re: All my animals either die or get crippled so bad I have to put them down

An old timer once told me, "If you don't ever have animals, you'll never have one die."

It sucks. Our life expectancy is such that we will have many animals come and go in our lifetime. All you can do is provided the best care you can while you can.

Hell, it's the same way with humans. You better love your family and fellow man. Somebody may beat cancer and live to 92, meanwhile, their all state football playing grandson gets killed in a car wreck on the way home from practice.