The Love of a Dog...

Man's best friend. The Dog. I've always heard about the unconditional love of a dog, but having never grown up with a dog of my own I didn't realize what I was missing out on. Until now. Enter Shadow. That's the Beagle belonging to my roommate. She looks exactly like the dog on the left-side of this picture. 30 lbs. of solid mass. Nothing but a big ol' love-a-lump I tell you. And I adore her.



When I moved in last month she was so excited to meet me. It wouldn't have mattered if I was some ragamuffin come dragging through the door, she accepted me instantly. With her paws pressed against my legs and her tail wagging violently she greeted me, and nothing would do but that I reach down and pet her. No sir. She would not be denied.



Later that night as I sat on the couch she stood at rapt attention next to Amber just watching me with those big, auburn eyes; waiting for any type of acknowledgment from me. The minute I gave it she came running at me like a linebacker then landed with a thud on my lap like a big sack 'o taters. This scene played out no less than 10 times that first night and has continued to repeat itself every night since. I finally figured out if I put a blanket over my legs I wouldn't get scratched.



I have also been bruised and nearly licked too death since then, but I love her kisses in spite of her doggy-breath. They tickle which in turn, makes me giggle. Every night she showers me with them, most especially after I've eaten bacon and eggs. Last night as I lay across the couch she pounced upon me and nearly gave me the Heimlich Manuever. Lord knows with Shadow-girl around my lovetank will stay perpetually full. I didn't realize how empty I was till it started filling up again. Who knew the love of a dog could be such therapy to the soul?




I didn't grow up with pets. When I was really young we had a yard dog named Lady, but about all I remember is her running up and down the fence row, barking and digging holes. Then one time at age 5 I was given a puppy, a mutt, which I named Butterball. I still have a picture somewhere of me holding him. Unfortunately, Butterball didn't live long. He ran out in the road and got killed. That was the end of me having pets. I guess my parents figured I wouldn't be able to withstand any more heartbreak.



I've always loved animals. I often find myself watching those dog shows on TV or learning all about being a pack-leader from Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer. My daughter inherited that same love from me. Unfortunately during most of my marriage we never had pets because Darin is highly allergic to pet dander. However, when we moved to NC a cat from next door took up with us and eventually we had mercy on her and let her come inside to stay. She affected Darin's allergies but not enough to cause concern. However, when she died this past January he put the kabash on any more pets in the house. That nearly broke mine and Averi's heart. I was determined to get a Ragdoll cat and Averi was determined to get a dog of her own, neither of which happened.

Now that I'm on my own I have promised Averi that if she comes to live with me one day, she can have a dog and I will have a Ragdoll. In fact, I wouldn't mind having two or three dogs and a few horses thrown in for good measure, too. Averi and I went so far one day as to fantasize about all the animals we would have if we lived on a farm. ~sigh~ Everything from pot-bellied pigs to pygmy goats to lop-eared bunnies in addition to the dogs and cats and horses. LOL! Who knew I was such a country girl at heart?

Right now though, I find myself grateful for the unconditional love of a dog. For Shadow-girl. No wonder they are called "Man's Best Friend." She keeps my love-tank filled. And right now in my life, that is a good thing. A very good thing. And thank you, Amber, for sharing her with me for a little while.

My Dream Pet

Up until a few years ago I would not have considered myself a cat-lover, however, that all changed when I caught sight of a Ragdoll Cat that belonged to a friend of mine. He literally took my breath away with his piercing blue eyes and beautiful markings which they're all known for. I guess you could say it was love at first sight. I had never even heard of Ragdolls until then, but my interest was piqued and I had to find out more. Once I learned more about them I decided then and there that one day I would own a Ragdoll. Oh, and did I mention the going price is $800 from a breeder?

Here's what I found out from the Ragdoll cats info site:

Ragdoll cats get their name from their tendency to go limp when picked up
or held. Ragdolls have a sturdy, imposing frame with soft, medium length fur in
different shades of brown and gray. Ragdoll cats are very affectionate and
friendly.

They easly take to new people and co-exist with other animals, including
dogs and children. It could take your Ragdoll four to five years to fully
mature; however, adult males weigh anywhere from 12 to 20 pounds and the females weigh 10 to 15 pounds.

Ragdoll cats are one of the least aggressive and calmest breeds of domestic cat and posses a warm, affectionate disposition. Your Ragdoll cat may greet your visitors at the door and follow them around your home like a puppy; in fact the breed has many dog like traits, such as fetching toys and loyalty to their owners.

Because of the Ragdoll’s laid back nature they should be kept as strictly
indoor cats as they may not defend themselves from aggressive animals. Their
trusting nature could also lead to theft by stranger so always keep your Ragdoll
inside.

Ragdoll cats are smart and are able to learn tricks easily making the
breed a favorite at many cat shows. The large frame tends to make them slightly
clumsy; however, they remain playfully energetic; if you’re looking for a large,
gentle playful cat, Ragdoll Cats is the breed for you.

Well, I thought my day had finally come after Salem was killed a couple weeks ago. After contacting several breeders I quickly figured out I wouldn't be going that route. So I started looking up rescue sites. After two days of intense searching I came across petfinders.com in Charlotte, NC. That is where I found the beautiful cats you see above. On the top left and middle is Bella. She is available for adoption through the SPCA for only $150! A steal for that breed. On the left is Greg with his eyes closed (who names a cat Greg I ask you?) and he is available for adoption through The Humane Society for $150 also. If he was mine I would name him Sebastian.

I found out yesterday they were both still available and I just knew it was my lucky day until my husband put the kabash on it. Allergies. I never dreamed it would be that big a deal since Salem lived in our house for three years. There were times he complained about allergies but it's not like he was having asthma attacks or anything. Since he seldom complained about it, I just figured we would get a replacement for Salem. No big deal, right? Wrong.

Much to my grave disappointment, it was not to be. Can I just tell you how angry I was? I was so angry, in fact, I contemplated moving out of the house so I could have those cats. I wanted both of them so desperately I would have figured out a way to make it happen. Have you ever been obsessed with something? Well, I was obsessed with those cats. They are all I've thought about this week. I had some birthday money saved which would've almost paid for one of the cats and the agent I work for said she would've bought the other one for my birthday. When she told me that I cried.

For two solid years I have dreamed of owning my very own Ragdoll. It was my secret plan once Salem was gone you see. I never really bonded with Salem because for the most part, she was anti-social. She had been a feral cat and was rescued by our neighbor. Eventually she found her way over to our house until we could no longer deny her entrance so that's how she came to be ours. In my mind she was always the "make do" cat. I cared about her but she was not my dream pet like the Ragdoll. And now my dream has been shattered. But in the grand scheme of things I suppose my marriage is more important than owning a Ragdoll (or two) so I've decided to just live with it. In the meantime I get to love on our neighbor's cats who live outside. And once again, "make do".

R.I.P. Salem

Today is a sad day. We had to bury our beloved cat, Salem. She had been with us nearly 4 years. When we first moved to NC, she came over from next door. Our neighbor takes in cats and Salem was just one of many she had rescued. Salem wasn't a social creature. She didn't like being with the other cats. She had once been a feral cat and was crippled. Left that way from former abuse. She walked with a limp. She was special.

We first noticed her hanging out in our windows watching us with those gorgeous green eyes of hers. It didn't matter what part of the house we were in, she would find us. It used to freak me out a little bit to look up and there she would be in the window, gazing longingly at me as if to say "Please let me in". I had never been around cats so I didn't realize how much they liked to hang out in windows. This went on for many, many months until the seasons changed. We couldn't bear the thought of her being out in the cold so we gave in. We let her inside our house and into our hearts.

She was very skittish at first. If we made the least little noise or came around the corner suddenly she would run away, scared to death. It took about a year, but she finally learned to trust us. I remember the first time she jumped on my lap. I was sitting on the couch watching TV. She let me pet her for a few minutes then hopped down and ran off. Over time, I found her in my lap a lot more often. She loved being rubbed. It was as if she knew she was really loved and I think she loved us, too.

Like any good pet-owner, we made sure her shots were always up-to-date and that she had plenty to eat and drink. Unlike most cats, Salem hated anything seafood-related. I thought all cats loved tuna and salmon. Not our Salem. She loved country cookin'. One of her favorite meals was "country-style dinner" in the can. We usually fed her dry food so when she got canned food it was a real treat. She also loved those cat-treats called "temptations". I don't know what was in those little nuggets but she gobbled them up as if her life depended on it.

I remember the first time we bought them. My husband hid them up in the cabinet to keep Salem out of 'em. Just like an alcoholic, she had a true addiction once she got a taste of 'em. Needless to say, keeping her out of the "temptations" was quite a challenge after that. One morning Darin went to get them and they were gone. I mean the whole bag had simply vanished as if into thin air. Now how a bag could disappear from the third shelf of a cabinet was beyond us, but we suspected Salem was behind it.

Darin started searching the house and after a few minutes came back with the bag in hand. Turns out Salem had gotten up in the cabinet overnight afterall. How she managed to get the cabinet open in the first place, let alone climb to the third shelf is beyond me, but as they say, "where there's a will, there's a way." She had hidden the bag of tasty treats underneath our son's bed in the far back corner where she thought it would be safe. BUSTED! Darin confronted her with the evidence and she knew she was guilty. She always had this way of slinking out-of-sight whenever she did something wrong.

When Salem adopted us (I say that because we had no intention of taking in a cat) she was around 5 yrs. of age so she had already had quite a life. From the best we can tell, she was a Russian Blue although I'm sure not a purebred. She had been fixed so we didn't have to worry about her getting pregnant. Our main objective was to provide her with a loving home which we did for over 3 yrs. She lived in our house until 2 mos. ago at which time we had to put her out.

She began having intestinal troubles and instead of using her litter-box she would just let it loose on the floor beside the litter box. Well, after cleaning up her poop every day for a month we got tired of it and had no choice but to put her out for obvious reasons. We have a screened-in porch so we set her up like royalty with a nice big, comfy bed inside a box with a heat lamp hanging above it. We know how much cats hate the cold so that was the least we could do with winter coming.

The guilt was overwhelming at first. She didn't understand why she had suddenly been put out of her home and would cry at the door to come back in. A few times she even got desperate and clawed the door with all her might at which time we would have to reprimand her. If we opened the door even a peep, she would run inside like she still owned the place. It was so pitiful to see her like that, but we simply couldn't deal with her crapping all over the floor. Finally, after a month she realized she wasn't coming back inside and seemed to get quite comfortable in her new domain.

Last night Darin noticed she wasn't on the porch but figured she was out exploring as cats are known to do. He left the screen-door cracked and figured she would come back when she got hungry. This morning when she still wasn't on the porch he knew something was wrong. He got in the car and as he was backing out he noticed something gray laying across the street in our neighbor's yard. He got out and walked across the road only to find Salem dead. She had laid there all night in the soaking rain. She died alone. There was no bloody mess. The only thing out of order was her jaw. It appeared to have been broken. We figure a car hit her and she wandered about 30 feet until she fell over and died.

Unfortunately, my daughter saw Salem like that. She was the only one up with her Dad. Me and the boys were still in bed. Darin bagged Salem up. He couldn't bear the thought of throwing her in the trash like common garbage. No, she would have a proper burial. I was awakened with the news when Averi came and crawled in my bed crying that Salem was dead. I couldn't believe my ears. Not Salem. Surely this can't be so. But it was. When Ashton got up he went outside with his dad and dug the hole for her grave. Averi tucked in a note that said, "We will love you forever." And it's true. Salem will always be in our hearts. Rest in peace, sweet Salem girl.