h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Maverick
April 1986 - March 2003

Faithful friend, wonderful companion, best watchdog, much loved, much missed.

Thank you.

My timing wasn't very good for a flippant remark
The Irish tradition is to hold a 'wake' - remembering the happy & good things about the life of the departed.
I've buried a few pets over the years, and it always hurts

i remember my first pet, a tortoise shell cat... she was so sweet, she showed up on our doorstep and we eventually adopted her. then a few years later i came home from school(i was in prolly 3rd grade) and she was in a box in our house she had been hit by a car... her name was anabelle. what a sweet cat, i will always miss her...

Bagheera, there is no way you could have known. It wasn't exactly unforeseen, just kind of sudden. Maverick had been ill for a couple of days(he had a doctor's appointment scheduled for the next morning). Arthritis and the accompanying infections had taken their toll on him over the last year or so and he wasn't as bouncy and perky as he once was.

Maverick was different from our other pets. He wouldn't let us name him just anything. We tried every dog name, every human name and every trendy name we could think of at the time. He wouldn't answer to any of the names. Finally we resorted to "names from movies" and the only thing he would answer to was Maverick(as in Top Gun). So, after an hour of yelling all sorts of names across the yard the little puppy looked quite relieved that we had finally figured out what his name was. At the risk of dating myself, Top Gun was new and still in the theaters. That silly, fluffy, and incredibly smart dog has been a part of our family since I was 17.

Thanks for the s and . I'm sure Maverick would have appreciated it too. He was always a sucker for attention(and such a flirt with the nurses at the veterinary clinic).

*Did I ever tell you the name of my pre BBC account was maverick? U158007 That is the original name, by the way.

Thanks, Galen.

I don't know what I would do if my Murray left us.

As much as he his a pain in the A*se, I love him dearly.



Thinking of you.

Thanks Vicki. Today wasn't quite as as the past few days, still kind of though.

Maverick was a tough little guy. He was half terrier and half blue tick hound (hunting dog). Even though he usually weighed just 20 pounds, he sounded like such a huge dog when he barked. Add to that he was cute and fluffy...even the local police laughed when they saw him, until he tried to bite them that is...then they had to pet him.

Tomorrow(Wednesday) will mark the first week since we lost Maverick. The house seems so empty that even the cat is looking lonely. Now, my co workers are starting to ask if/when I'll get another . I have never purchased a pet in my life, they just sort of show up needing homes. Xena was given to me by a friend who saw an ad for "free kittens"in the newspaper. Maverick was a gift from a friend's cousin. The other cats and dogs I've had sort of showed up at my door(my house and the store where I work). Our store has pets, three cats last time I checked.

Anyone know where I can find a cute, fluffy, intelligent, grey or black, slightly neurotic, hyper, dog with a Snoopy complex?

Even if you can't find a , I'll bet good money that one will find you!



PS I love the naming story! He was probably thinking, "these silly humans are NEVER gonna figure out what my name is...!!!"

"Silly humans" was definitely how we interpreted his expression.

We tried teaching Maverick the usual commands: Sit, stay, heel...didn't work. Instead: Down, scoot, hush, c'mere, get your tennis ball, get your towel, out?, check the mail(jump into arms and wait for door to open), wanna play? (wrestle on the floor)and Stop trying to eat the cat...

With my kids, I remind them "No cats!" and "Kitties are sharp!"

When Xenawas a kitten Maverick would growl and fuss a bit when they were in the same room. That is until I caught him swishing his fluffy tail under the door so Xena would chase it. He looked a bit disappointed at not being able to keep up the "tough guy" routine.

It's so embarassing to get caught playing with the "enemy"!

Once in a while I would find them both sleeping on my bed...as far apart as possible and facing opposite directions...in denial that they could possibly be friends.

FRIENDS!?!?! That would be unseemly...unnatural...we simply can't have it!

(Not while anyone's looking, anyway! )

When Maverick could still jump onto my bed, he would sleep on the bottom half of the bed (usually right at my feet). Xena would wait until I fell asleep then she would curl up on my back. Spoiled? who? not those two...

I have a queen size bed. However, by the time both dogs and the cat claim their territory, defend it, and settle down to snooze, I'm often stuck with just a sliver of surface area to call my own!