Thanks to a considerate vet

called ‘‘cars’’ and only other makes were considered to have any make. Wouldn’t that put Fords at an advantage, whenever people thought about cars?

Ironically, till the mid-19th century, ‘‘New Zealander’’ meant Maori. After 19 years, family pets are no longer pets – they are a part of your family.

In my case, they were older than my two children, and were loved, scolded and rewarded as equal members of the family.

Last year I was forced to come to the realisation that Saabi was no longer enjoying the full life she once had. Just last week, her brother, Simba, also succumbed to the same fate.

The loss I feel is equal to any other loss in my life, as these two feline buddies had been my comfort, enjoyment and companion many times.

In both instances, when it came to making the hardest decision, we took them to Rappaw Veterinary Care in Paremata. They not only assured us we were doing the right thing, but also provided ‘‘real’’ and tangible advice to convince us that we were not only doing the best thing by us, but more importantly the ‘‘family’’ members themselves.

Of course, this did not make it easier, but the compassion and dignity they allowed to us and to our two friends was a testament to Peter (and Ed Darkin for Saabi) and their team of professionals.

Saabi and Simba were cremated and we received their ashes back in ‘‘scatter boxes’’, which in themselves were very nicely presented, with a certificate of when they were cremated and by who.

You may think these things trivial, but in a world that has become overly expressive in social media tripe, it is nice to know that there is still hope and compassion available in the real world. word when a more confusing one is available, but then she shouldn’t be concerned when she is misunderstood.