When her and Flash arrived in the Barnyard, Bandit would not approach me. We had been told by the previous owners that she did not like men. If I tried to pet her I was always met with a menacing growl. It seems that is how human females treated me as well.
I told Rosie that, given two weeks, I would have her eating out of my hand. Every day I would try to give her a treat and every time I got a growl and she would not take it. However, she did get a little closer each day. In one week she finally took the treat and the quickly backed off. The next day she gladly came to me for her treat as well as the days that followed. By the second week she was following me everywhere, resulting in a 13 year friendship.A few years ago she developed arthritis in her hips and found it difficult to move as fast as she used to. Getting up steps started to become a one step at a time process. With proper medication each day, she was getting around pretty good.
About a year ago we found that Bandit was suffering from a severe heart murmur and stage 4 kidney failure. We did all the medications we could. She always enjoyed sleeping outdoors, but as winter approached we confined her living to a crate indoors. She started losing weight by early spring and no amount of medication was going to change that.
She began looking pretty bad at the Bash this past June and we thought the end was imminent. However, she seemed to get her momentum back and was moving around the best she could. She showed her quality of life was still there.
I spent several days at a swap meet and when I got home Saturday, Rosie said Bandit had not eaten in two days. I felt things had come to an end. Saturday night she ate a full meal and we regained hope. Sunday and Monday she gave up on meals again. When she stood, her back legs would slowly give out and she would sink to the ground.
Monday we made the decision that it was time. Her sad eyes would look at us as if to say, ”Help me”. I called the Vet and made an appointment for Tuesday. Melissa took off work so she too could be with her long time friend.
Bandit will be sorely missed around here. She was a constant guard to Rosie when she worked around the yard. You could always find her near Rosie. When I worked in the shop late at night, I knew Bandit was close by, usually just outside the door.
She is at peace now and we know she no longer suffers.
- Bandit loved the winter.
- I locked up my enclosed trailer the day before I left for a three day CubFest on a hot weekend. I was not taking this trailer, but as I walked passed it I heard a low rumble inside. I opened it to find I had locked Bandit inside the night before. I was so gland I happened to walk past it. She had tried to claw her way out and had shredded the inside of the door.
- Bandit and Flash enjoyed practicing their self defense techniques.
- Bandit was instrumental in teaching a young Gus how to defend the borders of the barnyard.
- Bandit never was bothered with snow. she enjoyed it.
- You can bet Bandit would roll over for a tummy roll when ever you came near her. That is, unless you were not supposed to be in the barnyard.
