My Pets

I have four cats and two dogs. Before we had kids, we had 3 dogs and 5 cats that all lived inside. It was crazy but helped me prepare for having kids to take care of! After the kids arrived, the cats got kicked out (no good place for a smelly liter box with small kids around) and the dogs were banished from spending a lot of time inside accept for nights of course. Even though we had to kick them outside and spend less time with them, I love them all so much! Its such a joy to come home every day to my wonderful cat, Otis. He is a home body. The others enjoy going out for week long hunting trips or scavenges, but good old Otis likes to be nearby. For months he wouldn't even come in the house if we begged him, but he was always around the porch. He slowly started to enjoy coming in for small amounts of time and is now our favorite little inside/outside cat! He greets us every morning and meets me every day after work for a quick pet. There was one day when Otis wasn't around. I was a bit worried but thought maybe he had just went hunting or something. He was gone the next day too and the next. I started to get really worried that he had been stolen or something. I called the humane society and called for him on and off for hours. Nothing. Finally, the humane society suggested I check any outbuildings that he could have gotten stuck in after the recent downpour. I checked our shed that is always ALWAYS closed....and there was Otis. He had been stuck in there for four days! I was beside myself and Otis was very happy to be rescued. We are so lucky he didn't die in there! Our dogs, Kahlua and Jezzi, are also faithful friends. Kahlua has been with us since shortly after we were married and Jezzi was a later edition. (I can never turn away an animal in need of a home!) They are both relatively large dogs but think they are lap dogs anyway. Kahlua is MY dog, and she is very strong willed about making that point clear every evening. If Josh is sitting too close to me and she has no room to lay near me on the couch, she does a little yippee dance until Josh moves over a bit. Josh will have half a couch on his other side but she won't calm down unless nearest to me. Its really good for my ego;) Jezzi is the hairy one....I have vowed to never get another long haired dog, but Jezzi will have to stay until she is on her last leg. After all, I have a hard time getting rid of animals that I have promised a good home for reasons as little as shedding, though its really not a little reason at all. I have blond dog hair everywhere these days! Its so annoying. Don't sit down on our couch with black pants on before work...you'll end up taking half of Jezzi to work with you! She isn't even aloud on the furniture most of the time but the stuff find its way everywhere. She is super loving though and the shedding is usually forgivable. These two dogs are faithful friends...I'm really not sure one could make it without the other. Tom and Jerry are two of my other cats. They really aren't that friendly and only come around once in awhile. Cliffy, on the other hand, is our favorite grandpa cat. We got Cliffy and Macy (who has since passed after gracing us with MANY kittens) when we first married. We lived in a one bedroom apartment. We have so many good memories with him. There was one time that we were getting ready to leave SC for MI. At the last minute, I couldn't find Cliffy. I was sure he had escaped out the door as he often tried to do. We searched the perimeter of the apartments for almost an hour. I was crying and very upset. I was sure he had been lost forever when he finally decided to come out from under the box springs on our bed. He was way up in there and even our best attempts had failed to get him out! Cliffy and Macy have been with us through 3 moves, so Cliffy you see is somewhat of a family member now. He likes to hunt for weeks at a time, and I have thought he was gone forever on several occasions. He comes around once in awhile though and comes inside for some cuddles.

I'm writing all of this down because I want to remember these faithful friends forever. They do make life interesting and at times very stressful. Any vacations can be quite a bear because we have to find willing animal watchers. The dogs are wild and annoy company. Jezzi's hair is EVERYWHERE! Kahlua jumps on the kids sometimes, and Jezzi chases the cats. They are all messy and big eaters. However, despite all of the hard times, the little eyes that look up at us with love every day are our faithful friends! We have decided to be animal free for awhile after these guys pass but that will be years from now so I still enjoy every minute! I can't help it...I love animals!