Kittens, Kittens

Thicke and Quentin

A lot of people my age are shedding their pets or at a minimum not replacing them. Yes, they may well out live me but what would live be without them. And the good news is more people are adopting older pets. Cats and dogs whose owners moved on or just into a care facility. I imagine a time when senior homes are more open to letting pets come too. Admittedly not two dogs and three cats like at my house.

But when I look back over my pet history not many lived to the full extent of their lives. Yes, Mariah made it to 14. Which for a German Shepherd I full expected to die at nine was extraordinary. But her puppy, Maddy, developed a virulent and aggressive spinal cancer at five. It took me a month to come to terms with having to let her go. Other dogs fell from one cause or another around five to 8. But my standard poodle is now 15 and a half. The grand dame of canines. Magique, my labradoodle, is 11.  She will really miss Mardi and so in part the kittens are hers. Magique was always my pussy cat dog.

I have had a cat live to 17 before falling to kidney failure but generally my indoor/outdoor cats go amiss before then. I live in the country and they are in part for rodent control. I do not declaw them. And I do provide tons of hiding places and escape roots for them to protect themselves from owls and coyotes. I attempt to keep them in at night.

Recently I lost a cat to a neighbor's dog. I found out later that dog probably took out another cat of mine. I generally take in stray cats or barn cats from friends. Some choose to relocate. Sugar Boots is now living on the llama farm over the hill. The Darkness got trapped in a neighbors garage when they went away for a week. I found that out after they got home. Willow, my Calico has been through those losses and was deeply depressed which is why the kittens. Willow complained a bit but nothing like the howling after Scrappy was killed.

I didn't howl but I was very depressed. I love dogs and cats, but cats make me laugh. They are clowns. And Thicke and Quentin excel at that. Besides no side effects like with Prosac.



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