Furry & Lovable

Newt travels at 100 miles an hour and then crashes.

Here he is snoozing with his piggy.

GT takes over Karen's guest bedroom

Slick takes over Karen's spot in bed

Pet

We have a new family member at our house. He’s a true country fellow since he was born nine weeks ago to a Dachshund mom with a Pomeranian dad looking on way out in the country in a house that had gone to the dogs. These canine lovers had shoved all their furniture into what used to be the living room and dedicated the rest of the house, plus an outdoor run to the dogs, 22 in all. We lost our wonderful Herman, companion of almost seventeen years last Tuesday and on Wednesday we answered an ad for AKC Pomeranians. While the little fur balls in the fenced off area with like newborns, were too adorable we fell in love with the black eyed, black haired with white paws and vest, half breed, and since he’s new we call him Newt. Dancing with a puppy (Pomeranians are great dancers) sure goes a long way toward mending a broken heart.

Karen

Talk about dog crazy! Boy do those people love their four legged friends. When you told me that Herman had passed on to doggie Heaven I hoped you would run out and get another dog pronto. Nothing heals the heart faster than a new addition to the family. I think I might have advised against getting a puppy as they go beyond high maintenance. But once you sent me a picture of little Newt I can see why you became smitten. He sure is a cutie! I have to say I was a bit confused about his pedigree, as I’d never heard of a Daschsundranian before. Somehow I just couldn’t envision that kind of a doggie attraction. But guess Newt’s parents had other ideas. : )

Pet

Herman had a big fan club and some of his admirers have sent me the story of the rainbow bridge where dogs cross into doggie heaven. There they romp in a beautiful meadow happy and healthy, waiting for the arrival of their people. So when the dog people pass away they cross the rainbow bridge and are with their companions for eternity. Lovely story, but in my mind I see a number of dogs who’ve lived with me in that meadow. Herman didn’t like big dogs. Would he really get along with my two St. Bernards? I’m told in doggie heaven all the animals get along. So my fifteen or so since my first dog, Smokey, crossed the bridge, romp together. How about your kitties, Karen? Do they cross the bridge into the same meadow or is Kitty heaven in a different place?

Karen

Hum….never thought about Kitty Heaven. I think all my cats would love the road to Heaven to be paved with a luxurious thick shag carpet so they could dig their claws in all the way to the pearly gates. Once inside, they’d love everything to be covered in catnip and they’d run straight for the all you can eat fish buffet. Think that would truly be kitty Heaven. : ) Hopefully my new feral adoptee’s, Slick and GT, have a long way to go before they have to make a visit. And my old timer Amelia keeps hanging in there. She’s going to be 19 this year. I hope she makes it to 20!

Pet

Our feline and canine family members are such a part of the household we do miss them when they’re gone but the newcomers immediately take a place in our hearts. Right now Newt, the new, is so adorable. He took over an old throw rug as his own and we let him. So right now he’s carrying it all over the sun room, having a ball. Puppies seem to have a ball with everything they do and okay some of it is destructive. But they are such fun we can overlook a few destroyed rugs and chewed furniture. Life is nothing but a fun time from one wonderful item, like the blind cords to another like pappy’s shoes. Outside that dried up winter foliage seems only there for pup’s amusement. One sees the world in an entirely different light through the little ones eyes.

Karen

I too have my house turned upside down by my new furry additions Slick and GT. As they were feral and we first had to tame them down before we could even get near them. We had no plans for them to become house cats until a vicious coyote first attacked GT and almost killed her. Slick is a big guy weighs in at almost 20 pounds so we thought he could hold his own but man that coyote even took on Slick. So our home turned into a kitty hospital as we nursed brother and sister back to health. Of course then we were hooked. GT has the cutest little chortle instead of a meow. And Slick has turned into a huge lover boy. The downside is they both have turned our nice chenille sofa and matching big chair into giant scratching posts. Sigh…..

Pet

Most difficult to keep a neat house when you have pets around, especially the babies. Newt is so good about going potty outside I’d been bragging about having a ten week old house broken pup. Until this morning that is. Early on we lost electric power. We weren’t too worried since the weather had warmed up some and we decided to go out for breakfast. We use any excuse to dive into the great country special they serve at the local supermarket. Stumbling around getting dressed in the dark I never noticed that Newt had lost his manners and pooped on a walkway rug. Ugggh…I stepped in it and now there are stains all over the carpet. Will have to get another throw rug and we’re glad we didn’t go ahead and get that new carpet we’d been eyeing for the bedroom…now Newts room. Other than that one little slip, he’s a lover. But the pup pales in comparison to the now in kitty heaven, Sam, the Tom Cat, who could probably out love Slick.

Karen

I think Slick is like a lot of big cats I’ve meet, total sweethearts. But just this morning I had to scold him about jumping up on my antique furniture. Both he and his sister love to chase each other and GT always jumps up on a empire table I have in the bay window of the parlor to escape. She’s not that heavy so even though it’s 160 years old it can handle her weight. But Slick and his 20 pounds is another story. The poor table creaks and moans. Then I have to be big tough Mom and scream at him. : ) People think I’m crazy to have brought two feral cats into my house filled with valuable antiques but I’ve faith in my ability to discipline my kitties. Amelia was a feral adoptee too. And you couldn’t ask for a better behaved cat. She is like a dog. She knows No and Come Here. She will even play fetch too. : )

Pet

The only time Sam thought himself a dog, was when we took the St. Bernard and poodle for a walk. Like many cats who owned us after him, he trotted along often in front of the giant dog. When I first met Sam he was going for a ride. A small neighbor girl confronted me with a lunch box. Inside she toted a kitty. The little striped bundle with the pink nose seemed to beg me to save him from his prison. I did and lectured his owner about not smothering kitties. She took him home, but not for long. Sam decided he’d live at my house and they tried to keep him, he repeatedly returned to our house. Finally the neighbors gave up with grumbles about cat stealing. We had Sam for many years even moving to a new house in a new town. He grew to be a big boy and a fighter. Not very pretty all scratched and bitten, Sam jumped on any available lap and nuzzled the owners petting hand. Visitors protested, family didn’t. We loved him whatever especially during Christmas time. Forgoing laps, Sam would settle under the tree and this scarred and sometimes bloody Tom would become an integral part of the decorations. And like all our pets, and integral part of our household.

Karen

Sam sounds like he was the ultimate Christmas decoration. I have to admit I had nightmares about GT and Slick scaling my Christmas tree when I put it up last year. I had no idea how they would react seeing the hundreds of sparkling ornaments and twinkling lights. GT is a sucker for anything shinny just like a bird. I had myself mentally prepared to run out and get a baby fence to protect my precious ornament collection. Nothing made me happier when I let Slick and GT lose to check out the tree. They walked around and sniffed everything. GT was the first to venture really close but instead of wanting to play with the spinning ornaments she was actually scared. And big boy Slick just yawned, bored by all the fuss. He was much more interested in playing with his favorite purple furry toy. Our first Christmas together turned out to be a really fun time. Slick and GT sat together on one of their favorite antique parlor chairs and watched the lights twinkle. I can’t imagine a house without a few pets running around. They help give the house a soul. Three cheers for our furry four legged family members!