Tell me about your four legged friend....

[ManutesGirl]

Saturday I had to say goodbye to my beastie boy.  He was quirky and full of personality.  He was loyal, smart and protective.  He was my dog first and tolerated DH.  But then it all changed when DH got sick.  He knew before we did and just like that his job was to be with DH.  He always seemed to know when a crisis was going to happen even before DH started feeling awful.  It got to the point that it was so obvious that he sensed things before we could even guess.  One day while DH  was on hospice beastie boy wouldn't leave the room at all.  DH looked at me and said is your damn clairvoyant dog telling me that I'm going to die today?

 

So many memories wrapped up here.  It all jumbles together and I'm not always sure what I am grieving for..  I will miss him terribly.

 

I'd love to hear stories about your four legged friends...

[Baylee627]

Eeee!! I love this thread idea!

 

So! Here's the 4-1-1:

 

There's Pumpkin Lola--half doxie, half beagle mix. She's the kindest creature--she loves everyone and everything. Very sensitive and is compelled to draw near to anyone showing signs of sadness. She's top dog because she's the eldest, at nine years old, and she sleeps in mah bed. Or, I sleep in hers...hmmm.

 

Then, miss Anabelle Ole, she's my two year old, four pound chihuahua. She's white with butterscotch spots. She's a mommy's girl, territorial, but she will place both tiny paws on my face and peer in my eyes and give me puppy smooches.

 

Lastly, there's Beignet Ladybird, AKA, Bennie and the Jets. A mini "Isabella" doxie, she's rambunctious, eager to please--about as eager as she is to teethe, because she's still in that stage of puppyhood. It's a good thing she's so cute, that's all I gotta say! Lol.

 

That concludes my canine round-up, and a few lil quirks and characteristics of each.

 

Baylee

[Virgo]

I'm sorry you had to say goodbye to your furbaby. ((hugs))

 

Phil's K9 partner was taken in by the Lt. of the K9 unit. His given name was Rokx (rocks), but since they already had a Rocky in their unit my husband named him Hex. He's a dutch shepard. I honestly didn't have time to bond with him like his previous K9 partner (Aron). The Lt. wasn't sure I would be able to handle Hex. He is sweet, but very hyper. A little unpredictable. Even the Lt. was a little unsure about taking him in. He loves his new home. His best friend is a pug named Murphy.

 

We have three feline friends, but I wouldn't say we own them. They own us.

Simone (previously Si/Silas until we realized he was a she.) Her nickname was Si, but turned into Mone or Mo. She also responds to bat cat. She's grey and has small facial features (bat like, lol.)

Callie is a Calico cat. I know, so original. My daughters named her. I wanted to name her Hazel, but was outnumbered. She has big, beautiful eyes. She's super sweet, but doesn't like to be held. Not a cuddler. She's just a month younger then Simone.

Penelope, Penny is a blonde tiger kitty. She's just 6 weeks old. I'm still not sure how they talked me into taking in another kitten. She is full of energy, very playful. She is starting to cuddle more, so that's a good sign. Simone and Callie are warming up to her.

 

[donswife]

so sorry to hear about your beastie boy , bet that broke your heart ,,again

the instincts they have in finding peoples inner souls has always amazed me

I have a wonderful black lab named Dixie , she was training to be a therapy dog but didn't make the cut

and a cat named Edith

Dixie is what they call a fabulous flunky , so they're loss is my gain

Don always wanted a black lab , he fished so always imagined taking her with him , of course she was a bit of a handful so that didn't happen

She adored don but whats even funnier is Edith the cat was dons favorite

Edith had a really hard time after don died and wasn't here , I know sounds weird

she started attacking any Man that came in the house , she pinned my Bil in the basement and he had to yell to get us to move her

took her to the vet and they said she was trying to protect the house  

shes much better now and of course they both sleep with me , which is nice , they seem to know its heartbreaking having the bed to myself

[SoVerySad]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet boy.

 

We have 4 cats - all rescues:

 

Chester - Chester is a grey/brown tabby with magnificent black markings. Prior to my husband's death, he was a very typical cat in that he was aloof unless he wanted attention. Since T died, he has transformed into my constant companion. It has been very sweet. He is very smart, charming, and terribly spoiled.

 

Tillie - Tilly is a long-haired Tabby. She was the cutest kitten I've ever seen. A complete little puff ball. Tillie loved T more than anyone - like seriously adored him. T would come home from work and before his butt actually hit the seat of his chair, she was on his lap. She would lay her paws on his chest and stare adoringly at his face. It was hilarious. She took T's death very hard and I worried she wouldn't survive. Thankfully she has and she has bonded more with my daughter. So much so that when my daughter attended a sleepover the other night, Tillie cried inconsolably all night.

 

Gracie - Gracie is a dark tortoise shell. She was a cat I had been feeding outside, because T had said no more cats inside. She wasn't cut out to be an outside cat. She didn't have the necessary scrappiness. She ended up pregnant and I worried even more about her. One night T had a moment of weakness and told me I could bring her in if I really wanted to, but we couldn't keep the kittens. I literally went right out the door into the rain, scooped her up, and brought her in before he could change his mind. She has been my girl ever since. She loves to be curled up next to me. She's loving and more stubborn than any animal I've ever known.

 

Eddie - Eddie is solid black with sleek shiny fur. He is one of Gracie's kittens I talked T into keeping.  I couldn't stand taking them all away from her. He was a complete Momma's boy, so he stayed. He is 7 now and they still curl up together all the time and she gives him baths. He is very sweet.

 

[widowat33]

I'm sorry about your beastie boy. They really are part of the family.

 

We have Dozer, our black lab he is seven years old and is the best dog, well in my opinion I was always worried about having a dog in case he bit or was aggressive, but he's the friendliest dog, always happy to see people. He used to wait for my husband to come home and after my dh passed away he would sit in the driveway watching for him, or at the window watching for him to pull in the driveway. He is very well trained, mostly due to the fact that I was at home with him all the time when he was a puppy and worked a lot with him. He is even trained to yawn when I ask him if he is tired,lol.

 

Next came Paws, our orange kitty. She is a year and a half. She is supposed to be an inside cat, but bolts out the door at the first opportunity. Except in the winter, she doesn't like the cold. She gained so much weight this winter I had to put her on diet cat food, which didn't really help because she eats the dog food instead! I talk to her and she replies with her little meows. Now I sound like the crazy cat lady!

 

Lastly is our chinchilla, Gibsy. We got him a few months ago and he's definitely entertaining. Loves to jump and play. I had always wanted a chinchilla, but was advised against it when the kids were younger as kids get excited and can hurt them. He likes to be held, but not for long he gets antsy. He has never bitten anyone and is a very gentle creature. He does have to be caged as he is not trained yet to stay still and plus I don't think it would be safe with the cat and dog for him to be running around the house. When I clean his cage, I let him loose in the bathroom with the door shut and he has a heyday, he moves stuff around on the countertop, and just goes nuts in there. Of course I always have to disinfect everything after he's been in there.

 

They really are great company and it helps teach the kids responsibility of taking care of another living thing. Both dozer and paws sleep with me, and most nights I have very little room on the bed. Dozer likes to stretch out sideways,lol..

[Catnip]

I'm sorry for your loss of your furry friend.

 

I have a cat, Calvin (AKA The Calvinator). My son was dating a girl who worked at the animal hospital. A box of kittens was dropped off at the hospital. The girlfriend and my son brought home a kitten. I said no. Well, that didn't work.

My son does not date this girl anymore.

My son has since moved out of the house.

I still have the Calvinator.

He is a gorgeous black cat with gold eyes (almost a Bombay cat) except that he has a white patch on his chest and a white spot on his belly.

Every time I sit down he jumps on my lap.

Every time I sweep the floors he plays with the broom.

He follows me around the house room to room.

He's now 6 years old and I took him to the vet for his checkup and they discovered a heart murmur. I then took him to a cardiology specialist. He is on medicine, pill form, that I crush and stir in his breakfast. Our last check up showed that he is doing better!!

 

Calvin was 9 weeks old when we got him. I said no to adopting him because we still had Jingle, our 18 year old Calico cat. Jingle did not like a playful kitten who wanted to play. They did not get along well. But in her old age, we had to have Jingle put to sleep. I told Jingle to go find Daddy's lap and tell him we miss him.

 

Calvin has been a wonderful, terrible, black shedding furry, expensive, lovable addition to my life.

 

[serpico]

I have two dogs named Alvin (female border collie/black lab mix) and Ruby (female St. Bernard).  The kids and I love our dogs but they aren't house dogs at all or treated like they're family.  They sleep in the garage and come and go as they please through a ridiculously small dog door that Ruby (150 lbs) somehow still fits through.

 

We also have a mangy, ugly, one-eyed cat name Gooby who through some miracle found a tomcat to impregnate her (I'm thinking beer goggles) and we now have five kittens until we can find someone gullible enough to take them off our hands.  If not they'll soon be forcibly relocated to a nearby farm!

[Sugarbell]

We have 2 cats...Maggie from the shelter. 3 yrs old. Beautiful black and white...but very aloof and edgey. She is a one person cat (me or my daughter) More than 2 people in the house and age hides.

 

And we got Butters (orange male cat) last summer. My neighbor found him when he was a kitten and brought him home to us (we were on vacation too elsewhere). He loves everyone..total lap cat and is sneaky, ornery and playful.

 

Around midnight every night all hell breaks loose cause he wants to play and chase Maggie. It's romper room most the night but we have learned to sleep through it. (Sorta)

[lcoxwell]

Reading through this thread has me feeling particularly emotional. I, too, am sorry about the loss of your beastie boy; and I am reminded that I will soon have to give up my two, due to moving. Every time I think about it, I am reduced to tears.

 

First, there's "Vinnie the Chin", named after the mobster. He's a Pug, who Kenneth insisted on getting with the sole purpose of using him as a stud for his Pug, Katie. When he went to pick Vinnie up, he took my son with him. Once he got home, he gave Vinnie to "the boy" as an early Christmas present. Vinnie is nearly eight years old now, and is showing signs of his age, but he did his job and sired his first litter of puppies, when he was only six months old. He has since fathered a few other litters with several of the "ladies" in the area. Kenneth used to joke that that Pug got more action than he did, back when he was a teenager, sleeping with half the girls in school. Vinnie is a true lover, and will cuddle up with anyone willing to pet him.

 

Then there's my Boo. She's a Pit Bull, who completely defies the stereotype of viscous dog. Aptly named, she has been known to run away from just about everything, including three year olds, strangers, and leaving the house/yard for any reason. She sort of fell into our laps, shortly after Kenneth's Katie died from bone cancer. Kenneth really wanted nothing to do with her, at first, but he warmed up to her. His last few days were spent playing with both our dogs, and he poured great affection on Vinnie and Boo. Mostly, though, Boo is my dog. She loves nothing more than being next to me, with her head in my lap or on my pillow. At home, where I go, she goes; and if I make the mistake of forgetting to leave the shower door cracked, when I go to take a shower, she will sit outside the shower, whining one of the most pitiful whines I have ever heard, until I get out or open the door.

[Guest nonesuch]

Gepetto is the feline equivalent to a soft, silent dog. He comes to the door to greet all visitors.  There are no strangers in Gepetto's world, only people who haven't petted him yet. He's smart.

 

Maxine is 16 pounds of cat that is neither smart nor reliably housebroken. The nearby farm has all the cats they need, (I asked) but limiting her access to three rooms and the basement seems to have more or less steered her towards using litter boxes.  No idea what the problem is or was.  Except maybe if there's ANYTHING in the litter box, she won't use it.  She purrs loudly.  She killed a mouse a couple months ago.  We speculate that she flopped down on it hoping for a back scratch, and smothered it.

 

 

[MamaZ]

Great thread topic! I'm IN!

 

We just lost our cat "Pod" at the age of 20 this January. He simply outlived his body. No specific disease unless he had a hidden cancer. He was D's cat. The night D passed, Pod transferred his bond to our 6 year old son. He was my boy's bestie for 9 years! We sure will miss the old fella.

 

Now we have/still have:

 

"Jack": 11YO short haired black cat who D, the kids, and I rescued (dumped off at a vet clinic) when Pod's brother "Pea" died suddenly of skull cancer at the young age of nine. Jack has been my daughter's baby most of his life. He's crotchety and spoiled rotten!

 

"Nova" is a five year old Abyssinian that was being sold at a cat show, the breeder had to get rid of him. Why, I will never know. That cat is all mine and the most affectionate pet I have ever known. "Nova" was short for "Supernova", but could have easily been for "Cassanova".  (:

 

"Bailey" is a seven month old short haired creme tabby kitten that we got from the shelter this February, as my son was painfully lonely without Pod. The two guys (son and kitten) are of similar age right now (teen agers). They really seem to get each other, and, are both nuts!

[Wheelerswife]

Rosie is my 2 year old black lab service dog.  She has saved me from the edge of the panic/anxiety cliff.  She is calm and intuitive and the most adaptable dog I've ever known.  She hasn't needed to work that much since I've been on the road (and especially since I left my parents' home 5 days ago.)  She calms my palpitating heart when I get anxious and she wakes me from nightmares.  She travels really well and tolerates a lot of people and critters, even cats that aren't pleased by her presence.  We get to go visit her trainers in a couple of days.  They will be pleased with her.  I certainly am!

 

Maureen

 

 

[MrsT85]

NG and I just adopted these two little babies from a local no-kill rescue a couple weeks ago, finalizing the adoption yesterday.  I've always been a cat person, but my Tim was very allergic, so these little ones are my very first pets that weren't also the "family cats" that I had growing up.

 

The little black girl is Flint and the little tabby boy is Tinder.  She's about 4 months and he's about 3 months.  They're both total sweethearts, but he especially is a little snuggle monster purr machine and I love it

 

 

[imissdow]

I have 1 dog his name is snootie.He was suppose to be DH's dog but he has always claimed me. He barks a lot but only when were home. I have been told by the neighbors that when were gone you don't know he's around. He is a beautiful smooth collie (think of a collie with shorter hair that lays flat) mix, My in-laws tell me he's part German Sheppard.  I have always claimed that I hate this dog and would happily get rid of him. Then I actually thought I would need to get rid of him  and I cried for a week.  He runs with me, steals food and gets in the garbage.  He really is a horridly bad dog. But he makes me feel safer and that's a really good thing.

[mixelated]

So sorry about your boy.

 

We always had 2-4 cats around, and we had 3 when T passed. I still have 2, my older daughter took the third.

 

Buck, a big fluffy tuxedo cat rescued from a parking lot as a kitten - he's Top Cat. And Beanie, adopted from a rescue agency when Buck's companion kitten died unexpectedly. Buck was in bad shape, not eating and not moving - Beanie wasn't his special kitten, but he got Buck up and living again.

 

About four months after T passed I adopted a puppy, a Jack Russell / doxie mix who would have been on her way to the shelter when her people moved. She's a great little watchdog and very loving, but what a handful. After decades of just cats, I'm having to learn how to dog. But she's been the best distraction and therapy ever.