Tag Archives: dogs and cats

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Puppy Tales, Part 65: A sibling . . . maybe?

Psst. Don’t let this get out just yet, but there might be a surprise awaiting Toby the Puppy in a few months.

When he joined our family more than four years ago, he entered a household with two cats: Socks and Mittens. Neither of his new siblings thought much of him when he took up residence in our home. They viewed him initially as an uninvited guest.

Socks grew to tolerate the new family member; Mittens, not so much. We lost them both eventually. They had grown older and had lived great lives with us. Then we just had Toby. He took over right away. It was love at first sight; us with him and vice versa.

Well, Toby’s mother and I are talking openly now about adopting another furry family member. It’s going to occur in a few months. We have a couple of trips to take in our fifth wheel RV. We’re heading soon to New Orleans by way of the Hill Country and the Golden Triangle. Later this year, probably in late summer, we’re hoping to take a “bucket list” journey across Canada; we would venture northwest toward Vancouver and head east along Highway 1 toward the Maritime Provinces. There might be a short trip or two between those two adventures.

After that epic journey way up north, though, we just might surprise Toby the Puppy.

We’ve long been cat parents. We raised many kitties over our many years together. Toby joined us in September 2014 in a strange fashion. However, we love him so very much. We tell him so every day. He knows what we are saying when we tell him we love him.

How might he react to a feline addition to our family? I am as confident as I can be that he will adapt beautifully. Toby is as well-adjusted, well-behaved and settled a canine as I can imagine.

So, with that, we intend to keep it a secret from Toby the Puppy until the moment we decide to expand our family.

Mum’s the word.

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Puppy tales, Part 10

Some time ago I promised I’d scale back the messages about our new dog, Toby.

A new development has occurred. It’s all good, and it’s worth sharing. Perhaps other dog owners out there can relate.

I’ve mentioned in a previous blog — or perhaps two — that Toby is a pretty smart little guy.

It turns out he understands English quite nicely. So, with that, my wife and I have been forced now to spell certain words out rather than just say them. You know, kind of like the way new parents do with their children — and just as we did with ours.

Toby know the words “walk,” “treat,” and “ride.”

If we blurt out “walk” within Toby’s earshot, he jumps up and starts running around the entry-way doorknob where we keep his leash. We get a similar response to the word “treat.” His ears perk up and he runs into the kitchen where we keep his bag of snacks. And, of course, the same thing goes for “ride.” Since he loves riding in either of our vehicles, he heads for the leash.

Yes, we have to spell these words out now if we say them in a context not relating to Toby’s activities.

My wife and I only thought our nest was empty when the younger of our two sons went off to college those many years ago.

I’m not going to bet against our dog learning more words that will keep us on our toes. For all we know, he might even learn to speak them.

 

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Emotion has taken over … for now

Emotion is such an undefinable trait, or perhaps it has too many definitions to be pigeonholed.

It’s persistent, treacherous, tender, strong, fragile, tricky, elusive, simple, complicated.

How do you define it? I cannot. All of the above? I’ll settle for that.

Know this. My emotions in the past week have gripped me tightly because we lost a furry pet. Our 12-year-old cat died suddenly and apparently without trauma in my study. Socks was his name. He had several favorite sleeping places and one of them was atop a table next to my desk. That’s where he died.

I told my wife just this morning that I still have difficulty — one week later — talking about him. I cannot do so without choking up. But I can write about losing him.

Pets have this way of taking over your heart. Cats and dogs are inherently different, but they share a common ability to capture your heart. Socks and his sister, Mittens did that when we brought them home in the summer of 2002. Little Toby, our pooch, did it more recently when he came into our lives just a few months ago.

I know that losing a pet isn’t quite like losing a member of one’s human family. That’s happened, too, of course.

At many levels, though, pets do become part of the family. Socks was a big part of ours. He had a dominant personality, which he exhibited with extreme affection whenever and wherever possible — which means all … the … time. He was lovable and sweet. He loved to be kissed and he absolutely relished human contact. Aren’t cats supposed to be aloof and snooty? Not this one. Not by a long shot.

To be honest, he was unlike any other pet I’ve ever “owned.” I qualify the term because in that strange sense that no one can quite define, Socks and Mittens in fact have owned my wife and me. In the past couple of months, ever since Toby’s arrival, Mittens has begun to assert herself. She’s coming out of her scaredy-cat shell. Good for her.

Well, we shall go on. My wife and are full-fledged adults equipped with all the requisite adult emotions. We’ll get through this loss.

It’s just going to take a little while.

 

 

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Social media produce a blessing

Various forms of social media often get a royal raspberry from those who dislike it.

I’ll admit to being a little late in the social media game, but I’ve found over the past 20 or so hours that it has at least one immense benefit. Social media allow friends and acquaintances to offer instant — and often heartfelt — expressions of sorrow on one’s behalf.

Last night I announced to my network of Facebook friends — who comprise actual friends, others I know only casually and even some folks I’ve never even met — the death of a beloved pet. Socks was our 12-year-old kitty who simply laid down and never woke up.

It’s been a very difficult past few hours for my wife and me. Pet owners understand all too well that these critters we bring into our homes become part of the family. In the case of Socks and his sister, Mittens, they became kin immediately after walking through the door more than a dozen years ago.

It’s gratifying to read the lovely statements of those who’ve had pets, and from those who’ve suffered a loss similar to what we’ve just experienced.

I can thank social media for that. To be honest, it’s difficult to talk about this just yet. So I won’t go on and on.

The purpose of this post actually is just to recognize that social media, if used in the right way, can provide a clear path to emotional healing.