Seriously.
My son, Zach, has a little dog named Gomez. Gomez weighs about the same as a bag of sugar. He is so unfortunate looking that he makes the turn from homely to adorable. Gomez is part toy poodle, part shih tzu, and part Raggedy Andy doll.
I love this little guy.
Holding him makes the tightness in my chest go away. I’m not a pet person, though. Pets really haven’t had much presence in my life.
We didn’t have pets growing up.
Well, we had some pets, but they were never around long and it was usually not a good relationship.
Gomez
My first dog, for instance. My aunt, one of the most unpleasant people in the history of all the people who ever were and all the people who ever will be, got us a dog when I was 10.
We named him Sugar. I’m not sure what Sugar was, but if I had to guess, I would say he was a mix of chihuahua, terrier, and Spicoli from Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
Me: Hey, baby…how do you spell chihuahua?
Randy: C H I H U A H U A
Me: Thanks. I had “Chai tea waffles”
Me: How do you spell terrier?
Randy: T E R R I E R
Me: Okay, so not tarot cards, then.
Me: How do you spell Spicoli? Like from Fast Times At Ridgemont High?
Randy: S P I C O L I
Me: Okay. Not spaghetti man.
But I digress.
Sugar could only be described as “special needs”.
This was the dumbest dog ever to live.
We lived in a drafty house in Covington, Kentucky. The Cincinnati skyline loomed over my childhood. The downstairs had three rooms. Kitchen in the back, living room in the middle, and behind pocket doors, our play room.
Sugar, the asthmahound chihuahua of my youth, spent his time running the length of our house. He would run, his little toenails clicking, and crash into the kitchen wall. He would shake it off, and then run the opposite direction and do the same thing to the wall in the front of the house.
I fucking loved Ren and Stimpy. Ren and Stimpy cracked me up. And if you are scratching your head at this, you’re probably also wondering what the fuck an asthmahound chihuahua is.
Sugar drove my mother batshit. Seriously, I think the sight of that dog made her want to curl up in a corner and cry.
One day Sugar “ran away”.
I drew pictures and hung up fliers, but I never saw him again. Much to my mother’s relief.
We moved to the middle of nowhere my freshman year of high school. Seriously, moving to Dry Ridge, KY was one of the worst experiences of my life. My apologies to anyone I went to high school with who reads my blog, I truly mean no disrespect. I just really really really hated it there.
Anyway, we got a border collie. We named him Charlie and he was a sweetie. But he kept trying to herd the cows in the field behind our house and the farmer started shooting at him, so Charlie had to go.
That was pretty much it. I mean, other than the gerbils. I shudder to think of the gerbils. Fucking hell.
I did have a few cats around 20 years ago. They were sweet. I had a psychic experience with one of them. That story might be too weird, though. So just forget I said anything.
Randy and I have never had a pet. Although we did have a goldfish named Mr. Pink who lived around 3 years. I guess that counts. Not a cuddly pet. He did wag his tail like a dog when you waved his food bottle over the bowl. Not even kidding about that. I didn’t grieve over Mr Pink’s death, though. I mean, my shoulder’s slumped and I wasn’t happy, but nary a tear was shed when he was flushed.
I don’t dislike pets. I think animals are awesome. I’ve just never considered myself a pet person.
Now my son has this little dog. I love his face. He has such a face.
Perhaps it’s late in life, but I think I’m going to want something to cuddle pretty soon.
Now, you guys help me figure out how to talk Randy into it. I’ve been campaigning for over a year for a kitten and its a “no go” so far. I might have more luck talking him into a dog. I’m sure we could find a rescue that is at least part Raggedy Andy doll.
We have chickens though those don’t count as pets, I was just looking at them from here. We have a lot of birds we feed. (I did see my first Robin yesterday.) The problem is, none of these dozens of birds, and the one baby squirrel, give me a warm fuzzy feeling.
My daughter has a Shih Tzu and a Shorkie. Love those two but they’re hers so they spend the night out there. My wife says no to a dog and in this instance I know that no means no. None of this begging forgiveness instead of permission jazz. (I might be saving that for a cheap Harley but I’m seeing a lot of death lately so maybe not.
No, I want a small dog free and clear. I’d love another Shih Tzu or maybe a teacup Yorkie. (Ours never had any health issues.
They say that a dog is the only animal that will love you more than themselves. The Bible says that greater love hath no man but that he give his life for his friend. Dogs can be like that. I miss that in my life.
Yeah, Gomez is always happy to see me. He’s awesome.
I have a cat. I’m not particularly good with animals, though.
That being said, Gomez is adorable and sort of looks like a dark Mogwai.
Right? I accidentally call him Gizmo all the time.
I never had pets until my ex gave me a pair of kittens as a wedding present. Loved those kittens. Then one developed a heart problem at age two and we had to give it pills every eight hours (or kennel it if we ever wanted to go away) until it died 16 years later. It’s brother then proceeded to pee on every square inch of the house for the next three years until he passed away.
Loved those cats. Never again.
This is actually helpful.
Yes, Cassandra 🙂 Loving the sick ones and keeping them ’til death do us part’ is the hardest of all.
OMG, you did NOT just put that out there about a psychic experience with a cat and then leave it hanging in the air, unexplained, like a strange man’s boxers on a married woman’s clothes line!!! Come on!!! Out with the story!!! HAHA!
Ever since I can remember, I’ve had animals of various sorts. My mom loved them, so we always had a dog. When I got older, I had hamsters (short-tailed gerbils—haha!) and was the “horsey girl”, the tomboy. I finally got my first horse at the age of ten, but we sold her when I was closer to my teens. I didn’t have my first cat until I was in my early 20s, had moved out of my parents’ house and in with Paul. We were in a condo at that time and you weren’t allowed to have pets. I could not imagine not having any animals at all–I’d never lived that way–and figured a cat would be the least obvious. (No barking, they use a litter box as opposed to being walked, etc.) I fell in love with cats from that point on. So many of the stereotypes about cats are spot on, but I found my cats to be so affectionate and comforting. And now, I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have my cats. They have kept me going and kept me sane. My little boy, Frankie, he was more bonded with Paul, but has now been getting a lot more cuddly with me. He seems to know when I’m having one of my bad days and will jump up onto the arm of my chair and lean into my arm, so I’ll start scratching his chin and neck. He closes his eyes, begins purring and it makes me smile. Animals do not judge you, they just love you, warts and all. My cats give me a reason to get up every morning, they make me laugh and keep me from sinking too far into my own misery. There may come a day when I will have a small to medium dog in place of cats. The litter boxes I always found so convenient have begun to wear on me as I’ve gotten older, both in having them placed throughout my home to having to clean/scrub them all the time. (That doesn’t even include the occasional accidents over the sides of the box, which means even more scrubbing.) I don’t know. I love all animals (although the raccoons who continue shitting all over my pool deck are really wearing out their welcome!!). I can’t even picture myself not having at least one animal of some variety in my life! It will help your “empty nest” syndrome, Michelle! Tell Randy it will be just the thing you need for your anxiety! How can he deny his gorgeous wife that calming influence? 😀
See…I read this and I think…Yeah..lot’s of extra work. Who needs the extra work. Maybe I should just be content with visiting Gomez. I get to see him today so YAY!
The work is the part that people tend to gloss over, but I’m not one to do that, so yeah, it’s a reality. However, would I trade my animals because of the work? No. I bitch, I moan, but when it comes down to it, they become like children to you. I do remind people of the work and responsibility involved (a dog, for instance, is easier to take on trips or have someone watch if you want to go away—cats are a little more difficult if you have no one willing to watch them, plus they HATE to have their routines disrupted and leaving them by themselves is NOT a viable option—some people seem to think that cats are self-sufficient left on their own, but that’s bullshit), because I hate to see animals put through the emotional upset and confusion of finding a home, only to be returned to a shelter when the humans realize that the animals don’t clean up after themselves. It’s like adopting a baby and being surprised that you actually have to feed it, change diapers, etc. HAHA! I think you would love having a small dog and just think of all the posts it would inspire you to write! Your new adventures in pet ownership would be a constant source of great, funny stories! The well would never run dry again!! 😀
George? Careful…that’s how ‘Crazy cat ladies’ start…. telling random strangers about their cat…
😉
Oh, come on, Lisa! You know you and Michelle aren’t “random strangers”! You’ve been carefully selected! HAHAHA!!!
I hope no one gets tired of me when I start crapping in the bathtub or barking at the neighbors in the middle of the night! 😀
What? No barking off the porch in the middle of the night? I suppose that means I can’t bark at passing dogs in the back of pickups??
And I have DEFINITELY thought about crapping in the tub….
Hmmnn.
We WERE chosen…
All right, Randy. Rage-M’s gonna need a dog before she starts barking off the porch and crapping in the tub.
Just sayin’. There might be a pattern here. I think it’s already started with her using you like spellcheck and all…
P.S. Ren and Stimpy ROCKED!!! (“You EE-diot!!!” HAHA!) I had a cat—a female—who showed up in our hedges after Hurricane Andrew and I named her Stimpy Louise! She was a feisty one, but I adored her. She rounded out the group of cats Paul and I had at that time who we called our “3 Musketeers”—Natasha, Sniglet and Stimpy. I keep their ashes in beautiful boxes on a shelf in my living room. I promised them that they would always have a home with us and I kept my promise.
That’s what I promise mine, too. Death with dignity in your home with your family. I can only give them that and food and water and shelter and LOVE.
Funny. That’s ALL I want, too.
To never be given away again.
Oh. The psychic experience. Yeah..it is weird.
First, I am a skeptic. I don’t believe in most things considered to be on the fringe. I don’t disbelieve, either. I’m just very skeptical over woo woo things. That being said, I had this little cat named Vincent. Vincent never got larger than a big kitten and he was the sweetest cat ever. I lived with my second husband then. We had a largish house. Our bedroom was opposite the garage and one floor up. Unless it was a huge crash, you couldn’t hear anything from the garage. There was a pet door leading from the family room to the garage, and both the cats liked hanging out in the garage. One night, I had a dream about Vincent, only it was like I was watching him. He jumped on something and it crashed to the ground He yowled, ran in a circle three times and shot off. I woke up and told my husband, something is wrong with Vincent.
We didn’t find him for 8 hours. We finally found him in the basement in a corner hiding. His little paw was crushed. We found a broken ceramic plaque in the garage. The plaque had been balanced on a bucket. Vincent jumped up on the plaque and it flipped off the bucket and crushed his paw..and I watched the whole thing happen from the other side of the house.
I told you it was weird.
Poor little kitty clomped around in a kitty cast for a while.
Thank YOU… I had to know, too.
🙂
I don’t think you are weird at all—well, not THIS time. 😀 I used to feel that way—most things people would talk about that were “woo woo”, I tended to be very skeptical about. But since then, I have had experiences myself that I can’t explain and that are way TOO specific to be labeled mere coincidence. I have formed the opinion that there are senses beyond the tangible and sometimes, in certain circumstances (like what happened with Vincent), we are able to tap into them. Some people may be better than others at doing this. It isn’t “woo woo” as much as a sense being heightened. I don’t think you’re weird at all and you actually have hit upon the very reason why cats should not be left home alone when people go away on vacations. ANYTHING can happen; you just never know! Cats get into the most fucked up things, I’m telling you! That is my over 30 years of cat ownership experience talking! HAHA!
Woo Woo here.
First off… ask for a horse. Then the dog is an easy yes.
Second, the ‘work’ I do for my horses (at least an hour every day in the Fall and Winter for feeding, two hours in Spring and Summer to irrigate their pasture) is what keeps them and me in a healthy relationship. With horses, while I’m feeding, I’m petting them and smelling them and checking for 6 poop piles (Yes, they are all different shaped and consistencies… but what goes in must come out and what comes out can tell you alot about what’s going on on the inside 🙂 ) and this is the highlight of my day because if I’m not with my horses I have to be around people and I’d rather be checking poop piles than listening to some people spew shit.
Ya know….
Guess I had better have a ‘Thirdly’ 🙂 Because. Woo Woo.
Thirdly, as George has pointed out, there is a connection. Call it Woo Woo or call it ‘heart-talk’ but I KNOW I’ve had ‘moments’ with my fur-babies. I have walked out at just the right time because I had ‘weird’ feeling. I have also been ‘protected’ by my horses. Once, when I was too drunk to get in my truck (Yes, Thank God) they all surrounded my truck with me half in and half out until my husband noticed them all standing there and came to get me.
Another time I passed out in my neighbor’s barn and HIS horse stood in the doorway until he noticed something was weird. (He was a good neighbor… Good drinking buddy, too…which is why I didn’t make it past his barn..haha )
Now that I’m sober, the ‘connections’ are not as drastic, but I still know it’s good when my Grandbabies are here and the horses ‘know’ to be ‘careful’ with them.
Anyway. I think ‘borrowing’ Gomez is awesome for you. Steal the love from wherever and whomever you can :):)
And definitely go rescue. They are the gratefully pissed ones. They get us.
I miss my peacocks. Not very cuddly, but watch ’em eat flies and and other bugs on your porch and they aren’t just a pretty butt anymore.
A horse? Michelle might as well ask for an elephant, giraffe, or a killer whale.
I’d know the ‘can we get a dog/cat/goat’ conversation was about to happen if she asked for any of the aforementioned.
We don’t have cats due to allergies. I’ve offered the dog solution, but only if I don’t have to be the dog’s parent.
We couldn’t have a horse, well, because that’s just silly. It’d never fit through a doggy door.
Oh, HEY….Randy 🙂
Hmmnn… I appreciate the value of your input, however….
They got a cool doggy door for mini’s on Amazon.
Just sayin.’
😉
(It doesn’t have to be a BIG horse… and you’ll save on lawnmower gas and fertilizer. )
*turns to Tim*
“No, you CAN’T talk to Randy!
Oh, silly Randy! Just do what some old (as in a long time ago, not their ages! lol) neighbors of ours did—-put the horse in the spare bedroom! I have no idea how the hell they got the horse in through the door (unless they brought him/her through the sliding glass doors in back), but they were cited by the city for keeping it in the house. It’s funny, because we ;live in a small, older suburban area and every once in a while, especially in the early morning hours right as the sun is coming up, you could occasionally hear that unmistakable sound of a horse neighing, or even a goat bleating. Right now, somewhere down our block, someone has chickens because every morning when I’m out getting the paper, I hear a rooster crowing. I actually quite like it! I find it comforting and life affirming. 🙂 I just pray they have the chickens for fresh EGGS and not Santeria sacrifices! It’s South Florida, you can never be sure!
But, seriously, a small dog is great! It’ll be your new best buddy, too, Randy! :::wink, wink::: 😀
See, I don’t get how anybody can tell you you can’t have a horse in your bedroom, or garage, just because you live in town… but you can tie a dog up to the clothesline all summer and winter…
Boy.
Yeah, I live in a singlewide. Can’t even have my upright grand in the living room and that’s the part I hate most… no horses in the house…anymore…for now 🙂
If I EVER get to build a house, it will have the stable as the main floor and the people living quarters upstairs.
Yeah… I’m dreaming. OF HORSES IN THE HOWSE, YO :):):)
Lisa K has the right of it. Campaign like hell for a horse first. Then “settle” for a dog.
Or. Tell Randy that this dog will be an emotional support animal for you. They don’t quite “count” as service dogs, because they don’t get the same public access and aren’t typically trained to service-y tasks but help by existing, but it is a valid thing. If Gomez helps that pressure in your chest go away, a dog (or cat or pot bellied pig or raccoon) of your own can be that for you all of the time. Might even help head off or redirect anxiety episodes. It’s possible an adult dog would be great for this, since you wouldn’t have to live through the sometimes-hell of potty training, teething, etc.
Thanks, Jen…it’s a strategy I’ve oft used :):)
Do you think Randy’s read this yet?
We should send George to keep him occupied while Rage-M works up the story….
You nailed it with the adult dog tact. Puppies are cute, but they make you doubt ‘unconditional love’ in various stages of remote control buttons chewed off and piddle marks by the coffee table.
Hahaha. I LOVE pets and grew up with them. My hubs was born to a family who hates animals and so he does too. We have 2 large dogs, he doesn’t hate them, just dislikes them. He refuses to do anything with them.
Pretty sure that is how Randy would be.
You will find me cuddling with the softly nickering horses in your barn, Lisa! My own form of “T-Touch Therapy”! HAHA!
*George hunkering down into the hay or cedar shavings, deeply inhaling the fragrance of horse, feed, manure, leather—aaaaaahhh! Nirvana!*
I’d love to have a horse again, but at this point, I can’t afford it and I’m not sure my joints would allow me to care for it the way it should be (although the exercise and fresh air would be great for me). So, if I can’t give any animal 100%, I’d rather go without, for the animal’s sake.
The ranch where we used to have our horse had peacocks, too. They are so beautiful. I loved grading a handful of cracked corn and feeding them, although it gets scary when you run out and they’re following you around desperately seeking more! They also had geese, who were nastier than the peacocks! Those things would come after you!
And the tack room!!! Fresh horsey leather… And wet horse smell from the rain clinging to your britches.
I have ‘poor’ horses. Not a lot of bling on our riding gear… most of it’s held together with baling twine, these days. Not to mention all my horses have aged with my kids, so we mostly just bareback and halter it.
They ARE my therapy animals. Meds cost the same per month as six horses. Now I just gotta get another van so my mini can come with me, with her head out the window and my hand on her warm back.
Funny, but for all the shit our parents put us through, they made sure we had the animals… good fucking thing.
I grew up with animals, dogs, cats, cows, horses, pigs, and the occasional goat or sheep. So I was never under any illusions about what caring for critters entailed. I sort of feel that I would need to demonstrate a more effective and reliable ability to care for ME before I deliberately subject some hapless animal to my deficiencies…
That being said, the house where I am living now has an adorable cat that I have really taken to contributing to the care and feeding of. I have been caught lately remarking to my animal-owning friends about how much of an improvement in my day has come from simply playing with the cat, letting her in/out multiple times, marveling at the latest place where she has taken to napping (first it was a laundry basket, then it was inside Briana’s open bass case, and lately on an overstuffed black pillow on a shelf in the living room in front of a mirror…) She is sweet and beautiful and makes the most delightful noises when you walk up to her and pet her while she’s sleeping.
Pretty much all stuff I didn’t have what it took to pay attention to while under the gun or living in “survival mode”. I’m trying to find my way past all of that idiocy now, and the cat is definitely helping.
So good luck with your adorable little dog (grand-dog?) and your own animal quest.
I am so glad you have a new furry little friend!
I’m not going to advise do or don’t, but I will definitely suggest if you do, do rescue. It will make your heart feel so good. One nice thing about rescues is most are already house/litter box trained. And if you get an adult, the puppy/kitten foibles that can be annoying if you don’t have a lot of free time are already behind them. I’ve had animals of one sort or another most of my life. We currently have a rescued disabled cat – poor thing had been a shelter animal her entire life because apparently no one wanted a cat that couldn’t jump onto the kitchen table with litter box feet (eeew), or jump on bookshelves and send tchotchkes crashing to the floor. Lucky for us – we now have the perfect cat. And, the litter box is really not that much work – once a day you scoop, every couple of weeks you dump the old litter and put in new. The rewards are enormous.
We will definitely go the rescue route if we decide to get a pet.
I am a big time rescue dog person – we have three right now. I love my dogs. Lived a few years without any and then when we got Belle (the oldest of the three, she’s 16), a hole in my heart was filled. I thank the stars above everyday for her. Mia, #2, is about 8 now and such a great dog you wonder why some other family gave her up. #3 was ex’s and kids dog, but ex moved to a place that does not allow pets, kids (21 and 22) are in the stage of life where they live in places that don’t allow pets, so I got Rocky. And he is fantastic. He’s my running companion and I promise you no creep will ever bother me when he is with me.
Dogs make sure I get out and at least walk every day. They cuddle up and kiss me or just sit next to me when I am blue. They are happy to see me and think I am the greatest thing since sliced cheese (I only win over sliced cheese because I have opposable thumbs and can therefore hand said cheese out….:)) My life without my dogs would be much emptier. Sure, travelling takes a bit of planning, but how often do I really go someplace? Besides, I just make one of the kids move back in for a week and take care of them!
And they are a great excuse to use all those names you wanted to name your kids but didn’t!
awww..how sweet! And yes!! I have some names I never got to use!
We went down the fish, gerbil and hamster road, none of which the kids liked (everybody but the fish bit), because hubby didn’t want “all the work” of a dog (even though the kids and I promised to do it).
Twenty years of hinting later, I finally put my foot down and adopted a rescue dog. Made even more difference than I thought it would. My dog is always happy to see me (unlike the two adult boomerang kids), is easily pleased (unlike far away senior parents), and she’s soft and quiet (unlIke the family as a whole).
Dog saved my life.
Nice..thank you for sharing this!
you MUST MUST MUST get on the rescue list for any sort of DOODLE-surrenders.
Ive been surprised how often it happens and they are MOST certainly part raggedy ann and part stuffed teddy bear!
I do so love your doodle pictures and stories. 🙂
Our first pet as s married couple was a cat. Even tho we had s strict No Pet policy. I got the car from a farm and brought her home as s ‘surprise’ -the same day my husband got trapped in a rainstorm in his motorcycle on the way home…not great timing but we have had pets ever since!
hahah…nooo..not great timing. Glad it worked out, though!
I’m a cat person. Cats are awesome because they’re assholes. Meaning they don’t require as much of your attention, as let’s say a dog would, who’s just always so goddamn happy to see you.
But a cat is just there, doing its thing, and once in a while it decides to show you affection, and you can be like ‘wow cat, today is a special day.’
Hahahah..right! That’s how I feel about it.
Maybe your son will let you keep the dog?
We’ve somehow inherited All the pets our kids had before they graduated.
That would be a cockatiel, horse, and dog.
I grew up with pets amd seriously Did. Not. Want. all the work having more.
The work is what stops me. I’m not good at taking care of the humans in the house…
It’s a huge decision, but it could also be a wonderful change (says this dog owner). I see you guys adopting an adult rescue dog who is already trained, socialized, and really mellow. Don’t restrict yourself to something tiny. It’s about personality. You really need to take the time and shop around. Search Petfinder and contact the various rescues. It’s okay to say “I don’t want to have to train a dog and I don’t want one with an on-going medical issue, or one that needs a lot of exercise, etc.” Just be honest. The people placing dogs appreciate that. If they check you out as much as you check them out, then you’ll know you’re adopting from a good group. Sometimes you have to wait for the right dog. Dogs really help you in so many ways. No matter what happens, your dog will never fail you. A pet does help enormously when it comes to kicking back anxiety. They best part? They don’t talk. You can, until dawn if you like, but they won’t give you an argument or advice you didn’t ask for. They make you get your ass off the couch when you’d prefer to flop there for the rest of your days. We adopted our dog over 11 years ago from a rescue in Vermont. She was born in a West Virginia shelter and fostered in New Hampshire. We lived in Maine at the time; now we’re in Montreal. Where I go, she goes. Would my life be easier without a pet? Yes, because it’s very difficult to rent here with a dog, and I make a ridiculously small income so food/vet costs can be a concern. Would I be happier? Hell no. Regrets? Not knowing/understanding that she is a hound mix so she’ll never walk nicely off-leash and stay close. (Goddamn squirrels!!) That nose takes her everywhere as she’s constantly tracking. The bonus? She’s a hound mix so she’s very family-friendly, lovable, and basically a big ham who has never shown aggression or caused any damage and she loves everybody (maybe too much – we can’t count on her for security). And she doesn’t bay – thank my lucky stars. I think you guys would make good dog owners. (Oh, and about your weird cat event? No surprise, Pisces.)
Oh, thank you for this! Yeah..I think we will adopt a pet sooner or later. Probably later.
My wife says I married her for her dogs. That’s not entirely true, but after all the years we’ve been together I now can’t sleep without a warm, furry body next to me…and also one of the dogs. Okay, I’m going to just let that joke stand and hope she never sees it.
Anyway even Randy should appreciate how much joy dogs can bring to your life.
And if he doesn’t strap your new invention to his head and make him dance along with you to The Happy Happy Joy Joy Song until he changes his mind.
Hahahahha…I just want to watch him sing it.
I’m sorry you have not had much luck with pets growing up! I grew up with dogs and have always loved animals I think because of that. You definitely need something to cuddle! Animals are so good at reading our emotions and making us feel better- and I agree with others that it is still a huge decision so obviously make sure you are ready but definitely adopt when you are! You will feel much better doing so and helping the little guy out, giving it a home.
Well, when and if we do decide to get a pet, it will definitely be a rescue..
Like you I am not a pet person – I’m not even an animal person. I would rather poke my eye with a blunt stick than watch an animal program !!!!
Having said that, when K was suffering from depression in high school they recommended we get an animal and we landed up getting Alfie – a staffie. They (K and Al) were completely responsible for him and he was fine to have around except he dug up the garden. We spoke to ‘people’ – they said he was lonely. So we get another day because apparently 2 dogs is not much more work than 1 dog (although it is double the vet bills, food bills and dog poop !!!) . We have Alfie and Rosie and they do provide company for each other and I have certainly become very affectionate towards them.
Christmas before last we got Charlie – a ragamuffin cat – and he is just beautiful. I’ll have to send you some photos one day !!!! He is a typical cat – happy to have cuddles when he feels like it which may not always match up with when you want them !!!! He seems to be learning and will come if I call him but I’m not sure if that’s just because he thinks he’s going to get fed !!! He loves to play with Alfie and Rosie and they are both very patient with him letting him inspect their ears and kiss their faces – although he is also very fond of waiting around the corner and swiping at their legs as they walk past or jumping on their backs hoping for a ride.
While I am not an animal person, I can honestly say I have grown very attached to all three of our animals – I still don’t particularly like anyone else’s animals. They do provide great company when Al is working away from home (which is a lot of the time since before Christmas). Since my folks moved into their place at the bottom of our place, Alfie has adopted them and so, other than when he gets fed or when they go out, we don’t see too much of him anymore 🙁
Good luck with changing Randy’s mind !!!!!
I think I have a shot with a dog. Now, to decide if we want to wait until we move. Probably will.
I agree wholeheartedly with you about Dry Ridge, I couldn’t get out of there soon enough. I’m trying to talk my husband into getting a dog also but no luck on my end either.
Yes, I am not fond of that place at all