Just Two of Several Pets

Thought I would introduce everyone to our pets, a couple at a time. I guess the reason for that is that I don't have pictures of them all yet, but I will work on that.

I am the main, small pet, care-giver. I feed, water, and worm them and try to keep tick collars on them. Just keeping a regular collar on them is a challenge. They will remind me if I forget to feed them.

This little pup is Sam. She is a one year old Border Collie McNabb cross. I have never met a more destructive animal. She has chewed hundreds of dollars of stuff ranging from shoes and hats to coolers and CD's. But when I get mad at her she just crouches and curls her body around my legs and "smiles." She know no bounds in the porch, everything is fair game, and she CAN reach everything! One day recently, I heard a clatter in the porch and ran to investigate.

She was up on the freezer eating cat food. She tore out of there, knocking over my EMT bag and Oxygen tank. That may have been the beginning of the end. I couldn't keep her out of the cat dish and one day I found her polishing off the whole bag. Now I have heard that cat food is not good for dogs and apparently that is right because soon after gorging herself, she became very very sick. As soon as the weather permitted, 20 below and Jay squawks mightily about going anywhere, we hauled her in. After a week at the vet, she looks worse. She has not one ounce of meat on her bones, and she is on an IV. I became an overnight vet tec. She is on three different pills and some sort of injection, plus drops for her eyes which are sunken and dry looking. The night we brought her home she jumped up on the kennel and was straining against her IV to reach more cat food. I got a leash and tied her very securely. Not one more nibble of cat food for her. The vet doesn't hold out much hope if it is the cat food causing the problems. Liver damage. She hasn't smiled since she has been sick but she really loves to have her ears scratched. I am mothering her along until God or Jay makes a decision.

Next is Reggie, Sam's porch mate, who's food has put Sam in turmoil. Reggie was dragged home by my daughter and exchange daughter(whom has since returned home). My daughter is gone most of the time too, so once again I am in charge of this critter. She is a little strange. She loves to "nurse." If I stand still long enough she will crawl on my shoulder and work her sharp claws in my shirt and find a little piece of cloth to chew on and go to town. When Jay takes his slippers
off in the morning to put his muck boots on, she loves to stuff her head in the slipper and scoot all over the porch. She is pretty sure that I am making a mistake, and that she should be permitted in the house. If the porch door is left open even for a few seconds she is slinking in as quiet as possible. Her and I have had quite a few battles over this. Not sure who is winning! Just two of the several pets we have. Maybe next I will introduce you to Rupert. Depends on how the photo session goes.