Your Turn
Since so many of us are animal lovers who read this site, I thought this week would be a great time to talk about what our favorite dog or cat or pet is. The breed you love the most. You can also share your favorite pet story or how you saved an abandoned animal you found. You could talk about your all-time favorite pet in your life.
I have two cats...my third died some years ago, but she was brilliant...she always responded to our 'hello' in exactly the same tone that we used. If we uttered a chipper 'hi', she squeaked a meow in exactly the same manner. If we drawled 'hel-lo', she gave a slow two-syllable meow. All my cats are smart with unique characteristics that make them loveable and hilarious.
ReplyDeleteWe have three doggies, but my favorite number one is Kitty - pictured here. She is a Japanese Chin x Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
ReplyDeleteShe is smart as a whip and will sing for her dinner. If I could afford to clone her, I would in a a second.
We have two shih-tzus which are cute but a little "slow" :)
We have had a variety of pets throughout our married life, but the one that has consistently given us the most stories to talk about is our current dog, a black lab/sheltie mix whith entirely too much intelligence! My favorite story involves this dog and a very sudsy bath. I had just soaped him up when my then 4 year old son opened the bathroom door and out he dashed. I grabbed the chain collar he wore at the time and hung on...unfortunately we'd just put had wood floors put down...and the 75 lb dog dragged 130lb me throughout the whole house on my stomach. My feet slid out way before his did!
ReplyDeleteMy son was so entertained that he asked if we could do it again the next day!
Guinea pigs are the loveliest creatures. Gentle, beautiful, with much more nuanced personalities than some people may think. Used to have a parti-colored Abyssinian. Good long life, but losing pets is too hard to go through again.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who knows mw knows that I am not a pet person. I don't like dogs. If you lick your own ass, I don't like you. It's simple. I start to dry heave when I see people who 'make out' with their dogs and let them lick their faces. People do that. It's like eating dog shit, really. Nasty.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did try pets as a kid. I had two goldfish. I named them Simon and Garfunkel. I don't recall who died first but they went down the toilet eventually.
Then I had a Guinea Pig which I actually quite liked, but he ran away or possibly got taken by a cat or something because my dad made him an outdoor cage that didn't. Have. A Roof.
That was the last pet I ever had, I was 6 or 7 I think. Now I'm 33 and my husband is BEGGING for a dog, like a kid. The answer is, and always will be NO.
My lil' black baby girl cat who is 13 and not doing well. Can't discuss this...
ReplyDeleteY'all have fun, I can't do it.
*off to wipe tears*
We were looking for a dog to adopt for my daughter and when this beautiful American Cocker Spaniel looked at us with his big seal pup eyes, we fell in love with him. My daughter called him "Tuffy" He graced our lives for 8 years and we still laugh at the mischief he got into. We thought he was a softie, but one day while out for a walk he started growling at the bush, then charged into it - and flushed a cowardly coyote out and chased him away. The only thing our Tuff was afraid of was CATS!!!! I think one got him on the nose when he got too curious. Beautiful dog - we miss him.
ReplyDeleteI am a "Doggy Mommy" to a buttload of little dogs Nine total. But, my dog is my 14-year-old Poodle, Fifi. She is the lighter colored on in my pic. I found her as a stray in January 1999 out on my porch. She has been my best friend, and sometimes my only friend, for all these years. Now, she is 14, and is getting to the end, but she is hanging on with everything she has. I guess she knows that with everything I got going on in my life right now, that if she passed, I would have a breakdown!!
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I like orphans and shelter animals. I'm not a fan of breeders or the selling of pure bred animals. When so many animals are waiting for a "forever" home in shelters, it upsets me that someone would support puppy mills and the animal "business" by buying an animal. Adopt, don't buy!
ReplyDeleteSigned, an owner of three shelter animals.
PS - Selenakyle - sorry about your black baby girl :(
ReplyDeleteSadie, 4 yr old Black lab/Newfoundlander cross. This sounds totally crazy, but she's my best friend. She's like my shadow and has been there through an abusive relationship, the loss of our daughter, as well as happy times. She can always make me laugh by doing something silly, or comes for cuddles when we're going through hard times.
ReplyDeletelast year we (as houstonians) went through the horrific tragedy knows as hurricane ike.
ReplyDeleteat 1am while 'he' was blowing through i got a phone call from the wife of the chef of a famous houston landmark, brennan's restaurant, telling me that the restaurant was burning down. that restaurant meant a lot to me; it was the stepping stone for my career, it's where i met my fiance, and has attributed to many of my life's poignant moments. in that fire, the wine buyer and his 4 yr old daughter were severely burned.
my fiance and i ran to the restaurant the next day to go and check on everyone and found out that the sweet little 4 yr old had brought her rabbit, mr bunny with her. everyone wanted to rush to the hospital, but had to stay around before mr bunny could be picked up (by anyone willing to watch him). as long standing friends of the restaurant and friends/neighbors of the wine buyer, we immediately offered to take him.
he was a sweet, cinnamon colored holland lop with gray tips that we thought might be smoke damage. he was in his cage in 2 inches of water and looked so sad. we took him home, dried him off, and gave him the run of the house and yard.
i have 2 cats and the surrounding neighbors have a few as well. it was like noah's ark for while! mr bunny became a hero and a symbol of strength and life to brennan's and those who lost during the hurricane.
there were 2 occasions that we almost lost mr bunny, but through multiple fundraisers, the family and mr bunny we reunited four months later. all the daughter could talk about during her recovery was to take a bubble bath and play with mr bunny, and that she absolutely did!
having a rabbit in your life is completely different than that of a dog or a cat, both of which i've had and will have again. i couldn't bare having to let mr bunny go so i went out and bought a ms bunny. her name is lucie lou and as soon as she gets fixed, she'll be frolicking with my sweet friend, mr bunny.
Selenakyle I also have a black baby girl cat who is my spoiled princess. My husband believes I love her more than him. He's probably right.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you and your baby.
When I was growing up we had 17 cats. Yes - 17 at one time!!! We lived in the suburbs too - on like 70x125 property. We had a kitty window and a doggie door so they came and went as they pleased.
ReplyDeleteEach one of them had their own distinct personalities. We had three B&W cats - Moe, Larry (this guys LOVED hard boiled egg yolks - a van also ran his head over and he had to have his jaw wired shut for a while, but he recovered fantastically!), and Curly. A couple of light gray striped cats - Big Boots, Little Boots, Retardo (he was born in a closet and we think he had a lack of oxygen when he was born - he was 'special'), Precious Bushwooly(she was very fluffy), Alberta and Scratchy cat (she scratched a lot). There was Sambo (this guy LOVED doritos!), and TC (she was a licker with a very sand-papery tongue), Tiny Tige, Snaggle Puss, Battlecat (she was rescued, she was really white - original name was Snowball, but when we brought her into our cat-ridden home she was very aggressive hence the name change - she pretty much lived under a chair in the den), Thumbs (another rescue, we found him under my mom's car with a broken leg - we think someone dropped her at our house - mom's car was parked in the driveway, he definitely had thumbs though!), we had a pretty striped cat name Stripe (unfortunately she came down with vertigo and fell in our pool and drowned :o(). We also had a beautiful orange and white cat named Elmo - we think he was cat napped. :o(
My mother was HUGE fan of cleaning with bleach so whenever people came to our house - they never knew we had so many cats. They were truly awesome.
I have three cats.
ReplyDeleteSeamore is 15, he's diabetic and needs insulin injections everyday. My son picked him out at the SPCA when he was 6 weeks old.
Sydney is 3, she walked right through my front door one night covered with funk and fleas. Now she's healthy and happy. She's really beautiful, all black.
Fuzzels is 4, found him when he was a baby wandering after a big hurricane. He looks like a show cat,very long hair and big eyes.
My favorite dog is a Cane Corso. They seriously look like hell hounds. I want one so bad and promised myself I would get one when I buy my first house. If you havent seen the breed before you should google them!
ReplyDeleteFor now its just me and my hell cats..twin black kittens from the abyss... Vino and Sake...they tear up my house, destroy my things and are pretty much the cutest things I have ever seen. crazy but cute
and I agree w/ you RocketQueen! I am lucky enough to live in a city where they have a Corso rescue..so when the right one comes along I will be happy that I am not supported the disgusting practice of puppy mills
ReplyDeleteselenakyle, that sucks, and love to you. Hope tomorrow brings a smile to your face! We have adopted 3 dogs from our cocker spaniel rescue. 2 were blind when we got them, one was also deaf and elderly, and one bit my husband in the face on the second day. The elderly one has been with us for 5 years, the face biter is now a total sweetie pie, and really a blind dog is no different than a seeing dog. I also have a loyal, sweet mutt who I got from a friend. This mutt is the healthiest dog I have ever seen, and has the best temperament.
ReplyDeleteIn short: there is no reason to buy a dog, there is no exuse not disablities, there is no excuse not to adopt an elderly dog (in fact, they are already potty trained, and are less hyper, better with kids, and won't eat you shit!), and there is no reason to give up on a dog with behavioral problems. I want to cry when I think that someone gave up the very animals that provide me with unconditional love to be euthanized just because they were blind, deaf, old and cranky!
Wineaux, I had never heard that about Brennans. We have had our share of bunnies through the years and currently share our house with "Oreo", a black with white spots male mini-rex with the sould of a dictator! The 70 poind dog from my earlier story is scared to death of the rabbit, who herds him all over the living room when he's out! Bunnies make surprisingly good pets and have surprisingly strong personalities.
ReplyDeleteI for one have a *huge* neon sign hanging over my head that only animals can see, that says "SUCKER".
ReplyDeleteI currently have 3 cats, one 14 (that's her picture in my bio), one 10 and the other 6, and I'd even have a couple of dogs if I didn't know I'd die a horrible death in my sleep for bringing one in the house.
The cats have made that point quite plain in the past.
I also pride myself on being friendly with all the dogs in my neighborhood... to the point that if I'm out when one of them is, I'm guaranteed a visit for a quick belly rub and hello.
We pretty much have a menagerie around here... two mutt kitties, one is a gorgeous dilute tortie and the other is a 10 week old black and grey tabby, along with 2 dogs: a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. There are no better dogs on earth than my Roxy and Gus! Roxy is, in corgi fashion, very bossy, talkative and in charge at all times. She makes noises that have no resemblance to what one considers "dog noises," and is the smartest dog ever made. Gus is a big wimp, and his only survival skill is being cute. His fondest wish is to be carried around in a baby sling all day or to live in my skin as a parasite.
ReplyDeleteWe have, bar none, the best dogs on earth.
Wanda is an amazing cat adopted from animal control. She managed to survive for two months when a friend, picking up ferrets at A/C took her picture there and posted on a forum. I think her unusual markings kept her alive that long. Then there is Gigi who was adopted from Papillon rescue who is all personality she is nine years old. Take a look :)
ReplyDeletehttp://help.twitpic.com/33hwp
We also have a couple of crazy ferrets living here as well.
***I also feed a few wild cats that hang out in my yard. Sometimes I see POSSUMS sharing the food/water bowls with the cats(even during the day!). My husband didn't believe me til he saw them one day.
ReplyDeleteUgh I have so many animals. At home there is a dog and five cats and then at my bfs where I am half the time there are nine cats. One of my cats has been missing for the last couple weeks and we finally found him but he is too afraid to come home cuz of the dog and new cat so he just sits in the neighbors backyard :( and then my fav kitty I'm really worried about...he has lost almost all of his balance and is kind of skinny...I have had my cats for so long though so they are super old (like 12-14 years pretty much). Ugh I hate when animals die.
ReplyDeleteoh yeah! At my old apartment there was this cute little kitty that I think was homeless that would always run into my place everytime it was near the door soooo cute. I wanted to steal it and clean it up and feed it good but I was afraid that there was a remote possibility that it did belong to someone.
*team cat people*
ReplyDeleteaww...memories.
one of the great loves of my life was my beloved cat, adam. i got him when he was 3 weeks old. he was the runt of a litter of 8, and momma cat wouldn't feed him. momma cat's owner was one of those friend of a friend of a friend peeps, and was desperately looking for someone to take him. the moment i saw him i knew he'd become the immediate love of my life *cue carly simon*.
all thru university, and as my career took off, adam took off w/ me. i was blessed to have him for 18 yrs. in the end he became very sick and i had to have him put down. it was one of the most painful times in my life, as anyone for whom their pet is family can understand. he was an extraordinary little guy. even became a tour cat when i couldn't leave him for extended periods. i know musicians who wish they'd toured as much as he did...lol, we even credentialed him so no one would mistake him for a stray. he'd rarely leave my side, so it was never an issue...but oh, poor peeps, musicians, press and et al crew w/ allergies. they just had to suck it up. love me, love my cat, too bad so sad.
i miss him so very, very much.
I had a fantastic English springer spaniel named Kelsey. She was a huge comfort for both me and my kids when I was going through a divorce. She died yesterday at the ripe old age of 15 1/2. I'm still depressed about it.
ReplyDeleteI have a petite bassett griffon vendeen (pbgv) as well. She was a rescue, apparently she was badly abused by her previous owner. She's a sweety. Poor thing is missing her sister badly today. Kelsey wasn't too sure about her at first, but they became close, often sleeping curled up together.
I'd even have a couple of dogs if I didn't know I'd die a horrible death in my sleep for bringing one in the house.
ReplyDeleteMerlin - that's precisely why I only have one small black cat. She's mean enough to do it too....but soooo cute I can't stand it.
mykidsaregreat - sorry for your loss, that's so sad
ReplyDeleteAs my friends and readers here know, I lost my cat Charlie due to a virus a couple of months ago, he was a year and a half old Ragdoll. Very beautiful cat and as much like a dog as you'd ever hope to see. Never had I had a cat that I could zip up in my purse with only his head poking out, and have him be totally cool with it. In fact I got attacked by a dog once when I was carrying him around like that, and he remained calmed the entire time. Ragdolls really are the best breed of cat--nice, dog-like, leash friendly, no hair balls, and fur softer than a rabbits. I never liked cats until I found Ragdolls.
ReplyDeleteThank you captivagrl.
ReplyDeleteLongtime lurker, by the way
ReplyDeleteMy puppy is a 7 year old yellow lab named Gypsy. Her birthday is tomorrow--born on the 4th of July. She is not particularly gross, but this past week she did something that Harriet Hellfire's comment made me think of: My two and a half year old is potty training. I went outside and, I guess he had shit his pants and was grossed out, so he was just standing there, spread eagle with a horrified look on his face. Then I saw the huge lump of shit at his feet (had fallen out of his shorts) and I screamed because I am grossed out by the word "shit" and grabbed him to clean him up. Then Gypsy came over and started eating the shit. Needless to say, Gypsy won't be getting kisses until I forget about that one.
HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA Katie, that is SO GROSS!!! *LOL*
ReplyDeleteFavorite Pet Names:
ReplyDeleteTrevor, the neighbors iguana
Her, another neighbors beagle
Loooove when people let their kids name a pet.
The breed I love best in dogs is the one my grandfather raised and the one I continue to save. The Beagle. He is a friendly fellow.
ReplyDeleteThe first one I ever saved was a beautiful dog. I saved him when I was twelve because my friends parents were divorcing and Rusty was the dads dog. Her mom was going to take Rusty into the woods
and shoot him to get back at her soon to be ex-husband. I begged for his life and was given him and he lasted with me for about 10 yrs. I hate people who take out their shitty life or their anger for someone on an animal.
Please if you are thinking of a new pet use Petfinder.com for second hand pets. It will be the best investment you ever make.
lol @ mygeorgia. You reminded me of something. When I was a kid, our parents used to let my brother and me take turns naming pets. The first time he was allowed to choose (around 6 yrs old?) he named our brown lab mix "Brownhead", for obvious reasons. There was nothing more embarrassing than walking all over the neighbourhood, calling out for that dog.
ReplyDeleteI love/hate my female pug Sheeba.
ReplyDeleteLove the dog, hate the shedding.
Not a mean bone in her chubby little body.
Apollo is my 1 1/2 year old pug. I love him. Sometimes, I really do think he's my best friend, and yet have never had a single conversation. Weird right?
ReplyDeleteWell, he has this special greeting for my fiance, which is a cute little husky "woo". He gets unbelievably excited when he comes home, its pure magic. And it is only for my fiance, not even for me! (I think he approves.)
Oh, and he is the sweetest, chubbiest, softest little ball of fur ever who gives high fives, hides bones in the covers and loves unconditionally. I just wish he didn't have awful gas.
B626- Pug love! Hair hate!
ReplyDeleteAnother member of the kitty club here.
ReplyDeleteBack in elementary school I found a stray kitten wandering the school grounds begging for food during lunch. The janitor was kind enough to keep him for me until school was out. It was a Friday and my best friend was coming home with me on the bus to spend the night. We picked up the little white and orange kitten from the janitor and put him in my backpack. It was the '70's, the backpack was nothing more than a canvas sack with an iron-on decal.
We boarded the school bus with the kitten in the backpack and were soon found out by the bus driver, too much squirming that drew the attention of the other kids. She kicked us off the bus and we started to walk to my house. We took turns holding the kitten and once had to rescue it from a tree when it clawed its way out and ran away from us. We finally got to my house, about 30 minutes later. My mom was frantic, the schoolbus had been by 20 minutes before. She yelled at me for about 15 seconds until I pulled the kitten out of the sack and held it up for her to see. She let out a big sigh, took the kitten from my hands and we all went inside to feed the newest member of our family. My mom named him Captain, since he was the one in charge of everyone else in the household. We had him for about 12 years before he passed away.
BTW, I'm still friends with the girl that came home with me that day over 30 years ago.
At the present time, we have 4 cats, couple of goldfish and tons of squirrels and birds outside. However one of the cats, Holden (named by my daughter from Catcher in the Rye) is quite the visitor of many of our neighbors in our neck of the woods. We constantly hear stories from our neighbors about him. One time, he was inside due to enforced curfew for a few months, we had a lady that we never had meet before, come up and knocked on the door asking if the tabby was ok. Her husband and her were worried about him, and that since the economy was going south, they were concerned that we had to give him up. They said that if that had been the case, they were going down to adopt him. The funny thing, this isn't a terribly friendly neighborhood, everyone sticks to themselves but some how Holden manages to squeeze into everybody's heart.
ReplyDeleteDo the kids count? We live waaaay out in the country so no one complains about our 6 dogs, 2 cats and 1 fish. 3 Saints, 1 Rottie, 1 Chow X, and 1 Golden. All but 1 are shelter/rescue dogs. I never mean to adopt any more but they somehow find their way to us, just tatoo sucker across my forehead. How do you pick just one favorite moment when I have my Golden laying on the sofa next to me eating a crayon?
ReplyDeleteAnother longtime lurker, but felt compelled to comment since no one seems to have any wiener dogs (unless I missed something).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I have two of 'em - standard longhaired, in case anyone cares - called Frank and Ginger, and one surly rabbit called Greg.
I also love guinea pigs and have had a few in my lifetime, but no more. Poor little dudes just don't live long enough.
I had six cats come and go over the last five years. One got hit by a car, and I had to give four (!) away. (Don't freak, they went to good homes.) My hubs does NOT like cats, so it's a miracle he even let me keep two at at time.
ReplyDeleteThe one we've had the longest is a 17 pound big fat gray thing, named Phantom. He's very much a lover, when he's not laying around doing nothing. He's also a great chipmunk hunter. We're very attached to each other.
Great stories. Cat people rule.
ReplyDeleteNine years ago a co-worker brought in a litter of kittens that was left on his lawn. I brought home a sweet little girl and it changed my life. She's helped me thru a divorce, new marriage, 3 pregnancies, one birth, 2 lost boobies and many hours of tears. She's been a calming force, even tho she lives up to her name - Evil Kitty.
My dog is a maniac and umm slightly challenged- When someone knocks on the front door- he runs to the back door and starts barking his head off-
ReplyDeleteLong time lurker here too.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is a cat person and I'm a dog person, so we have one of each: a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix named Senna and a silver tabby named Neko (after Neko Case.)
We adopted Senna a year ago from friends who could no longer keep her and she is a sweet, lovable dork. We've nicknamed her Wiggle-Butt because she wags her whole back end when she gets really excited. Often when she sleeps on her side she pulls up her front legs and extends her back legs, so she looks like a kangaroo in mid-jump. Super smart too! I can tell her "go get ___" and she'll look around the house until she finds it. A huge time-saver when I need to wash her Kong and have no idea where she left it!
Wineaux, we also have a Hurricane Ike addition. :) When Ike was forecasted to hit along the mid-coast of Texas, we packed up a couple days early and headed to the other side of San Antonio. Walking home from dinner that night we saw this TINY kitten emerge from some tall grass in an abandoned lot. My sister offered it a pinch of leftover chicken. The kitten ate it and we walked on. Then we heard this loud MEOWOWOWOW! MEOWOWOWOW! and turned around to find the kitten sprinting toward us as fast as her tiny legs would go. My husband (6'3, 230) picked her up and the rest is history. An hour later she & Senna were asleep on the bed at the lodge. I wanted to name her Tina (Ike & Tina, get it? AHAHAHA....I crack myself up.....) but since she is hubby's kitty I let him name her.
well, as you all know, i'm a house rabbit advocate. i have 6 right now, having lost one last month (born neurologically impaired, but lived 6 years with us. died from a tumor that blocked her up completely), and having just completed a round of antibiotics (especially difficult with rabbits) with another. one is missing part of a leg, another a foot, half a tail, a couple of toes on the other foot, and fooled us all into believing he was a girl right up until he was under for surgery (we still call him she). one came to me simply because he was intended as breeding stock and only had one testicle. 4 are netherland dwarfs, one is a mini rex, one is a lion head. all are very spoiled, and mostly box trained. all are spayed/neutered (you MUST do this, reproductive cancers in rabbits are very prevalent) and i'm trying to bond the two singles, but it's a slow process, they both want to be the dominant!
ReplyDeletewe've also had 4 cats over the last 23 years, the last one, bubba, came to live with us when he was about a year old. he weighed 21 pounds, but all muscle. he thought he was a puppy, and he was the sweetest cat ever (much like my gideon, who the ex-asshole got rid of when the court said i could have him. claimed he ran away. bull shit. gideon was afraid of his own shadow). anyway, after a couple of years of putting out shelter for this neighborhood cat in foul weather, water in the heat and eventually food, too (already had 3 cats and knew the eldest would beat the crap out of him), one day he came out of the bushes limping and bloody. since i couldn't afford the vet bill anyway, i decided, screw it, i paid for it, he's mine now.
such a lover. and a bit of a clod. he had to be in my son's room for a long bit because of the other cats, and he would roll right off the bed. and he loved to be on top of us, 21 lbs. of purring fur!
the last 4 years of his life, he had diabetes. insulin every 12 hours. he never said boo. he actually enjoyed the guaranteed attention (he outlived the other cats, the meanest living to age 19). when my back went and i had to sleep downstairs, he always slept with me, usually right within hugging distance.
we finally lost him, just over a year ago, due to an unknown intestinal bleed. for months after, he would come and visit, i swear to all of you, he was here and jumping on my bed. i miss him so much, and i feel so much for you who have recently lost or are fearing loss in the near future. over the last six or seven years, i've lost all my cats and several buns, and it never gets easier. these guys now are the last i'm bringing home, unless somebody calls me in dire, dire need. the fear of the others getting the pasteurella that sissie just fought of is still all encompassing.
thanks for this topic enty.
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ReplyDeleteMy childhood dog, Pookie, was the best EVER. I got him from the animal shelter on my 7th birthday and I think he was a lab/collie mix. To this day (and I'm 35), this birthday is one of the highlights of my life. When I ran away from home when I was 10, Pookie came with me and was there every step of the day.
ReplyDeleteMy current dog-love is a Bichon frise, named Casey. I rescued him from a puppy bill. I needed something hypoallergenic because of terrible allergies that developed in my 20s. I searched for 8 months for a rescue from the Bichon rescue with no luck. I will forever love the Bichon breed; they are so lovable and expressive.
Jake is my third boxer (his picture was posted this week) and I'm in love with this breed. Jake is 5 and has helped me through a very tough time. My husband passed away last year, and he's the reason I was able to come home every day to an otherwise empty house. Having his silly, grinning face meet me at the door makes my day better. My favorite saying - dogs are not your whole life, but they make your life whole.
ReplyDeleteI have a 19 year old cat, Boikaett, and 4 dogs: Peppermint (a maltese), Frangomint (a maltese), Benicio del Toro (a chihuahua), and Penelope Cruz (a chihuahua/whippet mix maybe?). They're all from shelters or else a stray (Penelope), and all too beautiful for words.
ReplyDeleteBut the one who's left the deepest mark on me is Figmint. I got him along with Frangomint in 2001, and they were both malteses. They were both 8, and had been turned in by the family of a man who died. He'd had alzheimers, and apparently would forget to feed them (they were emaciated) and hit them (Frango flinched when petted).
They'd been deemed unadoptable at the Oakland ASPCA due to their rotting teeth and bad condition. Luckily they were picked up by Hopalong Rescue where they removed their teeth and took them to a vet. When I got them home, Figmint was in terrible shape, didn't do much of anything except sit and stare. He was 4 pounds--most of it hair--and without teeth, his long tongue just lolled out of his mouth. Over the next 6 years tho', he just blossomed into the best, funniest, most adorable doggie ever! He had SUCH heart! There are few greater pleasures than nursing an animal back to health and happiness. He crossed the rainbow bridge 2 years ago, and I miss him every day.
Harriet, you kinda sound more like a (mean) mom to your husband than a loving wife. He has to "beg" you? Yikes.
Currently we share the house with 5 dogs - 1 Saint Bernard, 1 bloodhound, 1 beagle-coonhound, 1 beagle and, as a bonus, 1 visiting Golden Retriever (he's living here while his daddy is in Iraq). But my favorite were 2 that have passed away - my 2 Black and Tan Coonhounds. Abe was 10 when I rescued him and he lived with us for 4 years before his heart just wore out. Elwood was 18 months and crossed the Rainbow Bridge a couple months ago at the age of 11. Even though we live in the city, we never had to worry about someone breaking into the house. In fact, Elwood would create so much noise with his baying that the pizza guy refused to deliver to our house - we had to wait for him on the sidewalk instead!
ReplyDeleteI will admit to one thing though - you haven't lived until you've shared a house with a Saint Bernard with a sense of humor. Harley's favorite pastime is to get the bloodhound all worked up so he can see how many times she races through the house. He figures he's won when Miranda is hiding in her crate. The thing is, the freaking bloodhound loves it when Harley does this.
My best pet - Perestroika, a Golden Retriever who had the patience of Mother Theresa and the friendliness of a Wal-Mart greeter. She would sit on the porch all day, and go out to the sidewalk to greet any and all that came by the house - she was amazing. All three of my children would sleep with her any chance they had - she guarded each baby as if they were her own. She was my sweet pup for 15 years - may she rest in peace. The most amazing dog ever.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 cats, both shelter rescues (I freaking HATE pet stores and breeders, and it makes me sick when people "buy" animals instead of adopting them). I have a big fat boy who interrupted my post so I could take him for a walk in the hallway (he's weird and loves the carpet in the hallway) and a tiny little female tabby who is possibly the gentlest and sweetest monster who ever lived. They enrich our lives so much and neither my boyfriend or I could imagine not having them to come home to, even though they are couch-murderers (we do not believe in declawing cats, it essentially breaks their paws).
ReplyDeleteGrowing up we had a guinea pig for 6 years (Jelly Squishy was his name. That is what happens when you let a 5 year old with ADD name the new pet) a goldfish for 12 years (name was appropriately enough 'Lucky', my little sister won him at a birthday party in grade 3 and he survived months of missed feedings - remembering stuff was not one of my sister's strengths - and a housefire that filled his little tank with soot, then we got him a big high-techy tank and a little fishy friend and he commited suicide the third day in his new home by swimming up the filter. We caught him the first time he did it and he was gasping but unharmed, and then he did it again the following day.) Then 4 years ago, a cat adopted my parents, walking up to the kitchen sliding doors as my mom was returning home from having her appendix removed. She stood on the kitchen balcony meowing and pitiful and my mom opened a can of tuna and the cat decided that these humans were good enough to serve her so she stayed and they named her Princess and she has been bossing them around ever since and they couldn't lover more. God bless all of you and your babies, be they 2 legged, 4 legged, or "other".
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ReplyDeleteNo budgies? I grew up in an apartment, so budgies made good pets. My husband thinks animals are ok - as long as they're outside. Very bad to have one inside. When we first met and moved in together, I had my cat Boots who was a rescue from a vet. The original owner was placed in a home and my friend who worked for the vet told me Boots might have to be put down if they didn't find anyone. I hated cats, and I am allergic to them. I felt so bad, I decided this 13 year old could live out his last years with me. We had to put him down when he was 21. I still miss him.
ReplyDeleteHe hated my husband. Loved all my boyfriends before him, though. He even stomped on my husband's balls while he slept. Finally saw it with my own eyes.
Then we had a stray who thought he was called Fucker because my husband tried to get him used to him by picking him up as a kitten. Got scratched every time, and every time "You little fucker!" came out of his mouth. Talk about embarrassing calling the cat to come get some food. Fucker disappeared one day along with a lot of other cats in the area.
Then we had Peanut - best budgie EVER! Slept in my husband's pocket. Hung off his cap and picked his nose hairs. We taught her to sing "I'm a Peanut bird" (Ã la I'm a Barbie Girl ...) After her we had Blue. Not as talkative but just as friendly.
We are stray cat central since we live in the country. People think they're doing their animals a favour by dumping them on rural routes. You're not.
Shakey is still around, but not as much anymore since I accidentally brutally murdered her 3 kittens. They got up in the wheel well of my car. I didn't find out until I was way down the road. She intentionally kept them from us, too because my friend managed to get homes for her last batch. Sad thing is - she isn't a stray. She originally "belonged" to an elderly couple down the road. We were shocked when we found that out. No one ever seems to be home there.
I'd like to have a dog, but I was told point blank the day I bring home a dog is the day I get a divorce.
He's a farm boy. Grew up with all kinds of animals, but they were all in the barn, when they had one. Animals LOVE this guy, particularly cats. I call him The Cat Whisperer.
Lesley - I was wondering what it would take for you to start commenting. I have met Frank and Ginger and they are good dogs. Also, there is a Greg in my office with your last name. Every time I walk by his desk I think to myself "I have to tell Lesley!". And then I forget.
ReplyDeleteOh and figgy - I showed your comment to my husband and he's very pleased that you called me mean...*L*
I have 2 dogs - Scully (13) & Mitch (9). I had a 3rd Dog, Joey (9) but he was killed in December (27th) by a neighbour's pitbulls. Apparently some people aren't smart enough to know that if you have dangerous dogs, you should secure them on your property.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I love all my dogs, Joey was my favourite.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d108/jigsaw_psyche/doggies/joey_messy2.png
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d108/jigsaw_psyche/doggies/joey_inquisitive2.png
I was in the grocery store not too long ago loading up on dog food. The woman behind me at the checkout line noticed how much I had and asked me about it. I told her it was for me because I was dieting.
ReplyDeleteShe said, "does that really work?" I told her it does but it was terribly painful.
She said, "how is eating dog food painful?"
I said, "oh, eating the food isn't painful but when I stop in the middle of the street to lick my balls and get hit by a car, now THAT hurts."
Thanks, y'all are sweet! Sometimes she cavorts like old times but if she gets any worse and the vet says she's in pain and/or terminal (not sure yet) we'll put her to sleep.
ReplyDeleteSad thing is hubby is deathly allergic to cats so she's an outsider (with a kick-ass insulated, protected "cat house" that he built for her to sleep in) and once she's gone--no more kitties in this household.
Oh well...Happy 4th...BE SAFE!!!
Too bad this is the far-east coast, dang it. We've gotta wait until noon for the first reveals!
My dog, a lhasa-apso/yorkie mutt named Tito, is the runt of his litter, he is epileptic, has a hole in his head (his fontanel, or soft spot, never closed up) asthmatic, and has a bad digestive system.
ReplyDeleteJust recentlast week he started having a lot of blood and mucuous in his stool, so I took him to the ER vet on Tuesday. He is 6 lbs, but the way he "told" all the other dogs who the boss was, you'd think he was a german shepherd. So we go in, and lo and behold he starts having a seizure in the exam room, pees on me, and after i yell out to the tech's station "he's having a seizure!" the doctor runs in like I'm in an episode of Grey's Anatomy going "I need 1 mg (or whatever) of diazepam, STAT!" He ended up going onto an IV for fluids because he was extremely feverish on top of everything else.
There was such a flurry of crazinessover my little guy, but what's new? That was just the latest episode.
I wouldn't trade him for the world. I'm his mommy and I would do anything to keep him safe and healthy.
(LOL, as i write this, he's on the floor next to me, getting busy with a blanket, and he's fixed! He looks at me like, "Whatcha lookin' at? Leave me alone...")
Longtime lurker - let me represent for the Scottish Terrier. I have two, both rescues. They rock.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have a cat. She's 17, and the best cat ever.
Another cat person here. My and my ex-husband's cats are actually allowing us to have a shot at a friendly post divorce relationship because we had to split up our nine cats, and we still want to visit the cats we don't have and ocassionally swap the cats that can handle it. So my ex is making a real effort to be nice and forge a different kind of relationship with me now.
ReplyDeleteAnyway. The nine cats (all rescues from either organizations, shelters, friends or the street):
Marcy - in my ex's custody - 15 year old tiny tortie who is very loyal to my ex but will rip your face off if she feels threatened. Recently survived breast cancer (?!?) and is very tough.
Burt - in my ex's custody - 9 year old large black cat rescued by my ex in 2001 after some kids tried to drown him in a garbage bag filled with motor oil. He's very sweet but a little off and still coughs from the oil residue in his lungs.
Jubilee - in my ex's custody - 9 year old tiny white cat with calico markings on her head and tail - found at a construction site at 2 weeks old and my ex took her. Extremely sweet and avoids confrontation with the other cats, but will not back down if attacked.
The Hopper - in my ex's custody - 10 month old black and white crazy kitten my boss found on the sidewalk outside his house when she was two weeks old. She is fierce and gets very mad when she comes to visit because cats don't travel well and so she hisses and growls at me and the other cats until the next day. She hops everywhere, thus her name : ) She's adorable, still small and has a long monkey tail that is completely out of proportion to the rest of her body.
Mina - 8 year old big fat white/tabby mix girl cat - I adopted her from a rescue org when she was about 4 weeks old and she was so tiny and cute - I spoiled her and now she's neurotic, big and fat LOL. She talks and screams at me all the time but she's still my baby cat.
Ares - 8 year old obese black male cat who I adopted with Mina when he was about 4 months old. There was always something off with him and when he was moved in with all my ex's cats (he originally had 7 and I had 3 - Mina, Ares & Georgia) he lost his mind and became obese and oddly aggressive sometimes. I've taken him to the vet and they can't find anything wrong with him.
Georgia - 6 year old brown tabby girl with a big teddy bear head. Very sweet and curious and will steal anything she can pick up with her mouth.
Duncan - 6 year old long haired orange tabby boy who is huge but has a tiny head. Is somewhat feral as my ex rescued him from the streets when he was about 8 months old. Very sweet but very sensitive.
Splotch - 11 year old blue & cream girl who had a litter out on the streets but then was taken in by my ex. She's also feral, but very sweet and loves attention.
Now that I'm divorced, I have a roommmate who brought a little long haired chihuahua with her : ) LOL the cats are freaking out getting used to that, but this dog is very well trained.
This is a great "your turn" Thanks Enty!!
ReplyDeleteI love all animals, have had a dog, turtle, fish, cats and even raised a robin and set it free (my great-aunt did that too, strangely enough).
Currently have three kitties - two black (black cats RULE)one is a former feral, and one who needs to be on Prozac and one bob-tail tabby.
Someday I hope to have a home for rescued dogs and cats and for those whose owners have died or who can no longer take care of them).
Wow.. These posts constitute the best thread ever. Even though we've been very lucky to share our lives with some amazing animal friends, who are no longer with us, we currently have 7 cats who share their lives with us. 1 Tuxedo (black and white) cat which we got from a shelter over 12 years ago , when he was 9 and a half. He currently needs daily doses of fluids to help with kidney disease, but he's survived longer than anyone thought he would with it. The other 6 include 3 that came up to our house from the woods nearby and we took them in. 2 that were feral, and 1 that was probably a giveup from someone who didn't want her anymore. We did our best to find the owner, putting up flyers all over our neighborhood and at all local vet clinics, but she's pretty old, and we figure someone just dropped her off in the woods to get rid of her. The last 3 include 1 calico cat who was dropped off at my wife's work, (a vet clinic), as a giveup, and then the last 2 are the surviving offspring of a feral tortie we took in from the woods, as well. The mother cat and 1 of her kittens we had to eventually euthanize, because they had contracted FIP, which is currently incurable. BTW, both of the male ferals we took in are now huggable friends. They'll even be sit on your lap for a little while.
ReplyDeleteThe last two Christmases, I volunteered to dress up as Santa Claus at the local Petsmart, and get my picture taken with pets as people brought them. My all time favorite was when a woman brought in her two pet rabbits. Their back legs and feet were so huge, that I thought if they jump they will jump a mile before anyone catches them. But they were so shy they just hid their face in my costume, and I was so instantly in love with these two guys. Anyway it's tough because we would probably take in more animals, like dogs, (from the local Greyhound rescue), only we're not sure our current housemates, would be able to handle it. It's also too tough for me to hear stories about animals being mistreated, (or see stuff like that on Animal Planet), so I congratulate those of you that have saved animals from these acts of cruelty.
None of our cats are declawed because I learned that it is a cruel and unnecessary procedure, that's not allowed in many other countries. Unfortunately it is still allowed in the US. None of our cats go outside at all. It only shortens their lifespan. In fact, it's always funny for me to open the door to our first "come in from the woods" cat, as he runs like crazy in the opposite direction away from the door. And all our cats are spayed/neutered. I don't like breeding pets / pet stores who sell pets, because there are too many in shelters who need good homes. But it doesn't matter where you got your pet, just please, please, spay/neuter them. Also it's a myth to think that since cats are such great hunters, you can dispose of them by dropping them off in the woods, and they'll be fine.
I love all of these friends that stop by to share part of their lives with us. In fact, I tend to love just about every pet I see. I know that people think I'm weird when I talk to their pets. I have to stop myself from petting the dogs, as people take them for a walk, because I wouldn't want them to be uncomfortable having a stranger petting their animal. BTW, the posts talking about dogs licking nasty things and then licking people's faces I find funny. When you kiss another human, are you sure you know where their tongue's been? Is that the same thing? You should also know that most every guy you've ever met, (including your fathers), have masturbated with one of their hands. Do you think about that when you shake their hands? I let any dog kiss me as much as they want. I feel lucky that they express their affection for me that way. It's a damn sight happier for me then when I see a dog in distress.
My internet was down most of the past week, so I'm late commenting here. Just wanted to share about my dog Bear.
ReplyDeleteI had a dog as a child, but was always more of a cat person until Bear came along. He was the sweetest little Chihuahua/Pekinese mix. Looked more like the chihuahua. He started out being my brother's dog. He was rescued from a family that let there children hit him. Poor little thing was scared of his own shadow when he came to live at my house. Even saying "Bad" in a gentle tone would make him wet the floor. I just took him under my wing to try to build up his confidence. He cried at night, so he started sleeping in my bed. Little by little, he just wormed his way into my heart. Around that time, my dad had some mini strokes and was going senile. He tried to wander off a few times to walk to the store to get cigarettes. On one such occasion, he fell on the side of the highway. So off course we all tried our best to keep an eye on him at home. One day, I was fixing dinner and heard barking from outside. I went out to see if Bear had escaped, and he was following along with my dad, barking his head off. I just know that Bear somehow realized that my dad shouldn't be going off by himself, and if I hadn't heard the barking, Dad might have walked to the highway again. After that, Bear had a permanent place in my heart. I never stopped loving that little dog for the 14 years that he lived with us. He passed away a year ago, and I don't know if I'll ever stop missing him. I do have other dogs now, and I love them, but Bear was my most special pet.