Recyclable Pets--I don't think so!

Over the last month or so, I've noticed a disturbing trend of people acquiring family pets only to try to find someone to dump them on. This has happened with people I know, know through a friend of a friend and even on Facebook. I find it a sad statement about our country. If you can't deal with it, get rid of it. Shoot, I happens in marriage all the time--it's called a PRE-NUP. Sign a contract for a divorce prior to even getting married.

Everyone is trying to find the easy way out. Whatever happened to trying to make a marriage work? Or working with an animal to TRAIN it properly, er, actually train the stupid owner, NOT THE DOG. Or taking allergy shots if you're allergic.

And yes, I do understand there are circumstances that will force one to make a decision to give up an animal. Loss of a job resulting in the inability to care for the animal, severe asthma/allergies that send someone to a hospital, or a caregiver's illness. I'm sure there are more instances, but that's all I can think of at the moment. I'm not talking about these conditions, I'm talking about pure laziness on the part of the owner to train an animal, or loss of interest in the creature, or simple allergies, or not researching the breed of dog prior to getting it.

This seriously PISSES ME OFF!

Years ago, one of the trainers at my horse barn had a litter of kittens to give away. Her female Abyssinian got preggers by the neighborhood tomcat. I told her I would give one a try, but I knew I was allergic to cat hair/dander--I found that out when I worked for a veterinarian in high school. I took the kitten and by the time the month trial was up, I was sneezing my head off.

Did I give him away?

Mr. Kato Kitty in his younger days

Heck, no! 21 years later, I had to put Mr. Kato Kitty to sleep, only a few months ago. I took allergy shots, medicine, and used an inhaler when needed. I also learned to wash my hands thoroughly after I finished petting him. I dealt with MY problem.

After my hubby and I married we had an assortment of critters--Siberian hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs. Uh, I found out the hard way that I'm allergic to guinea pigs. I still pet and groomed Harry (really, Harriet), but I couldn't clean her cage as there was too much of the concentrated allergens. So my hubby did. After Harry died, who do you think saw Rocky and talked the family into having another Guinea pig?  Yep, me. I just love those little guys!

Rocky, this AM

When I was in high school, I adopted a brindle Great Dane (tiger striped) named Gretchen. She was such a sweetie, but with many physical problems--she was a puppy mill dog. Turns out the dimwit who owned her didn't realize she wasn't an apartment dog. What part of GREAT Dane suggests under 20 lbs?? After Gretchen died far too young when she was only three and I was in my first year of college. After I graduated college, I bought Pippin, a harlequin Great Dane. Though I moved out of my parents house and I had to leave Pippy behind, I still payed for his board. My dad and Pippin used to go for walks in the neighborhood. Pippin had to be put down at the ripe age of 12. The life span of a Dane is 8.

Katie, age 12

Maggie and family

We currently have an Old English Sheepdog. This one is Maggie, but before her we had Katie who we had to put down at the age of 12 due to stomach cancer. We knew they would have to be indoor dogs--the heat is simply too much for an OES in Oklahoma. We knew she would need to be groomed and trimmed regularly. We knew what we were getting into.

All kittens and puppies are cute, but do a little research before picking up that animal to see if,
a) you are willing to do what it takes to have a new family member
b) realize how long these animals can live--and then add two or three years. Birds live a very LONG time--something to think about.
c) look at breed characteristics. If you want a laid-back dog, don't buy a rat terrier or lab. If the dog has to be outdoors, take into consideration their abilities to cope with the temperatures in your area, make certain you provide adequate housing, food and water.

Pets are family members. Would you give your kid away when they ticked you off? How about when you were potty training them? Did you get frustrated and give up? How about when they were a teen and they sassed you?
--Yeah, I know you want to give them away, but really, would you?

Be a knowledgeable and savvy pet owner. If you can't afford a big dog, don't buy one. If you buy a small pet for your kid, stress to the child that the animal can live for years. It the kid loses interest, then be mean mom and tell them to take care of their pet or step up and do it yourself. How fair is it to the animal when you desert them?

Animals become part of our family. They deserve your respect and love, because love is all they have to give back along with years of pleasure.

Later, peeps!

In Tribute to the Critters in our lives

Pets enter our lives enriching and enhancing our day-to-day living. Some are service, hunting or work animals, while others are companions to the elderly or disabled. Most of them are simply pets.

Our family has run the gamut of critters. Pre-marriage, I owned two Great Danes and two horses, plus Kato Kitty. My husband was raised with schnauzers, guinea pigs, and baby turtles that were found in their swimming pool, though I believe there were other little critters, too. Together we owned one more horse, two bunnies, two Old English Sheepdogs, two guinea pigs (one still alive), a plethora of Siberian hamsters (had two, then the babies came! Three batches of them--no, it wasn't on purpose!). And a gazillion fish--some indoor, some outdoor. We actually had a beta live for four years!

Every single animal brought something into our lives. One of the bunnies lived a very short life after getting a disease from it's mama. I had to give the baby daily shots, but when it started having seizures while I held it . . . well, it was horrible. I never want to go through that again.

Evil momma hamster was a good mother even if she would chomp a finger just because. One time she bit me and my reaction flipped her up in the air, off my finger and she ping-ponged behind the bookcase where we had her cage. She was still stunned when I snatched her up and threw her back into her cage. Daddy hamster was really nice until he developed a tumor and died. Of course, the evil one managed to live for another year or so.

We have a small pet cemetery in our backyard. Harry (guinea pig) and Katie are buried next to each other in a garden bed that I can see out my kitchen/writing window. I plan to bury Kato (he's being cremated) in the back bed under a couple of pine trees. The baby bunny is buried near the corner of our deck.

Our first house also has a pet cemetery--hamsters and bunny. Luckily, I never had to bury my horses--they were sold--because a backhoe would have to have been rented!

Animals will always be in our lives. Yes, they can be a lot of work to train, feed and groom, and costly to take to the vet, groomer (Hubby clips our furry beast) and feed.

But the little buggers are worth it . . . even if they do fart under my desk and gas me out.

Later, Peeps.

Death will come. . .

it's just a matter of when.

*WARNING: Animal bodily functions blog*

I'm talking pets today. We have a small menagerie and most of them are geriatric, but I think the first to die will probably be Blinky, our beta fish.

Blinky is relatively new to our house; I think we bought him about six months ago. He'll be the first to die since he's been laying on his side for the past week. I've lost count of how many times I've tapped the glass only to have him swim away. He'd probably thinking, 'just leave me @#$@#$ alone!', but I tap and he moves . . . and lives.

Kato kitty is our oldest pet. He's outlived hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits. Kato is my pre-marriage cat, and almost twenty years old. Todd calls him the cat who would not die. :-) He lives a pretty good life. When we carpeted the house about two years ago, we moved him to the laundry room. 1) it's one of the warmest places in the house, 2) it's large, 3) I can feed him and keep his litter box in the same room--about five feet apart, 4) he sleeps on the dryer. Yeah, kitty heaven when I'm doing laundry--warm vibrations.

Kato pukes A LOT--even for a cat. He pukes when he drinks water, when he eats too much and then drinks water, when he's in bed, when he's using the kitty litter box--he pukes, it's what he does. If a day goes by and he doesn't puke, I'm wondering what's going on. He used to puke in our closest, until we recarpeted. Now he throws up in the tile laundry room--I Fantastic the floor and wash the extra towels and bedding I have to keep him warm.

--Speaking of which, I need to take his stuff out of the washing machine.

Some mornings I don't want to look in his little room. Today, I had to gird my loins with a stout cup of joe before I thought about cleaning up his latest mess. It wasn't totally his fault--the kidlet decided to put a bell around his neck last night and forgot to remove it. Kato decided to eat the bell. I thought he had swallowed the ribbon, but luckily not. So he puked up the bell--and to show his displeasure he decided to poop on a towel I have covering the washing machine.

*sigh* Long live the kitty that wouldn't die!

Katie is our geriatric sheep dog. I think she's turning thirteen this year. For the most part she's a good dog, though she's gotten grumpier with age. She hates having her ears plucked or her coat brushed, but suffers through it. For years she's been on thyroid meds and doing well. Two summers ago we had some issues with anal glands, subsequently removing them.

Well, about four months ago--the puking started. And it isn't hairball puke--it's disgusting!

--Yes, I have two puking geriatric pets. I thought when the kidlet got past the puking and pooping in a diaper stage, life would be smooth sailing. Uh, WRONGO!

Anyhoo, I've started feeding Katie in smaller, more frequent meals, leaving a little in her bowl--PROBLEM: the cat will eat the dog's food and then PUKE it up.

Katie's on vomiting medication and we've just increased it, but she throws up every couple of days--the toughest when we are sound asleep and we hear her starting to ralph. 1) I leap out of bed, trying to figure out where the dog is, 2) grab her by the collar to lead her to tile floor in bathroom, 3) dog uncooperative--she's trying to puke for gosh sakes!--and growly, 4) dog pukes, 5) Sheepdogs have long fur--I try to clean her mouth and try to keep her from stepping in it--dog growls, 6) dog pukes again, 7) I get the joy of cleaning up since I don't have to go to work and my dear hubster does. *sigh* Isn't the life of a stay-at-home mom just glamorous??

And our last pet, Rocky, a guinea pig. If he pukes, I don't know or care. Rocky lives in a nice sawdust-filled home. It's a large glass snake cage with a screen top. Rocky is really cute and he's my buddy. So, of course, I'm highly allergic to guinea pigs, every time I pet him, I have to scrub down.
We were looking at some old pictures the other day--getting them ready for our digital photo frames--and we found pictures of Rocky when he was a whelp, pup, or whatever baby GP's are called. Rocky is now five, almost six. Old for a guinea pig. Harry (Harriette) our last GP was seven when she died. So Rocky is a geriatric GP.

I love all my animals and it will break my heart when they die. Life keeps moving on and until they die, I'll be loving, petting . . . and cleaning up puke.

Write on!