Pickles by Brian Crane for February 05, 2023

Score one for Opal.

the old gray mare’s at it again

You can be a dour shrew Opal

Sounds like my wife! Funny lady. She lights up my life.

What about Muffin? Suppose the cat outlives both Opal and Earl, but not Roscoe.

There are lots of anecdotes about the joy of adopting an older pet. We have friends who have done it twice with older dogs. GREAT companions, VERY happy with our friends, who are very happy with them. It is hard to deal the the death of a loved pet, and an older pet will do that to you sooner, probably… but hey, at our age, we’ve gotten tough (and stringy, more than likely).

You need to set it up ahead of time who adopts the pets when you pass away. Or Sylvia can do it since she lives close.

I’d think the obvious solution is for Roscoe to live with Nelson

Knew that was coming.

Does Opal have any compassion at all??

S’cuse me. Pickles is one that gets a lot of eyes. This is the second time it’s happened to me. I touched…. something…on my phone as I was reading my notifications on my android phone, and my notifications reset to zero. Anyone have an idea? Thanks

Opal, your daughter lives next door and her son is very often at your place. It would be her moral duty, IMHO, to adopt your pets, if needed. They are family, after all.

Just another way of saying we all get old and the end game is something we talk about but rarely plan for.

I would adopt him in a minute!

You are not exactly a spring chicken, Opal, and old age does not come alone, and I speak from experience!

Of the 11 we adopted over the past 25 years, I think only two were younger than 5 years old. Older ones do not chew up everything, generally less aggressive. The deaths – after only a few years – are still painful for us, but the joy/satisfaction in making their last few years comfortable is indescribable.

Watch it opa It could happen to you!!!!

I think that I can speak for most old men, when I say that “unreliable” is not the appropriate adjective. Old Faithful would be a better analogy.

Pets resembling their owners, or is it owners resembling their pets? If Earl is caught whimpering at the door, don’t let him out!

As usual the precious Roscoe is just " precious " even with his eyes closed : )

Some of us are “ Pluggers”, and some us are lucky to be this old!

Our will leaves everything to the Humane Society and they will take care of any dogs we still have.

Sounds a like my wife

LOL!!!!!!

That’s a serious thought. We are 81 and Jax Dog is only 7.

Opal: The wife from hell.

You really had to go there Opal, didn’t you?

I’m sure my kids would rather have my dog than me.

FOUL – unnecessary roughness! The final frame was way more vicious than ever have I seen him write Opal. This is the first funny of his that I did not click on the “heart”.

Is that a threat?

How can they discuss Roscoe’s future and not pick him up and hug him? Sure, he looks content sleeping, but still. I would have to hug my dog after discussing that someday she might be without me and need to move to home #5.

Well, I’d say it DEPENDS.

But then Earl could same the same thing about Opal.

Mean as always..

I would have ended with a similar declaration about myself. More my style.

Huh..?? -- What.??

Just lost mine Xmas day, but she’d have said that about me…always made me laugh at myself

no one wants to adopt an old man either.

My b-i-l’s main concern when he reached his 80’s was what would happen to his old cat if he died first; he feared no one else would want an old, not particularly attractive, cat. To partially repay him for his kindness to our family, I agreed to adopt his cat, and she transitioned well to her new family and location 700 miles away.

The cat died at the age of 20; exactly 10 years- to the very day- after he died. May they both RIP- he was a good man, she was a good cat.

Just smile Earl, just smile!

I love many comic strips, but yours is my very favorite. It is becoming more and more funny, and truer, as my husband and I approach our 70th birthdays and 50th anniversary!!!! (-:

I worked for a veterinarian for a few years. Hands down the worst thing for me was people who came in with a pet(s) and told us “my (family member, mom, dad, grandparent, etc) has passed away. Here is their pet. I don’t want it, put it down.” Makes you sick as most of them probably rushed down to grab anything of value for themselves but the most compassion they had for the pet was to kill it. For these animals, the human was all they had and the pets don’t understand what happened to them. Vet offices don’t have to ability to house the pets and look for home for them so many of them had their lives cut short.

Roscoe sleeps with his tongue sticking out. So does my dog and I think it’s adorable.