“Dogs are the leaders of the planet. If you see two life forms, one of them’s making a poop, the other one’s carrying it for him, who would you assume is in charge?”
Today is a cold day. I’m staying home, doing laundry and finishing the book I’m reading. I’m not at all tempted to leave my warm house. I’ll do that tomorrow.
I am a pet person from a family of pet people. All of my memories seems to include one pet or another. We had two Woolworth’s painted turtles which lived for years in a bowl on the counter in the kitchen. The bowl had a fake plastic palm tree on a small island where the turtles used to sit or lie or whatever it is turtles do. Whenever we killed or wounded a fly, we gave it to the turtles. When the last turtle passed away at the advanced age of four or five, it was given a solemn funeral and buried in the woods in a tobacco tin lined with cloth. Lots of goldfish came and went. They lasted a short while before taking their final journeys through bathroom pipes to that great ocean in the sky. Duke, the Boxer, who died when he was fifteen, was the pet we had the longest. He was also the best pet we ever had. When I was a junior in high school, we got Gideon the cat. He used to love the car and would sit on the back of the front seat with part of him resting on my dad’s shoulders. Once he bit my father on the nose. We almost had an accident. Gideon was the first in what became a long line of cats.
I am without a cat for the first time in I don’t remember how long. In Ghana, my students gave me one, and he, Tas, came back with me. Maddie and Fern were both rescues. I picked them because they were dog friendly. Both were five when they came home. I know Henry is cat friendly. He paid no attention to Maddie except to try to eat her food. A cat is in my future plans, but I want to spend more time with Henry by himself. He is still a work in progress.
Most of my siblings and their families have pets. None of us can imagine our lives without one or usually many. They ignore peculiarities and offer unconditional love. You can’t ask more than that.
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
November 23, 2018 at 4:48 pm
Other than the several turtles and gold fish that only lived for a short while, we never had pets. My parents were not pet people. If we asked for a pet, my father would reply that he didn’t need a pet because he had my sister and I for pets. When we moved to NYC to live with my aunt and uncle they had a dog named Sandy. He was a Heinz 57 breed sandy colored dog. One day he showed up on the doorstep and he never left.
When I married my spouse had a dog who at first viewed me with suspicion. I lasted longer than any of the other male suitors. After he died we adopted a racing greyhound. Later we added a couple of other rescue dogs plus a replacement for the greyhound. Having a backyard made pet ownership easy. When we moved into an apartment followed by a move to a condo the idea of walking a dog twice daily is only appealing on warm sunny days.
When you brought your cat back from Ghana, did you have to have it quarantined in U.S. customs before bringing it home?
The day started cloudy and cool, but now the temperature is in the mid seventies.
November 23, 2018 at 5:15 pm
Bob,
We had pets forever, even since I was a toddler. My mother had a cat when she passed away. My sister took Sam but she was old and losing my mother was difficult so poor Sam died a few months after my mother. I told my brother-in-law he is my dog’s godfather so should something happen to me, he gets Henry. He was thrilled because my sister doesn’t want another dog because my brother-in-law travels a lot, and she would then have to take care of the dog.
Dogs don’t have to be quarantined except in Hawaii where cats too are quarantined. In all other states they need a rabies shot and a health certificate. Back then parrots had to be quarantined but I don’t know about now.
Cold!!!
November 24, 2018 at 1:57 am
We are having a dark grey and dull morning here. Well below 32F and it feels anything but inviting to take a walk with the dogs. We might actually get sunshine later today. It would have been nice to have it on our morning walk, it always make it feel nicer outside even if it is nasty cold 🙂 🙂
We also always had pets in my family. Aquariums, hamsters, parakeets, cats and dogs. I’ve always loved to have dogs but I must say that the European Jackdaw and the rat were rather fun 🙂 The Jackdaw is a really smart relative to the crow and it is a master of finding ways of annoying all other living things 🙂 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
November 24, 2018 at 10:42 am
Christer,
We had a really cold day yesterday. It will be the same today. I know it’s supposed to behold but not this cold is what I’m thinking. Staying home is where I want to spend the day!!
I grew up with a dog so it is part of me to have a dog. My sisters have multiple cats. My nephew has three dogs while my niece has a dog and two cats. Our family is big on pets.
Have a great day!!