by Christie Kelley
Believe it or not, this blog is not about the remodeling of my house (otherwise known as the undertaking of the century) but another type of addition. A few weeks ago, we welcomed a 13 week-old Siberian kitten to our (almost finished) home.
We actually bought a purebred cat. I’ve never been a proponent of buying cats when the shelters are filled with cats that want a good home. But my husband is allergic to cats and for s
ome strange reason these cats produce low quantities of the enzyme that people 
react to, and so far, she's causing no problems with my husband.
Sorry for the poor images. These were taken on my cell phone. But Misha seems to like Jane Austin, which I think is a good thing.
The entire bred is a little strange. As you can see with the picture below, the Siberians aren’t exactly short-haired cats. In fact, I’ve never seen a cat wit
h more fur than our little Misha. And yet, I’ve never had so little cat hair in my house. Even the vet said the same thing when he was done examining her.
Believe it or not, this blog is not about the remodeling of my house (otherwise known as the undertaking of the century) but another type of addition. A few weeks ago, we welcomed a 13 week-old Siberian kitten to our (almost finished) home.
We actually bought a purebred cat. I’ve never been a proponent of buying cats when the shelters are filled with cats that want a good home. But my husband is allergic to cats and for s
ome strange reason these cats produce low quantities of the enzyme that people 
react to, and so far, she's causing no problems with my husband.Sorry for the poor images. These were taken on my cell phone. But Misha seems to like Jane Austin, which I think is a good thing.
The entire bred is a little strange. As you can see with the picture below, the Siberians aren’t exactly short-haired cats. In fact, I’ve never seen a cat wit
h more fur than our little Misha. And yet, I’ve never had so little cat hair in my house. Even the vet said the same thing when he was done examining her.It’s been over twenty years since I had a kitten in the house and now I remember why. Within a week of being in our home, Misha had off-white paint on her tail and a bit of grout on one of her pads (kind of like my husband). So she’s fitting right into this crazy house. I'd also forgotten how sweet it is to be awakened at 4am to a purring kitten licking my face.
Growing up, my family always had pets. At one time we had a cat, a dog and a bird. Then there were the kittens my brother found and it took three days for my parents to notice them (don't ask). Having been without an animal for the past five years, I'd forgotten how nice it is just to pet a cat. Or just laugh as Misha runs from one room to another as if something or someone was chasing her.
Growing up, my family always had pets. At one time we had a cat, a dog and a bird. Then there were the kittens my brother found and it took three days for my parents to notice them (don't ask). Having been without an animal for the past five years, I'd forgotten how nice it is just to pet a cat. Or just laugh as Misha runs from one room to another as if something or someone was chasing her.
Now for all you dog lovers, this bred of cat thinks they are dogs. Misha follows me around the house and usually naps in whatever room I happen to be in. Yesterday, she was waiting for me at the door when I came home from grocery shopping. She has been a great addition to our home.
One more picture but this time it's my new cover for Every Time We Kiss.
So if you want a signed copy of my new coverflat, all you have to do is answer a question or two. Are you a dog person, a cat person...a nonpet person? Did you have a lot of pets growing up? Are you the type of person who can't imagine not having a pet? Tell me all about your favorite pet.
One more picture but this time it's my new cover for Every Time We Kiss.
So if you want a signed copy of my new coverflat, all you have to do is answer a question or two. Are you a dog person, a cat person...a nonpet person? Did you have a lot of pets growing up? Are you the type of person who can't imagine not having a pet? Tell me all about your favorite pet.
76 comments:
We're unfortunately not really pet people. Didn't have any growing up and are unused to caring for them now... We do have scads of stuffed animals though, which the kids call "animal friends" :)
BTW, congrats on Misha's addition to your family, Christie! She looks lovely--my kids do admire pets but since they aren't really old/responsible enough to care for them, I'm not signing up for that myself just yet ;)
Misha is so adorable! And is that a bottlebrush tail?
I LOVE animals, but don't have a pet. Didn't grow up with one either (excluding fish which don't really count), because my mom is scared of dogs - but I think my parents just didn't want the extra work :P.
I really prefer dogs, though cats are growing on me. Their claws, however, are not - which is why dogs win. Some day, when I'm not moving every year, I'd love to a pet or two.
Fedora, AGAIN???!!!!
Christie, what a lovely post and what a gorgeous kitten! I'm green with envy. I grew up on a farm and we had lots and lots of pets. A wonderful Sheltie (which we call Scotch collies over here and my English friends call Shetland sheepdogs and which most people would just call Lassie dogs) who was a prince of the animal kingdom. Heaps and heaps of cats (I talked about Blackie the BAAAAD the other day in the family story blog). We had a budgie that my mother always threatened to let out because she got stuck with all the work. And then one day accidentally she did and she never forgave herself! My brother caught tortoises but they kept escaping and going back to the wild. I had a horse who got killed by a snakebite.
I still feel a house is incomplete without an animal but my current lifestyle just makes it impossible for me to have a dog. I might manage a cat but I've got wonderful native birds around the house, and I'd hate anything to devastate them. So instead I make a huge fuss of my friends' pets. Sort of like an aunty!
And hubba hubba on the cover!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Looks like another winner on its way!
Sorry, Anna! I've been up late the last few nights working on some stuff, and stopping to check the Lair is a welcome distraction--now if I can just get the GR to relinquish that last set of keys! (He did do a lovely job of clearing the house of spiders yesterday--not sure what the kids might have planned for him later today though...)
Congrats again flchen
Christie what a beautiful cat she is adorable I have always had pets dogs cats birds guinea pigs sheep I even had an elephant follow me home from school one day so yes our household has never been without pets.
They are part of the family and wouldn't have it any other way at the moment we have 3 dogs but no cats we lost our last cat Mitchy about 5 years ago and have not got another one because one of our dogs doesn't like them and it would be hard.
I love the cover of the new book I can't wait to read it.
Have Fun
Helen
We used to have cats. Now I have to settle for my brother's and sister's dogs. Not that they wouldn't be nice animals, but I'm more cat person.
Miss Fedora, no need to apologize. Clearly when you're hot, you're hot!
Helen, I'd forgotten about the elephant story! That was gorgeous. I'm sure some of the people won't have seen it before if you've got a chance to tell it to us again.
Oh, and the answer to cats or dogs for me? I like both!
Awwwww, Misha is adorable!
I'm a total pet person. We have 2 dogs and 4 cats. I see a baby animal and melt, hence the large number of pets. I don't think I can pick between dogs or cats - I adore my rottie, she's a 100 lb cuddlebug, but my one indoor cat (a feral rescue who is the only one brave enough to share the house with the rottie)lays across my desk when I write and purrs appreciatively.
We always had pets growing up, I honestly can't recall a time when there wasn't a pet in the family.
and Fedora... you and that rooster. Oh my!!
Growing up the only pets we had were goldfish since my mom was never a pet person. When we moved into a bigger place we thought about getting a pet but that thought died when a neighborhood cat made it's way under our house and we ended up with a flea infestation.
Anna
Yes it was scary at the time and I am sure that not many people believe me but there was a circus in the park next to the school I went to and as school was let out the elephant broke its chain and walked down the middle of the road as I was walking home I was only 6 years old at the time and not allowed to cross the road by myself and had to call Mum to get me across this day I crossed by myself ran around the back in the back door and Mum asked why I hadn't waited for her to get me across the road when I told her there was an elephant following me she pulled a face but I ran to the front window and looked out and told her it was stepping over our
gate she looked and said Sh*t lock the back door it walked down the side of our house thru the chook yard and stopped in the paddock at the back of our house all of the circus handlers were there and managed to get it back to the park a day I will never forget.
It became a family joke that I would bring any stray home I found dog cat or even elephant.
Christie I love having pets.LOL
Have Fun
Helen
Great topic, Christie. Everyone seems to love animals. I'm not much of a dog person (hiss, boo), but I love cats. They seem to have so much personality and are so funnily stand-offish and independent.
And I LOVE your new cover. Can't wait for this one to come out.
I have a siberian, too. Be warned they love to climb. And that head-butt thing they do when they want you to pet them is so cute.
What a gorgeous cat! And in case you didn't figure it out from that, I am a cat person. I like dogs, too, but I love cats. I grew up in a house filled with animals - there were always cats, a dog or two along the way, hamsters, a guinea pig. No, not all at the same time, but over the years. I just love having animals around.
flchen, I understand about not having pets until the kids are more responsible. And you would appreciate my couch right now. My son's room is gettin carpet tomorrow so all of his stuffed animals are on the couch. He has sooo many...
Congrats on the GR, too!
Hi Jennifer, I've never heard of a bottlebrush tail but that's an accurate description. Her tail is huge.
It's funny that I love dog-like cats but I'm really not a dog person.
Thanks, Anna! My husband works from home and I'm usually home so having a pet is really easy until we go away for a weekend in October.
Helen, you'd better expand on that comment about having an elephant follow you home from school. I want to hear more!
Tawny, that's a houseful of pets. I'd love to have more but my husband and son are both allergic to dogs and my husband is allergic to cats. So finding a cat that doesn't affect him was fantastic.
Oh perrin, I lived through one of those flea infestations too. I had indoor cats at the time and we discovered that we were bringing in the fleas from the yard. It was awful.
OMG, Helen! That story is so funny but I can see where it would have been scary as a 6 yr old.
Jo, I'm with you on the dog thing. I guess we'll have to duck (yeah, pun intended) throughout the day when the dog lovers comment.
Arkiern, I've already discovered the climbing gene in them. I wasn't sure about the headbutting thing. It's so cute. That's when she'll start licking my chin.
Margay, I'm with you. I really can't believe how much I've missed having a cat in the house.
Fedora, congrats on nabbing the Golden Rooster! He always loves to visit with you, since you stock his favorite snacks and got him the TV and all. *g*
Christie, Misha is gorgeous! What a little beauty she is. Can you imagine when she grows into her full glory? She may turn into a bit of a diva.
Pets. I am of two minds about pets and for good reason. My father was a veterinarian. Growing up, we had all manner of pets both inside and outside the house. I think of pets like wallpaper: something to admire, but not to get all het up about. They were always there, you know? We had a few who were very special (cats and dogs), but all the "generic" animals (rodents of all sorts, turtles, reptiles, birds), not so much.
As an adult, I have had two pets, both cats. One has already passed away, the other will no doubt soon be up for a Darwin award. I swear, that cat has no survival instincts at all. We love him dearly, but Chaps is not the smartest cat ever.
He is very chatty, though, and so good company. Has a tendency to claw furniture and behave poorly. He also has revolutionary leanings and sometimes tries to rouse a grassroots effort to overthrow "the man". Chaps.
Thank you for sharing your little sweetie with us, Christie, and I cannot wait to read Every Time We Kiss. What a gorgeous cover!
Caren, trust me, Misha is already turning into a bit of a diva. She thinks she owns the place.
I kind of like stupid cats. Mine don't usually fall into that category. I once had two cats nearly destroy my house while I was at work. I came home and thought we had been robbed. There was a living room lamp on the floor, a throw blanket strewn across the floor, upstairs the bed covers were unmade and half-way across the bed and every bifold closet door open (yes, every one). I finally noticed that the TV and my jewelry was untouched. That's when one of the cats came out of hiding with a very guilty look on her face.
I really would wished I'd been a fly on the wall when they were going at it.
WTG, Fedora!
Christie, your new kitten is absolutely adorable--completely huggable!
I had dogs and cats growing up, so I cannot imagine NOT having pets. We have 2 dogs and 2 cats now, all rescues. Actually our dogs are still puppies (one is a year old, the other is 9 months). Yes, I am a glutton for punishment, but they are so funny together. That's the reason I have two of each, so they have a playmate.
I love the cover of your new book. It's gorgeous!
The kitty and the cover are beautiful. I'm a pet person though I went a few years with none after the divorce. I needed to take care of me and kiddo and I couldn't handle or even think about any added responsibility.
But a little over a year ago, we adopted a parakeet. Then this summer we added the hamster. Now we're moving to a new apartment that allows cats & dogs so we'll be adding a kitten come Christmas time. I'm so excited I'm hoping I can follow my own policy and wait that long. LOL!
Helen, I love that elephant story. How many people can say an elephant followed them home?!
Fedora, you might want to check your area for a hoppin' hen house. I bet you'll find that last set of keys there. LOL!
Christie, I love the new cover! So full of secrets and sexual tension! YUMMY! :-)
Okay folks, here's my confession. I don't love our pets. (Louisa, please don't hate me!!) I used to be a passionate dog AND cat person, but then...then...then I had children.
Heavy sigh.
The kids just sort of sucked all the extra love and attention out of me. I'd be there, exhausted, holding a crying baby, and the cat would rub up against me, or the dog would sit on my foot and I would just want it GONE. I had nothing left to give.
Now that my kids are a little older, I have regained some of my affection for both pets, but our dog...Well, he's an absolutely fabulous dog -- a lab, dumb as a brick, sweet as a kitten (sweeter, actually, because he doesn't claw things!), patient, etc. -- but the hair! My god the hair! If you haven't ever spent half your life cleaning up after a lab, trust me, you don't want to. Get something that doesn't shed. You'll be glad you did.
My hat is off to you for getting a Persian, Christie. We had one when I was growing up and we never groomed her, so she'd get these huge knots of hair all over her body, which we'd then cut off and she'd be bald in spots. It was rather amusing for the kids, but probably not for her.
No wonder she didn't like us very much! ;-)
Helen, that elephant story is AWESOME! Wow! :-)
Terrio, I think you're right! There HAS to be a chicken juke joint somewhere near Fedora's place!!
Christie, what a beautiful baby! Misha is gorgeous! Russians are really special cats. Their temperament is similar to that of the Maine Coons - they think they're dogs!
I can't remember NOT having a pet. We have always had dogs and cats at our house and they've always gotten along because they were raised together.
Now, for a number of years I had a real traveling menagerie with everything from tarantulas to six foot lizards. Ferrets, hedegehogs, a possum, rabbits, three squirrels, a Norwegian blue fox and a wolf. And one Tennessee walker / quarter horse cross that I had for over 26 years.
Taz, the horse, was quite a character. He LOVED tomatoes and would do anything for them. Someone noticed some really tall beautiful tomato plants in my pasture and asked when I had planted them. I told them I didn't - Taz did and he fertilized them at the same time! LOL I never tried Taz's tomatoes, but my Mom did. She said they were great. As he got older I would leave the gate open and he would come up into the yard to "cut" the grass. We had a number of barbecues where he stayed and mingled with the guests. Everyone loved him. BUT, people began to notice that the bottle of beer they had just opened was almost empty or had disappeared. After this happened at several parties someone finally caught him. Taz would wander around and wait for someone to put their beer down, grab it, toss his head back and guzzle it and then put the bottle back down!!
I miss him.
It is hard for me to pick a favorite pet. I know I will never live without at least one pet in my life. Everyone should have at least one creature on the planet that loves them unconditionally, never judges them, and thinks they are the best thing since sliced bread.
I have a big crew now. Three house dogs. Nine rescued dogs in big runs on my five acres and four house cats. Thank God I have a great dog sitter!!
The current real character is my chihuahua, Frodo. He has been banned from a number of vet clinics because he is so MEAN!!! He HATES everyone, except me. My current vet, however, gets a big kick out of him. Doc just thinks Frodo is the toughest, funniest little dog he has ever met. Even if he does try to eat Doc alive every time he sees him.
Hi Gannon,
Thanks for the comments on the cover. Two puppies! Wow, I think that would do me in.
terrio,
Good luck withe new apartment, moving is such a pain. But it will be worth it to get a new kitten!
Kirsten, I understand how hard it is to have pets when you have little children. I had one cat who was so jealous of my oldest (not the boy in the picture). As he grew to walk, she would place herself in the hall between the family room and the kitchen and hiss at him when he'd try to walk by. I finally taught him to hiss back at her. It took three years but she finally came to like him.
BTW, Misha is a Siberian not a Persian. Siberians have amazing fur that doesn't shed much (until spring at least). And they don't knot up much either. It's really strange.
Louisa, I really want to know more about the hedgehog. Are they good pets? I kept looking at them before we bought the cat but wasn't sure about them.
I'm currently a non-pet person--I'm very allergic--though I have a friend with five cats, but she keeps them combed (and that with my allegra and brief visits keeps the sniffles and swollen eyes at bay).
However, when I was a kid, I wasn't really allergic. (It irks me that allergies get worse as you get older.)
My favorite pet as a child was a pony named Dance. She was an elegantly boned iron-gray pony with white-blond mane and tail and large black eyes framed with lushly long white lashes. She liked soda like me; and also loved oats, apples and carrots. She was a great runner; and I had the best times cantering her up and down my long driveway, pretending I was a Pony Express rider. She was awesome. A little quirky; a little lazy at times--but wholly lovable.
I also had this cute little short-legged mutt named Skeeter--and he also was a very fast runner. Just because he had short legs didn't mean he couldn't outrun you. A very sweet dog. And he was good friends with our other farm dog, Rex, who was as noble as his name. A very Zen-like cattle dog, who'd seen it all and done it all and didn't see a need to get as excited as Skeeter about every little thing. (If any dog could pose as a four-legged reflection of my father--this was the dog.)
Very good pets. I miss them all.
Oh, I didn't notice the Persian/Siberian difference. Our Persian was a pound kitty. She was a Persian/tabby mix and she was a real personality! I hope your Siberian's hair is far less likely to tangle. :-)
I'm a dog person stuck in enemy territory. We have four cats. One outside cat and three inside. The three inside cats are rescues my wife nursed back from the brink of death from sickness and malnutrition. They're merely a purring, kneading, stabbing, furniture shredding inconvenience.
My dog, a huge, ultra-hyper german shepherd is sadly no longer with us. But man, she was the best. She wasn't big on tricks and stuff, but she generally listened. When she wanted to. And the coolest part was that when my son was a toddler, we trained her to "find the boy." It got to the point where we could tell him to go outside and hide *anywhere.* She usually found him within a minute. Then she'd tackle him and lick his face off. He'd giggle and go "ewwwwwwww Blitz! Quit it!" Of course she never did.
She was a fiercely protective dog, too. Overprotective of my wife. If she had Blitz with her, NO ONE could get NEAR her.
I miss that dog. :(
Growing up though, I was never allowed to have a pet. But my SISTER got one. Go figure. So I've really lived most of my life without a pet around. I'd love to have another dog. I want an English Bulldog, the beloved Marine Corps mascot. I'd get him a little set of dress blues he could wear for special occasions. Other than that though, I could live without the cats. If my wife gave them all away to good homes tomorrow, I'd be perfectly fine with it.
Oh, about the outside cat. He's the "Great White Hunter." For a cat that has absolutely NO chance of blending in to his surroundings (being snow white) he's one heck of a hunter. He brings us all kinds of gifts. Basically, the stuff he catches that he doesn't really want to eat winds up on our steps.
I have a great pic of him and an unfortunate blue bird.
(WARNING: Not for the squeamish, nor for bird lovers)
http://tinyurl.com/567fd3
Definitely a pet person.
When I was young, our family always had a cat and a dog. The dog was only allowed in certain rooms, the cat had full run of the house - and boy did she flaunt that in front of the dog *g*.
My husband, though, says he's allergic, so we've only had a dog. My favorite pet is the dog we have currently, Oreo. She's a pound puppy - a mix between a terrier and an austrailian shepard (we think). She's 15 years old so she probably won't be with me much longer. I'll miss her as she's pretty much my shadow.
Misha is beautiful! Love the picture of her with Jane. I've never heard of that breed, but as my son has come home covered in hives from his girlfriend's cat - I'll have to mention that breed to him.
FOrgot to say - LOVE LOVE LOVE the new cover. How exciting is that!
We are animal people. I think it's from my growing up on a farm. Steve was a city boy and had only snakes and non-furry pets because of allergies, but enough little cat scratches and he got over those. Now he's fine with house cats.
We have three dogs at present, all Search & Rescue dogs (all GSDs), though I've had up to 13 when we had a litter of rotties (we bred them for a while when we had an exceptional sire and dam). Thirteen dogs is a LOT! Nothing like opening a dog crate and having ten tiny, brown-eyed wiggly bears heading for the door to hug you. :0)
We lost a cat in January (Max was 17) and we presently have one long-haired cat we found crying underneath a car in a big parking lot when she was no bigger than my hand.
Kirsten, I feel your pain about the hair. I can't keep up with this cat's hair. I love her, and would do anything for her, but OMG the hair.
When I was growing up on the farm I once had a picture taken with all the pets. There were about 30 of them. Turtle, chickens, kittens, pony, calf named Rosie, dog, parakeet, hamster, you name it. ALL AT THE SAME TIME. The photo looks like some kind of menagerie. But only the parakeet lived in the house. Now I can't imagine living in a house without a cat. What a lonely place that would be!
Now we're considering a brand new kitten. A stray cat walked onto our friend's patio about to pop, so they took her in and now the kittens are about ready to go to new homes.
Our cats are indoors only because we love (and feed) all the birds in the neighborhood. Since cats are not native here, and a bird or chipmunk that even gets lightly hooked by a claw will, without fail, die from sepsis infection, we don't allow that to happen with our cats. So the hair thing I talked about--well...I guess you just have to lower the bar for house cleaning. :0/
And the songbirds we feed..they're not pets, but... Ever heard of "When pigs fly"? Well, they do, regularly, at our house.
Oh, and Christie, that was so long I just had to stop...but wanted to say Misha is beautiful, and congratulations on finding such a wonderful cat to be your companion and take over the running of your house! ;0)
And SUPER congrats on the pretty cover! Can't wait for this one. Woot!
mshellion, my husband is allergic and so far, Misha is not causing a reaction. He only agreed to the cat because my youngest son (the one in the picture) is the type of kid who needs a pet. I still can't believe we have this beautiful long haired cat and he's not coughing and sneezing.
p226, while I'm not a dog person I do think German Shepards are one of the most beautiful dogs around.
As far as the great white hunter, my neighbor's cat is the hunter of the neighborhood. A few weeks ago, I looked out in my backyard and Oscar was tossing a mouse 3 feet into the air then pouncing on the poor thing. I actually thought it was quite funny.
Donna, I really didn't believe the allergy thing 100% before we got her. But I figured even if it was a little better than would help my husband. There are stories on the internet of people who have severe cat allergies and they are able to tolerate the siberian with only a little sniffle or redness in the eyes. So far so good for my husband.
Cassondra, 30 pets!!! That's amazing. I hope you do get the new kitten. They're so much fun. Misha is an indoor cat too. But she's recently discovered the the two corner windows by the sink. The bird feeders are right out side so there's always something to watch.
P226, we also have a neighborhood hunter cat who continues to bring us dead offerrings. We never know what we'll find when we step out on the back patio. I wonder if he does the same for the other neighbors or we're just "special."
LOL, Christie, my husband says the moment I die, he's buying a dog, his life-long dream. Hmmmmm.
We owned a black purebred labrador once; at full size he weighed over a 100 pounds. He was a beautiful dog, but terribly unruly and untrained (what did I expect with 7 children giving him conflicting training instructions?).
So I vowed no more dogs until I get into heaven (or whichever place LOL). My friend Kelly, who owns 5 dogs, says we just got the wrong breed.
The bird feeders are all-day entertainment for our cats. Amon sits in the chair by the window, with just her eyes and ears poking up so she can see. Tail swishing back and forth in that "I'm going to GET you" way.
Jo said:
My friend Kelly, who owns 5 dogs, says we just got the wrong breed.
I think you just didn't have time to do any training. All dogs need some consistent obedience training to be a good part of a home. A big dog that is untrained is just a PITA.
Labs are generally easy to work wtih, but when did you have TIME? My gosh the very thought that you guys had seven kids and successfully too! I about pass out from it every time I consider it.
With seven kids, I don't know how you could BREATHE let alone have time to obedience train a dog. ANd you're right. Seven kids all doing something different with the dog is not a good scenario either.
Poor dog was probably confused--and enjoying every minute of running the house by being unruly! ;0)
That's the thing about cats. Show them the litter and there's not much else to do. We do try to enforce the "No Paws" rule on countertops and tables. They understand it, but sometimes they ignore it just to prove who's boss. Don't be fooled. If you own a cat, the CAT is boss. :0) And like Posh said, most likely plotting your downfall.
Congrats on the GR, Fedora.
Misha is so beautiful. I love her fluffy tail. I'm a non-pet person. I didn't have any pets growing. I didn't get my first fish until after college. I don't know if I can take care of a cat or dog.
Hi everyone! Been a minute since I stopped by, busy with work and all...
Christie, I think Misha is sooooo adorable! She sounds like she is fitting right in, so I hope everything works out!
Our family usually consists of dog people, but last year, shortly after the birth of our youngest, hubby adopted a kitten from a friend who had picked up three abandoned ones. She told us we were getting a girl kitty, to keep me company in this house full of boys, but when I got "her" to the vet, she was a he! My oldest son said, "Mom, you are cursed with boys." :)
I grew up in the country and we always had animals around, chickens, horses, dogs, cats, everything but pigs! (Cus they stink!) I would love to give that kind of upbringing to my kids, but we live in town for our jobs, so maybe when we retire. I would love to have horses again, they were always my favorite!
Lol, Cassondra, about the cat being the boss, because it is so true! It is no wonder the Egyptians worshipped them, because they act as regal as can be! When they are not up at 2 am, racing around your furniture and knocking things to the floor, or trying to balance their fat butts on the narrow headboard of the bed and then landing on your face! My kitty also likes to charge me as I'm falling asleep, he waits for me to settle and be still then runs up on the bed and nips at my nose! Just his way of reminding me he's the head honcho I guess!
Congrats on the new addition to your family, Christie.
My sister had a poodle while we were growing up but I'll admit I wasn't crazy about that dog. She was a yapper *g*
We have all had some wonderful pets haven't we life wouldn't be the same without them
Have Fun
Helen
Cassondra, before we even brought the kitten home my husband said she'd be spending her days in the corner windows. Of course being a kitten she's still a little ADD and can only handle about five minutes up there before something else interests her.
Jo, I have to agree that you probably didn't have time to do the trainiing. And with seven kids, I just don't understand why :)
Jane, taking care of a cat is really easy. Kittens take a little more care but are still pretty independent. A kitten from an indoor cat will usually already be litter trained. As long as they have a clean box and some food and water they're set.
kestral, too funny about your kitten being a he. I'm also surrounded by two boys and my husband so I insisted on a female cat.
Beth, you're right poodles are yappers. My sister has one full bred and one yorkie-poo and they yappers.
Helen, I could agree with your more.
Christie I just got the call that our new kitten comes home today! Yay! I went out and got him a little cat crate to sleep in while he's small so he'll feel like he has his own house, and the food she's been giving him so I won't upset his tummy. Going in about half an hour to pick him up!
I'll always remember his "birthday" and the day he "came home" now because of your cool blog about Misha!
Oh, and the lawnmower came back home today too--from the repair shop. Yard is knee high.
Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow while the kitten wrecks the house (not that we'll be able to tell the difference) ;0)
Are you a dog person, a cat person...a nonpet person?
I like them both but own cats mostly due to the fact they are way easier trained potty wise.
They are also independant so I don't feel like I am abandoning them if I have a week or so of overtime.
Did you have a lot of pets growing up?
Oh yes, way back when there were strays everywhere all the time and I lived on a main highway. If it had 4 legs and I saw it without a collar I declared it as mine.
Are you the type of person who can't imagine not having a pet?
I actually went quite a few years without a pet. Husbands didn't care for animals, mother didn't care for them inside the house. She was sick and so I didn't argue the point. I missed having them a lot though.
Tell me all about your favorite pet.
It would be really hard to pick a favorite, I have had dogs, everything from purebreds to strays, and cats, nothing exotic.
Of all my dogs my most beloved was when I was young, she was a stray but looked like Lassie. Her name was Lady and when I lost her my heart was broken for a long, long time. That is when I started leaning more toward cats. Of the most recent cats in my life it would be a toss up between Pounce and Peanut, Pounce was a tuxedo cat that truly thought he was human. When I fixed dinner he would sit on a stool and we would chat while I cooked. When it was on the table he had to have his plate as well. Peanut was a Tiger stripe and he was mine all mine...LOL He slept up against my back or tummy depending on which way I was turned and would let me know very quickly if I was moving around too much. He would stand on my chest and put his nose against mine and "talk" to me until I told him I would lay still.
Ohhhhh, Misha is so cute, Christie, so cute. I'm a non-pet person, though my family would prefer to be cat or dog or both people. I'm very allergic to dogs and cats. So, of course, I'm fascinated by the fact that not only is Misha not shedding much, your husband's allergies are not acting up either. That's very good news. I look forward to seeing more of Misha's pictures as the weeks go by.
Being comfortable around Jane is a decided plus.
Hey Christie! Cute pics of the new kitten. And I must say any cat that likes Jane Austin can't be all bad. Mind you I say that safely from my home in Texas, far, far away from your home!!
Unlike most people, I am not just mildly irritated by cats, as in allergy irritated, but full blown wheezing in my reactions. To the point that I've never been to my oldest daughter's home. She has 3 cats. (Should I read something into that?)
So, I am a dog person. One mixed breed boxer/lab who loves to chase rabbits or squirrels on our walks, swim laps in the pool and sleep by my desk when I'm writing.
p226 said:
Then she'd tackle him and lick his face off. He'd giggle and go "ewwwwwwww Blitz! Quit it!" Of course she never did.
She was a fiercely protective dog, too. Overprotective of my wife. If she had Blitz with her, NO ONE could get NEAR her.
That's how our dog is too. He's taken to licking the grandaughter's face as she crawls across the room. Granddaughter just giggles and grins which makes him do it more!
And protective? Don't let anyone come to the door when I'm home alone! Hubby says, "He doesn't act like that when you're at work!"
Pretty Misha.
I seem to love dogs more than cats.
I've owned both, but prefer dogs.
Growing up, I've had ckicks, bunnies, kittens and dogs.
Cassondra!! Congrats on the new kitten. How exciting! In a day or two he'll feel right at home.
keira, I'll let you know how the allergies go once my husband's ragweed allergies stop. But he was out in San Fran all last week and he said he was still having problem so he knows it's just that time of year. The lack of cat hair is amazing.
Suz, I understand about being a dog person. I'm just so not a dog person. And my oldest is the break-into-hives allergic to them but he's never had a problem with cats.
Dina, my sister finally decided the same thing. She's had several cats but really prefers dogs.
Hi Christie! Great post and beautiful new addition to your family. :>
Fedora, you and that bird....scarwy. Grins, about that china pattern..
Helen that story about the elephant is priceless.
Louisa, I was LOL about the horse.
Fo, so sorry about your horse getting bit by a snake.
Awwwwww, P226, I'd miss a dog like Blitz too.
Suz, I love the sound of your boxer mix.
As to me and the Pet Situation, I had a solid black cat growing up, then raised, trained, bred and showed Dalmatians for years. During a lot of those years I had two Siamese cats as well. Talk about talkers! Yikes! They always had something to say.
The favorite...hmmmm...I've had several, but the most recent was the lovely liver and white dal female I who crossed over the rainbow bridge almost three years ago. I miss her still, every day. She was my "heartgirl" She was also a really funny, clowny dog.
Sorry to chime in so late. Hedgehogs are great little pets. They aren't the cuddly sort, but they do follow you around and are fun to watch. They make this hissing noise when they are frightened or upset and they roll into a prickly ball. They shed their quills so no walking around barefoot! They are neat little guys and don't have any dander that I know of. They are great pets to have with cats as the cats can't really hurt them. Big dogs can, but my big dogs were always smart enough not to try! My three legged guy loved to have his tummy rubbed - the only place not covered with quills and he followed me around like a dog. I have had several hedgehogs in my life and they have all been great pets. The only caveat? They CAN and will bite, if provoked. Then again, won't we all? :)
A day late I'm afraid...
the photo of the siberian with that magnificent tail just had to be a "Save as" ...just beautiful!!
I like other peoples cats...we have a dog who hate...em!..on a walk Max smells them somewhere and nearly pulls me over to find them...I have one of those Halti..bridle-type head stall for dogs...and just manage to hold him back!
My old Mum adored cats and had only two in the last 38 years...
Twiggy for 20yrs and Missy for 18... they were wonderful companions and in the end when she was old, a reason to get up in the morning...
Christie if you get 1/10th of the enjoyment my Mum had from her pussy cats ...then you will be a very lucky lady!
Cheers Carol
Post a Comment