of my pets than my ex, too.
