Monthly Archives: January 2010

We’re still a tad enamored with our new dog, Maela.  She’s a herder by blood, and we find her using this skill to corral her squeaky hedge hog and sheep into a compliant pile on the floor.  A snout poke into any member of her collection provides an auditory diversion and an inordinate amount of pleasure.  For her too. We’ll get over it.  In the mean time, she’s endlessly entertaining.

Every pet I’ve had as an adult came to me as a sort of flea-bitten windfall.  I’ve never actually sought a pet in the going-shopping sense.  This was virgin sod. Our local shelter was my first choice.  I have no breed prejudices.  Mutts make perfectly acceptable canine companions.  I don’t get people that must have animals with a more distinguished family tree than their own.  Talk about overcompensating. A dog from the shelter would likely be grateful to live in our home.  This would be a refreshing change after thirteen years with a cat.  Plus, honestly, I had no intention …

So it’s been over a year since I put down my beloved Fattus Cattus, Hayward.  Before the seizures on her final day, she spent most of 2008 on semi-daily doses of insulin.  Not fun for her.  Not fun for me.  Not fun when she bit me to tell me that part of her bottom was sore. Even after the seizure that left her blind and incoherent, my touch soothed her.  I scooped her up and held her.  Through the confusion, disorientation, reduced function, the vet’s final injection, she purred. My son asked about another pet, but I wasn’t ready to …