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Losing A Pet


Gemmel

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I have three dogs and the eldest is very poorly. Didn't think he would be here today based on how he was in the week, but I cant believe how much it has hit me.

 

I have had him from 6 weeks old and he is now 12 (Springer Spaniel) but without a stiff upper lip, I would be a blubbering wreck.

 

Happy to take the big girls blouse and soft woss comments that might follow.... (I use to get so annoyed when people would ring in and tell me they couldn't come to work because their cat had died etc. and I have no intention of taking a day off, but maybe this is karma).

 

Never had a pet to lose previously , so this is a first but never expected it to be this hard.

 

Normal or Man up?

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Nah, its horrible losing a pet when you've had them for so long. Dogs especially IMO. Our old family dog died nearly 20 years ago now, I'd grown up with him and I cried like a baby when we had to put him down, despite being in my early 20s! Yet I still think about him absolutely loads.

 

Whenever I visit my parents house there's still a part of me thinking/longing to see his face pressed against the window.

 

Dogs :adore:

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I've never had a pet of my own, but my son lost his hamster when he was about 11, it wasn't the loss of the pet that got to me, but my son's reaction. We discovered Hammy had coped it before school & nipper was fine all day. When I got home from work I dug a grave & we had a little funeral service, just me, him & a rigid hamster (in a box), I asked if he wanted to fill the hole, after one or two trowel fulls he asked if I could finish it. He went & sat on the garden bench, when I looked round he was quietly sobbing to himself - that really cut me up, I had to do the stiff upper lip thing for his sake, but inside I was in turmoil.

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For many, when you take a pet it's an unconditional thing, you raise them, nurture them. They make you angry when they soil or are sick, they make you laugh with their antics. You bond with them. You might even find yourself sharing your thoughts out loud with them. So to lose them is painful and you do get upset and grieve.

 

I've had cats for almost all my life (58 yrs old) and each one's passing is uniquely sad.

 

Sorry to hear of your impending loss.

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Had to have the last cat I owned put down a few years ago - she was over 18 years old and I cried like a baby (I was 49 at the time). We have a cocker spaniel who'll be two in June - if anything happened to him I'd be in bits. As others have said above, it's a grieving process.

 

Sorry to hear about it Gemmel; you'll need time to get over it but you will do. Having the other two dogs will help, though they'll miss him as well I'm sure.

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Quite normal Gemmel, lost my Dog last year. Was awful taking her in for a confirmation ex ray knowing I wouldn't see her again. Was a right mess. They are a big part of your life & give unconditional love. You are bound to miss them, even my other two younger dogs were really strange for a few weeks after.

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Sorry to hear that Gemmel. A pet is part of the family and even though you know that they don't live forever it's still a sad loss. We lost our Norfolk Terrier when I was in my late teens. We don't know what happened to him, he just got out of the garden and never came back. We think he was run over by a car but never had any proof. He was my best friend.

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Wasn't really keen on dogs despite growing up with them and mum and dad always had them.

 

Fast forward to my little girl persuading me to get one a couple of years ago , and I've turned soft. The thing about them is they give you unconditional love, ours is so happy and pleased to see us he melts your heart. Im the only one who walks him, twice a day no matter what and a couple of trips a week to different dog friendly ale houses. He's a great pub dog.

 

I dread to think how I'll feel when he's gone, we've had him from a puppy. The daft twt eat a sock a few months back and needed major sugery, mrs duck and the kids were in a right state worrying about him. I was in a right state when I saw the bill £1300, luckily the insurance coughed up, but you know what, I would pay for anything he needed and I never thought I'd get like that.

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I keep fish.

They die regularly.

I scoop their lifeless, lank bodies up and dump them in the bin.

Then I buy better ones and hope they live.

 

I also keep fish - and two cats, though not in the same tank ;-). Glad to say I only get fish deaths rarely but it's still a sad event and the missus and I always have a little ceremony of remembrance as we dispose of the poor little bugger.

 

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

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What's the most exotic pet anyone has ever cried over?

 

Can't imagine getting too attached to a bird for some reason.

 

Had a yellow anaconda once which bit/squeezed my arm for 10 minutes and wouldn't let go. That was a different kind of tears though. Sold him eventually.

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I keep fish.

They die regularly.

I scoop their lifeless, lank bodies up and dump them in the bin.

Then I buy better ones and hope they live.

Ah, but are they tropical fish? Or even from a marine tank?

 

Specifics are needed here. If it's just a cold tank goldfish then no tears are needed, I'd say.

 

I'll admit feeling my bottom lip quiver a bit a few years back when I found my little crab "Clyde" had made a run from my tropical tank and headed for the big outdoors (or at least what he could see of it outside the patio doors). Sadly the poor bugger only made it as far the radiator before curling up in a ball and likely thinking "I've made a big mistake".

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Ah, but are they tropical fish? Or even from a marine tank?

 

Specifics are needed here. If it's just a cold tank goldfish then no tears are needed, I'd say.

 

I'll admit feeling my bottom lip quiver a bit a few years back when I found my little crab "Clyde" had made a run from my tropical tank and headed for the big outdoors (or at least what he could see of it outside the patio doors). Sadly the poor bugger only made it as far the radiator before curling up in a ball and likely thinking "I've made a big mistake".

 

Tropical freshwater.

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I have three dogs and the eldest is very poorly. Didn't think he would be here today based on how he was in the week, but I cant believe how much it has hit me.

 

I have had him from 6 weeks old and he is now 12 (Springer Spaniel) but without a stiff upper lip, I would be a blubbering wreck.

 

Happy to take the big girls blouse and soft woss comments that might follow.... (I use to get so annoyed when people would ring in and tell me they couldn't come to work because their cat had died etc. and I have no intention of taking a day off, but maybe this is karma).

 

Never had a pet to lose previously , so this is a first but never expected it to be this hard.

 

Normal or Man up?

 

I know how you feel. My old newfoundland is 12 next month, his back legs are giving out and he has good and bad days. At least six times in the last couple of weeks we went to bed thinking we would have to get the vet in the next day to put him to sleep but including this morning he was up and moving. I'm not looking forward to his final day.

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Sometimes I still dream bout the cat I had when it was a kid, we was such good friends she used to sleep on my bed till 3am every night and then wake me up to let her go out to chase rodents and get laid. I never minded even tho generally I am v.grumpy if ****s is waking me up. One night tho she let me sleep through and I woke up next morning & she was still on my bed, except she was dead :( RIP Bella the cat :(

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Our gardens are like a pet cemetery - 3 cats and 2 dogs buried there ( we also have the ashes from another 2 dogs that were cremated ), plus several rabbits and guinea pigs, and a few chickens.

Hardest one for me was having the pony put down - no way was I going to dig a hole for that.

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We have lost three dogs over the years. The first was a Jack Russell but we had to have him put down as he turned quite vicious and I couldn't risk it having two young children. Blubbed like a baby taking him to the vet's for the final time. Affected me for some time afterwards. We then got what I really wanted - a Labrador. Loved him to bits until he died at 8 years old with leukaemia. Got another one straight away. He lasted 12 years and we got another straight away. Our current black lab is 6 years old and as the kids have left home is our "little boy". We both love him dearly and will be distraught when he goes. Nothing to be ashamed of. The bond between man and dog is a wonderful thing.

 

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk

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Sorry to hear about your dog Gemmel.

 

Had to have my cat put sleep last Wednesday, absolutly devastated. Does seem the older you get the harder it is, had him for 13 years and it will take some time to get over the fact he isnt around anymore.

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We had a ginger tom called Gizmo who was smart until his last breath at 18 years old !

There were no two bits of him hanging the right way and in the end and my wife took him to the vet to be put down !

As the young trainee vet approached him with a needle, he launched himself at her throat, drawing blood and scratching her badly. He clearly knew what she was up to so it must have been a good lesson for her early in her carreer !

I must say that I was impressed by his spirit !

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For many, when you take a pet it's an unconditional thing, you raise them, nurture them. They make you angry when they soil or are sick, they make you laugh with their antics. You bond with them. You might even find yourself sharing your thoughts out loud with them. So to lose them is painful and you do get upset and grieve.

 

I've had cats for almost all my life (58 yrs old) and each one's passing is uniquely sad.

 

Sorry to hear of your impending loss.

 

When I was a kid I thought that people who talked to their cats or dogs were nuts. But here I am, talking to our dog all the time!

 

My wife is very much a dog-lover. We started off with a cat when we lived in a flat. But eventually got a dog after moving into our own house. It was a Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier. A lovely dog we called Pip. ("What larks, Pip!") At the age of about four it got ill, very wobbly on its feet - eventually it couldn't stand upright any more. We spent a LOT of money having it looked at and treated by a veterinary specialist (including a spinal tap). It had spinal meningitis and we had to put him down. Horrible experience - especially for my wife, who bonds tightly with animals.

 

A while later we got another dog. It's a Brittany Spaniel. Lovely animal. Wonderful disposition and never barks. She's now 11 years old. A tremendous asset to our family - the kids (now in their late teens) have grown up with her. I don't want to even think about her eventual demise. The house will seem empty without her.

 

Best wishes, Gemmel.

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The only pets my kids ever had were goldfish, stick insects and damn tamagotchis – we’re not exactly a family of pet lovers. However, when I was a boy we had a Jack Russell called Muttley. Even now, more than 40 years on, it still makes me smile when I think about that little dog.

 

When he was a puppy he had a sense of direction like a homing pigeon, and wouldn’t walk in any direction other than homewards. We would carry him to all parts of the village, spin him round in an attempt to confuse him, yet still he wouldn’t walk in any direction that led away from our house.

 

At night he would sleep in the garage; my dad would let him out in the morning, and Muttley would come tearing into the house, yapping and wagging his little tail, run into my sister’s bedroom yap, yap, yap, leap up on to her bed; then into my bedroom yap, yap, yap; then into my mum’s bedroom yap, yap, yap; then back to my dad in the kitchen, yap, yap, yap. He always seemed so pleased to see us – or perhaps he was just scolding us for locking him in that freezing cold garage each night.

 

Then, when Muttley was about 3 years old, he was run over by a car. We rushed the poor little chap to the vet, who patched him up as best he could, dosed him up with pain-killers, and told us to bring him back in five days time. He warned us to prepare ourselves for the worse because it was likely that Muttley had sustained serious internal injuries. For five long days poor Muttley didn’t move from his basket, and barely ate or drank a thing; but, at least, by then, we’d moved his basket from the garage into the dining room.

 

On the morning of the fifth day, Mum called me and my sister into the living room and told us that it would be kinder for Muttley to have him put to sleep. Naturally, we were upset, but, even as kids, we realised that what mum said was true. But, at that very moment we heard a soft scuffing sound, looked round, and there was Muttley dragging himself on his belly along the hallway, looking up at us with his sad dog eyes as if to say: hang on guys, I’m not finished yet, give me a few more days and I’ll get over this.

 

Sure enough, by the following week, Muttley was back on his feet! But, sadly, he was never the same again. Perhaps as a legacy of his accident, he became aggressive and snappy. The postman, the milkman and the little girl next door all fell victim to his newly acquired passion for biting people. As a result, we did have to have him put to sleep eventually. With hindsight, perhaps it might have been better to have done this straightaway after his accident.

 

Crikey, here am I – someone who’s not particularly keen on dogs – writing an epic about a dog that’s been dead for over 40 years! I guess old Muttley must have meant even more to me than I realised.

 

So, in conclusion, Gemmel, I genuinely sympathise with yours and your family’s impending loss. But, if it’s any consolation, rest assured, your memories of your dog will last a life time.

Edited by Halo Stickman
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i dunno if i could do it, you never know what animal bros is thinking. Like when i see an injure bird + people say you ought to stamp on his head to put him out of his misery - i don't know that the bird is misery! He might be thinking oh balls i can't fly no more still least i'm not dead, least i can still grub around in bushes hunting worms.

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Our family dog is nearly 6, so he's pretty much half-way through his life. I will be a wreck when he's gone, love him to bits. I don't live at home anymore but when I go home to visit he sticks to my side the whole time like glue.

 

This thread has gone a bit ghey, so lets take this opportunity to look at some bewbs:

 

rachel-williams.gif

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Our family dog is nearly 6, so he's pretty much half-way through his life. I will be a wreck when he's gone, love him to bits. I don't live at home anymore but when I go home to visit he sticks to my side the whole time like glue...

[/img]

 

 

Because of all the crumbs and scraps of food you drop, Chunk?

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One of our dogs died unexpectedly the day after I got back from the last Sunderland away game and I have blubbed every day since, having at times to hide in the bogs at work to compose myself. I feel guilty because I feel more upset than when close relatives have died, but as someone pointed out I didn't live with my relatives, feed them every day, clear up their cr@p and they didn't sleep in a basket in my bedroom and, unlike the wife, he was over the moon to see me when I came home.

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i dunno if i could do it, you never know what animal bros is thinking. Like when i see an injure bird + people say you ought to stamp on his head to put him out of his misery - i don't know that the bird is misery! He might be thinking oh balls i can't fly no more still least i'm not dead, least i can still grub around in bushes hunting worms.

 

Oh.. that's why you do that. I thought it was a game.

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i dunno if i could do it, you never know what animal bros is thinking. Like when i see an injure bird + people say you ought to stamp on his head to put him out of his misery - i don't know that the bird is misery! He might be thinking oh balls i can't fly no more still least i'm not dead, least i can still grub around in bushes hunting worms.

 

:) Like a bear that loses his killer instinct but can still dip his paw into the honey-pot.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I know how you feel. My old newfoundland is 12 next month, his back legs are giving out and he has good and bad days. At least six times in the last couple of weeks we went to bed thinking we would have to get the vet in the next day to put him to sleep but including this morning he was up and moving. I'm not looking forward to his final day.

 

His old legs finally gave out. The lady vets were marvellous with him. They both said it was a release for him. I'm devastated but I know I've done the best for him. We've buried him in the garden.

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Hi Derry, Sincere condolences. We lost our old Newfie in identical circumstances in 2000. It was devastating - he was such a lovely dog. He's buried in the garden with his blanket and toys. Right now we are nursing our border collie through the final stages of bladder cancer. He is on medication which keeps him painfree but cannot alter the final outcome. He still enjoys his food and rooting about in the garden, the only sign that he is ill is that his bladder is constantly leaking. The house reeks of Dettol. While he is enjoying life we will keep him going. Our vet has assured us that we will know when the time has come. He estimates 3/4 weeks. This is the real price of being a pet owner, not the financial costs incurred over his lifetime, but the heartbreak at the end. As you know, only too well.

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Hi Derry, Sincere condolences. We lost our old Newfie in identical circumstances in 2000. It was devastating - he was such a lovely dog. He's buried in the garden with his blanket and toys. Right now we are nursing our border collie through the final stages of bladder cancer. He is on medication which keeps him painfree but cannot alter the final outcome. He still enjoys his food and rooting about in the garden, the only sign that he is ill is that his bladder is constantly leaking. The house reeks of Dettol. While he is enjoying life we will keep him going. Our vet has assured us that we will know when the time has come. He estimates 3/4 weeks. This is the real price of being a pet owner, not the financial costs incurred over his lifetime, but the heartbreak at the end. As you know, only too well.

 

Thanks for that. How right you are, Newfies are something special. You will know when. Somebody said something like better a week early than an hour late. Best of luck.

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My sympathies with your losses of your cherished pets. :(

 

My family have had dogs all my life, and we have had to say goodbye to more than I'd like to count now over the years. Each and everyone one of them hurts, to a greater or lesser degree, kind of depending upon their personality and the extend that they involve themselves in your life and your heart. From the snooty haughty Golden Retriever who was so aloof you'd have thought he was royalty and we were his servants, to another retriever who was as gentle and loving a dog as you'll ever find. We've had Retrievers, German Shepherds and Border Collies as long as I can remember, but since our last two Collies passed, we've had a break from dogs in our lives for a while.

 

Of all of the dogs we've had and loved, one of our Border Collies stood out for me personally as the most special by far. Much as I've always avoided having 'favourites' this one was unavoidable. He had such an immense character, loyal and devoted personality. He had a certain 'knowing' look in his eyes, almost as if he was an old friend come back to visit us again for another life-time. When we picked him out as a very young puppy with his brother from the farm that was selling off the rest of a litter they were not keeping as working dogs, we had only gone in for one, and already chosen him from the moment we saw him. Yet his brother had other ideas. He had been curled up asleep we we arrived, yet just as we were taking his brother, he woke, and came bounding over, yapping and jumping up at us. It was like he was begging us not to take his brother away without him coming too. But it was not only this. That look he had in his eyes that I mentioned before - he looked right into my eyes like he knew me from before, with a look that said "you know you cannot leave without taking me with you". :lol:

 

He was my favourite dog we've ever had. Such a special little personality on him. Sadly, after living a heartwarmingly riotous life, he suffered a stroke at about nine years old. We thought we would lose him then, but he was a fighter, and recovered well. A year later, he had another stroke, and even though he made it through, we were sure we would have to have him put down. For a few days, he could hardly walk in a straight line, and we knew we would have a difficult decision to make. But whilst we were talking of the inevitable in the kitchen, like was mentioned by another poster poster above, it was as if he knew what we were saying. He make a low, grumbling growl, heaved himself up from his slumped position on the floor, and wagging his tail, ambled awkwardly over to lay by my feet. We agreed to give him a week to see if he could recover again. Amazingly, he did. He still walked slightly off kilter, but he was in no obvious signs of pain or discomfort, so we gave him some time, and sure enough, he returned to at least a quality of life that we knew he was happy to carry on. He was such a fighter. :)

 

He suffered another stroke when he was 12. It was a bad one. But going on passed evidence of his will to stay with us, we agreed to give him a week again to show us if he could pull though once again. But this was one battle too far for my beloved little friend. He started to get worse, and was obviously in some distress. We agreed that we had to make that horrible decision, and put him out of his misery. But again, as if he knew, he seemed to brighten up that evening, so we called the vet again, and agreed that we'd give him until the morning. It is probably the decision I most regret in life to date. After the vets were long closed for the night, he was laid under the kitchen table, and suddenly let out an almighty, guttural howl. It was a deep, low moan, of a dearly loved animal suffering in a way he should never have had to endure. :( Arching his body, and flailing his legs against the pain he was in, and there was nothing we could do for him until the morning. We spent the night curled up on the floor with him, comforting him as best we could, but knowing that it was the end. 'Praying' that he would 'just let go' and save himself from the pain he was in. Telling him it was ok, and that he didn't need to fight anymore. But he did not want to leave us. He would manage to find a 'somewhat more comfortable' position after a time, and relax a bit, with the pain seeming to ease, and he would doze a while as we lovingly stroked his fur, trying to make his last moments as comfortable as possible. But it would never be long until a slight movement would cause another wail of agony, that our love for him could not cure. Could not make better or take the pain away.

 

That was the hardest night of my life. Laid on that floor, knowing that we should have taken him for that final trip a few hours earlier. Seeing someone (animal or otherwise) you care about that much, in so much pain, and knowing we could have prevented it, was just horrible. Every howl of pain a tear-jerking kick in the soul. The next morning, we said our goodbyes, as we carefully carried him to the car, and off to his final rest.

 

Man, I love that dog so much. I will never forget him. :(

 

But I don't know that I can go through that again. No more dogs for the foreseeable future.

 

 

 

 

What's the most exotic pet anyone has ever cried over?

 

Can't imagine getting too attached to a bird for some reason.

 

 

It has not come to it yet, but I can imagine losing my exotic tarantulas is not going to be much fun.

 

You might think it would be nothing, and it probably seems weird especially to those who do not like spiders and wonder how I can even keep such a pet. But they are amazing animals. Sure, they cannot love you back like a dog can, and they don't show you emotions. They're not pleased to see you when you come home. But they do each definitely have their own individual personalities, and with their striking vibrant contrasts and colours, they are incredibly beautiful creatures to care for. The key thing is, the ones I have are capable of living for around thirty years. That is a long time to care for any animal, and even though it is not the same relationship as you can have with say a dog or a cat - you cannot look after something for that long, without developing some affection for them.

 

My Poecilotheria Subfusca Lowland (from an area just outside Kandy in Sri Lanka), is an endangered species who is part of an authorised captive breeding programme. Her natural habitat is being destroyed daily, as her forests are razed to make room for expanding the Ceylon tea plantations that drive the industry in her home territory. Our captive breeding programme is helping to keep the species alive, so it is always especially sad to lose an animal in such circumstances, when you are part of a group doing what you can to keep their species in existence. So whilst it is hopefully a long way off yet, I imagine it will be a sadness when she finally passes on oneday.

 

 

Cracking little T she is, with a very spirited personality, and incredible colour contrast and markings.

 

www.the-livingrainforest.co.uk/living/images/price/RErKU4DgC-Poecilotheria%20subfusca.jpg

www.arachnoboards.com/ab/gallery/files/1/7/0/9/9/subfusca_lowland_resize.jpg

 

(I used links rather than posting the actual images, as one, they are not mine, just used as examples of what she looks like - and I know many are squeamish about tarantulas, so you don't have to look if you don't want to.) ;)

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Cracking little T she is, with a very spirited personality, and incredible colour contrast and markings.

 

www.the-livingrainforest.co.uk/living/images/price/RErKU4DgC-Poecilotheria%20subfusca.jpg

www.arachnoboards.com/ab/gallery/files/1/7/0/9/9/subfusca_lowland_resize.jpg

 

(I used links rather than posting the actual images, as one, they are not mine, just used as examples of what she looks like - and I know many are squeamish about tarantulas, so you don't have to look if you don't want to.) ;)

 

Ugh I just stamped on my iphones

 

Edit: not really, they're pretty cool I thought! do you have to take them out for walks or are they happy just lazing around like cat?

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