Lazy Days in the Sun

Now that the cooler days of autumn have arrived, the best place to lay around in the sun is inside! My grandson, Joshua, and my pets, Jeremy and Belle, enjoying a lazy day in the sun.

Like cats and dogs

The old saying of "fighting like cats and dogs" would make you think that cats and dogs just don't mix. But I've learned that cats and dogs can actually get along just fine - actually better than some cats do!

My two cats, Dickon and Belle, fought quite a bit when Belle first came to live with us but they now have called a truce and just keep away from each other. No more fur flying, thank goodness! I've only ever had cats since I've been an adult and have had those that got along and those that didn't. When I decided to adopt my cocker spaniel, Jeremy, I expected problems. But it turned out to be easier than introducing two cats.



Both Dickon and Belle were leery of Jeremy at first because they weren't sure what he was capable of and he was a lot bigger than them. But they soon learned that he was all bark and they put him in his place. Jeremy really loves Belle and tries to play with her and sometimes she's OK with it but most times she smacks him. But he still will try to lie down next to her and she lets him now.

The one I thought would never get near Jeremy was Dickon. But as you can see from this photo, they're OK with each other now, too. Though Jeremy does have to watch his step around the big gray boy!



It's been a great relief to see all my pets getting along so well. I think they like each other better than they'd admit!

My sweet Patches

I've been wanting to devote a blog posting to Patches, my 15-year-old Maine Coon who passed away on December 8th. It's amazing how attached we can become to our pets. It's been almost two months since I lost her and it's still so very painful to think of her. I miss her so much.

I say sweet Patches but no one else thought she was sweet! She was a very grumbly girl and hissed at anyone who got near her. She tolerated my mom when I went away and she came to feed her. She'd rub up against her legs but most times would end up biting her ankle! She wouldn't have anything to do with my other cats.



But she was oh so sweet with me. She had the loudest purr and would snuggle under the covers with me and purr for an hour before going to sleep. She loved to sleep in my lap and when I'd reach down to pick her up, she'd give a kick with her hind feet to jump up. She'd look up at me and she'd half close her eyes and there would be pure love on her face. Her fur was so soft and she was so gorgeous. My daughter named her Patches because of the orange patch on her head. None of these photos do her justice.



She was just a little tiger kitten when I got her, so very small. She didn't have long hair and she had a little stick of a tail. But when she was a few months old, she just blossomed into such a gorgeous long-haired beauty. She had tufts on her ears and fluffy pantaloon legs. I loved to bury my nose into her softness.

Patches had a kitten-like quality that she never lost. She loved to play, especially hide and seek and hit the ball. She would have been a great baseball player if she had been human! You could throw a cat toy to her and she never ever missed batting it back. She frightened easily and I hope wherever she may be now that she's happy and no longer scared like she was here in this world.

I have a patch of pink meridian flowers near the side door and Patches loved to get right in the middle of it. She would mash it all down in the center. When those flowers come up this spring, they won't be the same without their mashed middle.



Patches only went outside on a leash. She loved the garden and will be especially missed as I work in it this spring. I'm glad I had one spring and summer at home with her since I semi-retired last February and am working home now. Though most people think a 15-year-old cat is quite old, I've had cats live 18 and even 21 years so she didn't seem old to me. She died suddenly of cardiomyography, an undetected heart condition. It was a nightmare of a day that I'll never forget. She was gone in a couple of hours. No matter how long you have a pet, you always wish it could have been longer.

Patches will always be loved by me and missed and I was blessed to have her be a part of my life for as long as I did. Rest in peace, sweet Patches.

The importance of pets

I had a bit of a scare with one of my cats last night. Patches is 15 years old and has lost quite a bit of weight this past year. I took her for blood work a couple of months ago and they couldn't detect any problems and said it was probably due to her age. But I don't feel that she's that old. My Satin lived to 21 and Toby was 18 when he contracted an aids-like virus. Patches is far too young to look like she does. The photo of her here is from the summer before this past one. She's aged so much since then.

Last night I went to visit with my mom and when I came home, Patches was in poor shape. I won't go into all the graphic details but I was afraid she had suffered a seizure or stroke. She was obviously frightened by it herself. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep last night and thought this may be the end of my little Patches. But she completely surprised me by coming out this morning and eating some breakfast. She isn't back to herself quite yet but certainly much better than last night.

I took Patches when she was just a tiny kitten. Satin had just passed away and I was having a hard time adjusting to life without her and thought a kitten might help. Plus I only had Figaro at that time and have always had two cats. I love calicoes and thought Patches was beautiful. She has quite a bit of Maine Coon in her. She has been such a good and faithful companion throughout the years. My pets have always meant a great deal to me but now as the time may be approaching when she'll no longer be a part of my home, her importance becomes even more apparent.

Here's a photo of Dickon.
I had seen a female cat at PetSmart and my heart went out to her so I went to the pound to bring her home, even though I already had two cats. However, when they took this female cat out of her cage, she began hissing at all the other cats and became very agitated so the pound said she had to go to a home where she'd be an only cat. Then I saw Dickon who was about a year old and had been there for four months. What a big beautiful boy - he's huge! They let him out of his cage so I could play with him a bit and of course he came home with me.

My pets are a special part of my life and the bond I have with them is a strong one. They've given me so much totally unconditional love. Hopefully, Patches and Dickon will be with me for many more years to come. They're my buddies. :)