Like so many others, I had to deal with horrible weather, work layoffs, family and friends surgery and life changing events. Throw the holidays in there and gaining those 8 pounds I’d managed to lose and you have a recipe for stress.
Sometimes the effects of that stress sneak up on you and you find yourself working through the after effects. Lots of ways to do that….exercise, chocolate, meditation, chocolate, essential oils and massages….
Chocolate.
It set me to thinking about a lot of ways to deal with this level of stress and then I looked out the window. My neighbors had a new puppy.
Hmmm. A puppy. Well, the experts say a pet can help relieve stress. I like petting my brother’s cat Citrus. I enjoy my friends dogs Buckarudi, Pooka and Brody.
There would be challenges. Among them that I’ve never had a dog. I don’t have a fence. I do NOT enjoy getting up early in the morning to let said dog out. Howling makes me anxious and barking makes me jump. And if I ever found a flea or tick I’d faint.
Ok, so a cat. Well…that presents challenges too. No good out of the way place for a litter box. Cat hair clashes with my new recliner and I know…just KNOW that while I
worked 12 hours Fluffy would be on my kitchen counter making tuna sandwiches. Don’t get me started on hairballs.Fish? Been there, done that, slopped the water on the carpet.
Hamster? Squeaky wheel.
What to do, what to do?
So I talked over my thoughts with Buck’s Mom. I could hear her laughing. “A stuffed animal or a pet rock. Those are the ones that would work for you.”
“No,” I protested. “I could adjust.”
She snickered.
“I could make pets of all the birds I like listening to in the morning,” I protested.
“Really?” she said.
“Yeah,” (scuffs toe in carpet) “I just have to come up with 25 robin names.”
Sigh.
So I guess I have to take her suggestion. Pet rock it is. And I have experience! I had one in high school. This picture shows a pedigree pet rock. Mine was a stray :-)
Tell me about your pets. Any suggestions for me? Have you ever had a pet rock? What was its name?
80 comments:
is he staying at my place
Have Fun
Helen
I guess he needs a day to rest after being with Jayden and Hayley and of course the pantry is stocked with Tam Tams.
Firstly Joanie Happy Birthday it is Tuesday 13th here in Oz I do hope you have a fantastic day.
Pets I don't think I could be without them we have had dogs cats birds mice fish and guinea pigs and I agree they are great stress relievers they don't answer back and are usually happy to listen to you get everything bothering you off your chest. We had to have one of our dogs Blocker put to sleep last Thursday he had bone cancer he was 12 and we are still really sad and missing him heaps, but we still have Brandy and Tootsie and even though they seem to be a bit mopey at the moment and wanting more attention they are both good listeners and their antics do make me laugh.
As for a suggestion for you to have as a pet that is a hard one all pets have issues that you have stated that need to be addressed and although they are lots of fun they can be a handful at times. What about a chicken?
Have Fun
Helen
Hi Joan!
I agree with Helen, pets do relieve stress! I grew up with lots of cats, a dog, a rabbit...My dad was a researcher at the university and he used to bring home a large white rat from his lab each week so I could play with it. I didn't know he was lopping off their heads at the lab cause each week, he'd bring me another one. :) The downside of having a pet is the care they require. We have two cats, Paxil and Cheddar. Going away for the weekend is a chore because we have to find someone to cat sit. There's also vet bills. Both cats needed penicillin shots twice a day for two weeks. I opted to do it myself so the vet sent me home with a bunch of syringes, 22 gauge needles and a 100 ml of Combi-Pen. Once they got a whiff of the alcohol prep and they ran. It wasn't a fun two weeks!
If you decide not to get a pet, maybe you could get a bunch of bird feeders for your yard and enjoy the the show.
Helen, congrats! Love the pic of your grandbabies.
Congrats on the GR, Helen.
Hi Joan,
I don't have much experience with pets. I didn't have any growing up, but now I have a little aquarium. I think fish are the only pets I can handle.
Oh, that is too cute about the pedigree rock, Joanie T! Big hugs on the stress--I know you've had such a tough time lately! Hey, at least a pet rock travels well, right? You can take him to National. He can hang out with the Golden Rooster.
I wouldn't part with my lovely Dane/Ridgeback for anything, but she is getting on in years. After her... I don't know if I'll be in a hurry to get another for a while. The gorgeous Himalayan cat nextdoor visits us a lot, which is great, all care and no responsibility!
I hope you found a way that works to relieve stress. I've used relaxation tapes and found they've helped.
Helen! Looks like the bird is with you again! Congrats:)
Oh, Helen, so sorry to hear about Blocker. It's awful when an animal is suffering, isn't it? They're like a member of the family. I still look for our dog Alex now and then before I remember she's gone.
I have two cats and the placing of a litter box is a problem, when I lived in the country they went outside. A cat with a cat door is an option. I did have one cat here that I couldn't keep inside, he was an escape artist and would leave me presents on the front porch. One time a man came to the door with his collar. No cat, just the collar. Uhhm that was a little upsetting as the man had 3 huge pit bulls and lived a few blocks away...no, they didn't eat my cat, he got away and just left the collar behind. We finally got him and the collar back together. Right now I have a lap full of purring contentment, her name is Angel and she is totally misnamed. She is kneading bread right now that just happens to be my leg. If and when these cats go I think I will be looking into the pet rock.
Joan, I'm sorry life's been ganging up on you. Pets are definitely a double edged sword. Hair, litter boxes, and by golly, their medical bills can be higher than mine!
But the cuddle factor is huge. I can literally feel my blood pressure drop when I'm playing with the dog, or cuddling with the dog, or Mr. Cat crawls across my keyboard to lay in my lap while I type, or curls against the back of my neck while I sleep. So...my pets are my alternative to blood pressure meds. :)
Congrats Helen. Glad the chook gets a day of rest.
So sorry to hear about Blocker. That has to be hard.
A chicken though? Hmmmm....that might work. But it might get a bit antsy when I bring home KFC :-)
And thanks for the birthday wishes. Going well so far though I woke up on my day off at 5:30...bright eyed. Sigh.
Hey Pink!
Bird feeders are an idea. One of my friend's dh has them all around their deck and all KINDS of birds flock to them....no chickens but still.
And oh my, having to give cats SHOTS! I remember the one cat we had as kids, Pebbles and my Mom trying to get a pill down her throat. Not. Pretty.
Jane,
I did enjoy my aquarium while I had it. 20 gal, lots of pretty fish. Changing the water became a chore though so I deeded it to some friends.
I did think about getting one of those Beta fish in a little bowl but...that seems so cruel to keep it in such a tiny space.
Maybe I'll just watch Finding Nemo instead.
Hey Christine! Your doggy sounds...big.
LOL about the advantages to the pet rock. Yeah...he could come with me to National. There's a big quarry we pass...he could visit family :-)
The stress is working its way out thanks. Lots of friends, in lots of different ways plus the occasional chocolate binge. :-)
Cat doors Dianna? Outdoor cats? Presents? Not so much.....
That happened to Pebbles. She had been an indoor cat for a long while, then Mom couldn't take it anymore and out she went. Robin pets weren't an option after that!
Sigh, Gillian....I know. The cuddle factor.
When I was spending a lot of time at my brother's house after his surgery, his cat Citrus would cuddle up next to me on the couch and lay one paw on my thigh.
I also had to be on "cat alert" as her desire to cuddle included jumping on my brother's surgical incision on his stomach!
Happy Birthday, Joanie! Hope you have a lovely, stress-free day!
I can't imagine not having dogs. They're such a huge part of my life. During the five years that my life was filled with daily, extreme-level stress, my dogs were the only things that kept my blood pressure from skyrocketing. They make me laugh, give me unconditional love, fill my days with smile after smile. Do they come with challenges? Sure. Standing in the back yard at 3am while a dog sniffs for *hours* (okay, so only 5 minutes but at 3am it seems like hours)is not my idea of fun but the plus column far exceeds the negative.
Looking forward to meeting your pet rock at National. Will you be sporting matching outfits? *g*
W have a Chorkie (Yorkie and a chihuahua mix) and I have to say I just tolerate him. The dog is a year old and we still can't get him housebroken. GRRRR. Anyone who is on FB with me will remember that I decided to change his name from Bear to DD (D*mn Dog). He was free and my husband and daughter both like him.
IF, IF, IF we ever get another dog, it will already be trained.
(((Helen))) I'm so very sorry to hear about Blocker.
I admit I'd be lost without my puppy girl, she's my angel and helps keep me sane when things get nutty or stressy. Even when she's being a royal pain she makes me smile. I'm not sure there is anything that a puppy kiss on the nose can't make at least a little better. At 13, she's not comfortable jumping up on the bed anymore, so think it's time to by doggy steps for her to use. I miss the cuddles when falling asleep and in the morning.
Good morning, Christie!
You're in good company on the pet rock thing. I've had dogs, cats, birds & fish but at the moment I'm petless & I would NOT change that for anything. There's a certain emptiness in the house, yes. But there's also a certain freedom. I have little kids so it's not THAT much freedom but still.
No kennels or pet sitters when we go on vacation. No early morning walks or wake-up calls or--worse--accidents. No litterbox disasters or chewing up my shoes.
Some might call it a sterile existence. Fun-less. Overly ordered and without joy.
I call it perfect. :-) I have nothing against pets & will likely have one again some day. But right now? Nope. And I like it like that.
I call it
p.s. My husband would get a dog tomorrow if I gave him the go ahead. But guess who goes to work 10-12 hours a day?
Hint: It's not me. So guess who would be taking care of that dog?
Hint: Not him.
Thanks PJ! I'm on my way to treating myself to breakfast out.
Is there anyway...if you have small dog, you can train them to go out on YOUR time schedule?
Sigh. The 12 hour shifts wouldn't be fair to a pup. NOBODY can hold it in THAT long!
Looking forward to meeting your pet rock at National. Will you be sporting matching outfits? *g*
You laugh but the rock I had as a teenager? Sported a handmade crocheted snood....:-)
A Chorkie???
Chihuaha's are..unique. A Yorkie though..hmmmmm....
This woman I knew had a TEENY one. That thing would scamper up onto your lap while you were talking, put her front paws on your chest and when you turned around, she'd be staring you in the eye...and she weighed so little....you never felt it till you were eye to eye!
Puppy kisses I guess are nice. I shy away from them on my face.
REally don't mind a cat kiss on my hand. I know, I know where it's been...but that's why God made Purell :-)
That's BIG obstacle...not bit....
Must. Get. Eggs.
Joanie, hugs on the stress.
I'm a cat person. I just couldn't deal with all the work a dog entails. If you're worried about a cat, they are really easy pets. The hardest part is finding the place for the litter box. If you're concerned about what the cat is doing while you're at work, get two cats. They will keep each other company while you're gone and play with each other.
My cat, Misha is currently sitting on my printer, watching the squirrels in the yard.
Joanie, for the most part they do go out on my schedule. The 3am forays to the back yard are rare. Thankfully!
Two cats, Christie???
Hmmm....
One could wash and one could dry. I mean, if they are up on the cabinet making tuna sandwiches, they ought to clean up after themselves :-)
We did have a pet rock back in the 70s. But I can't remember if we named it. Surely two little girls would have named a pet rock. Must fire off an email to my sis and ask her.
After a rather insane period of my life, circa 2000 to 2005, I couldn't handle taking care of anything but myself and my daughter. But then we got a parakeet, Chesney. She passed away last summer, but I loved her so.)
Few years later, we added the hamster, Gracie. She's a hoot and determined to get out of that cage. I've upgraded the thing three times. Her house is now bigger than mine, relatively speaking.
Then about a year ago, I pulled out the big guns and we added the wondercat Bumblebee to the family. He just turned a year old and tests my patience daily. But he's so damn cute and affectionate, I couldn't bare to part with him.
Would love to have a dog but the combo of the hefty pet deposit, the second floor apartment, the constant walks, torn up house, and picking up poop in a bag means there will be no dog anytime soon.
I highly suggest the cat. He makes all the difference when kiddo leaves town for weeks on end and I'm home alone. :)
We had a hamster when we were kids...Sanford.
He leapt out of my brothers hands, landed on the floor then disappeared into his house.
We thought he had passed into hamster heaven but he eventually came out with a limp :-(
How do you keep Bumblebee away from the hamster? Does the hamster house have a moat? :=)
Congrat Helen, have fun with him!
When it comes to pet we only have fish right now and I wouldn't have them, its hubbys thing! He has fish in the living room in a tank and fish in the back yard in a pond, he built a few years back, hate the pond. He took up half the back yard with this thing and I have to be the one to keep the weeds pulled and water the plants. Its just a lot of work for nothing!
Gracie and Bumblebee have some weird bond. They like each other. Bumblebee sits next to the cage like they're hanging out together. And now and then, they touch noses through the cage.
But Bumblebee had a hefty hand in Chesney's (the parakeet) demise. He attacked the cage and threw her about rather violently before I could stop it. She died the next day in a not pretty way. I bawled my eyes out and thank the heavens kiddo was out of town.
Aww Joanie - you definitely need a pet *g*.
We have two cats - Jersey Girl and CC (After Charleston in Carolina) - we rescued them while we lived in NJ, after our 15 and 20 year old crossed the Rainbow Bridge. We always rescue black or tuxedo cats because people are so cruel to them.
Our older cats were called R2 (short for Ratty Two-y, he was the nephew of Ratty) and Kookaburra.
Ours are indoor and outdoor cats in that we let them out during the day but keep them in at night because of the wildlife in the fields. And they tend to leave fewer hairs when they're short-haired and groom outside.
They are the best of pals - they know when you're upset or feeling poorly and will come for a cuddle.
Helen - big hugs on losing Blocker. He's on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, happy and whole again and waiting for you.
Pink Peony - I hear you on medicating - can't pill a cat to save my/their life! I had to do drops at various points, either orally or in their eyes and that was a major stress.
Dianna - not as bad as the little girl who brought my cat's collar which she found at the bottom of her empty goldfish pond - oops!
Great topic, Joanie. I know we have lots of pet lovers among our Bandita Buddies!
And a happy birthday (#29, I hear) to you, Joan!
Helen, I agree. I'll bet the grandkiddies wore the rooster out yesterday.
Ah, pets! I adore them. When they belong to someone else. My friend Kelly has 6 -- count them SIX -- Tibetan Spaniels. They are adorable, gorgeous, well-bred dogs and I enjoy them when I visit.
My son Tyler had a pet blue ribbon snake called SLASH. Now that was lots of fun. Slash was always getting out of his terrarium and terrorizing my three daughters who shared a bedroom. Yep, lots of fun!
Joan, Happy Birthday!
Hey, my cousin has two rabbits and she has trained them to use the litter box. I tried to talk hubby into that, but I figured his eye rolling was a no.
Virginia,
I actually enjoyed my fish tank when I had it. I had fed the beta's from the top of the water and successfully bred a swordtail! Well, one of the eggs survived I called it "Oops"
Why Terri, did I get a flash of Sylvester and Tweety?
So sorry about Chesney but it is sweet that Bumblebee and Gracie commune with each other...
Though you'd have to worry that Bumblebee is thinking "Mustard or Ketchup" :-)
Anna,
Your cats are pretty and definately, because of the work hour issues, I'd need a cat who, as my friend points out, does not have an owner...they have "staff"
Eeekkk!! A SNAKE, Jo??!!!!
Sorry, that one never has nor ever will be on a list for pet consideration.
That's why God made mongooses...
Over the years, we have had two
pets. A dog named Chocolate Chip
when the children were small and
a cat named Gerald who ruled the
house for 13 years. We do have a
couple of "granddogs." DD1 and
family have a yellow Lab named
Snickers and DS2's family has a
Weimaraner named Lexie. As for
pet rocks, the children had
several back in the day. Our 3
youngest granddaughters are very
much into a certain brand of
stuffed animals. The animals are
usually at the top of their gift
lists! In fact, I just ordered
9 of the stuffed pets, enough for their next two birthdays and for
Christmas! (They were on sale &
I jumped at the chance to make
the purchase.)
Pat Cochran
Joan, we have Herself, the yellow lab who bosses our household.
Before her, we had Hudson and Maggie, a golden retriever and golden/Irish setter mix. Hudson had the temperament of an Edwardian gentleman, very polite and dutiful, while Maggie thought she was Queen of the Universe Boss of Everybody and tended to be on the zany side.
Before them, we had Hannah, a "petite" golden retriever with a reddish coat who was sweet and companionable and curious.
Dogs do tend to be high-maintenance compared to cats and birds. All our dogs were someone's castoffs. Two were being adopted out by their families and one was a pound rescue. They were all older dogs (Herself was 6, but the others were 7 or older, which makes them "senior" and very hard to place) who were housebroken and sweet and much in need of love.
So naturally we let them take over.
Pet rocks are easier, but they don't love you back.
Happy Birthday Joanie!
Oh, I could not live without pets. But if they're in your house, you do have to lower the bar for housekeeping. There is no way around it. I've tried. And failed.
But as we have no children, we bring fur children into our lives to help fill that void. And I don't know what I'd do without them. My house would seem SO lonely without the pitter patter and flutter of feet and wings. Without the buffalo stampede of cat chases in the middle of the night....
Yeah, we're animal people. I guess I always will be. I am now partly because even if I didn't want a pet around, I know that the animals keep me from growing into an inflexible old lady.
Pets push the boundaries just like kids do, and keep me from becoming so set in my ways. They make me stop and recognize when I'm on such a single-minded track that I need to relax a bit. So I need them in more ways than just for the comfort and love they give.
Pets keep me human.
WE have three dogs, two cats, and two birds at present. Oh, and a hive full of honey bees, which aren't exactly pets, but I do worry about them a lot. :0)
Hey Pat!
What stuffed animal is in vogue now? I remember when Beanie Babies were.....
Hey...that could work. Stuffed animal and "rock like" beans....
Um, Stacy....gotta put worms on the same list as snakes....
Ugh....
Do you name them? Is one Wild? One Whooly?
I repeat, ugh
Your menagarie (?sp) sounds lovely Nancy.
I imagine older dogs are harder to place. Glad the whole crew found you!
Thanks Cassondra!
I'd always worried about the image of being ahem, mature...single lady with a cat.
But what you're saying is one of the reasons I started considering one.....
Hmmm.....
Oh dear god. The pet. We have a couple of cats. One's a crotchety old bastard that lives outside, and attacks anyone who approaches the house that's not me. Yes, that includes my wife and son. He thinks he's a lion or something.
The other is a neurotic paranoid freak that has taken up permanent residence in my bedroom. Refuses to leave. Because, there's a creature out there. And it's big. And it's fast. And it's spazzy.
Then there's the creature. See, on one of these intarwebs forum things, one of the members is an animal control officer. Far away. In Atlanta. He posts on the forum that there's a cinnamon-colored Siberian Husky in his kill shelter. It had three days to live. I showed a pic to Mrs. P226, who said, "awwwwwwww can we save her?"
So. Off to Atlanta I went. One day, 1200 mile round-trip, about 800 of it in snow and ice, in a rear-wheel-drive Mustang.
And now we have the creature that frightens the neurotic cat. The blue-eyed creature. This dog can navigate the entire house without ever touching a horizontal surface. She spends more time in the air than on the ground. She is a power-flopper.
I should define power-flopper. See, she'll pull some acrobatic stunt like jumping from a chair, to the vertical face of a recliner, then from there clear the ten feet or so to the couch. She'll rotate her body 180 degrees in the horizontal, and 90 degrees in the vertical, and land in a perfect sitting position on the couch. Your presence in her landing zone is not a consideration.
You'd think this would be sufficient. But no. She's often not completely comfortable with her first landing. So she'll spring into the air about three feet, and completely reconfigure her body, say, into the "laying down" position, complete with her head between her paws. Again, your presence in the landing zone, or in the rotational perimeter of husky parts is not a consideration. This... is the power-flop.
p226....
Ok, you've given a whole nother meaning to the word pet.
Dear Lord, you should have attached the "creature" to the top of your Mustang...he could have flown you home!!!
But don't you feel good about saving the creature???? Providing safe haven for the neurotic freak? Meaning something to the cranky bastard?
Isn't that what owner/pet relationships are about? :-)
Oh indeed. To the neurotic freak, I mean a warm place to sleep and knead when it's cold at night. My sleep, of course, is completely irrelevant.
And yeah, sure, I feel ok about saving the power-flopper. I'll feel better if my jaw isn't broken from a Husky hip-bone and rotational inertia from her "repositioning" herself for more comfort on the couch.
And I mean something to the cranky bastard too. Food.
Oh, and little is more comical than seeing a house cat attack a herd of deer. And drive them off.
That's comic gold. The cranky old bastard is good for entertainment on occasion.
P226 said:
Oh, and little is more comical than seeing a house cat attack a herd of deer. And drive them off.
That's comic gold. The cranky old bastard is good for entertainment on occasion.
Y'all really have to get a video camera. I need to see this.
My admiration for Mrs. p226 has raised expotentially....
Poor woman is attacked by the cranky bastard AND the raging hawk!!!
It's a wonder she leaves the house!
Well, the cranky bastard is an equal-opportunity hater. He chased my sister down the driveway, and about a quarter mile down the road. He REALLY doesn't like her.
Ohhhhh how I laughed.
Hey - Happy Birthday Joan! (Just another day to add stress - snicker).
I've had dogs and loved them to death. Yes, they require some work, getting up in the morning, walking in crappy weather, arrangements when you travel - but the benefits are totally worth it. I know people who say caring for their puppy managed to make them survive chemo. Animals know when you need their support and they'll cuddle up next to you to let you know you're loved - unconditionally.
I've had cats and loved them as well. They're so independent that when they jump up into your lap, or grace you with a stroke from their tail - you know you're special. There's something so soothing about that purr. Cats are great.
Right now, we have a snail - Killer. He's fun to watch but not much on interaction (grin). I'm allowing my dh some pet free time to enjoy not having dog or cat hairs on his pants. But it's temporary. He'll cave eventually and we'll get another pet.
Oooh, pets!!! I adore pets. I drive my husband CRAZY with our pets.
Lets see, we have a 3 1/2 year old Rottweiler named Tinkerbell. She weighs in at a lean 105, and was the runt of the litter.
We have a neurotic shepherd mix named Sierra. She was supposed to be big as a mountain range... but isn't.
We have 4 cats. Persephone (yes, she is Queen of the Underworld), Rhea (her son was Zeus), Gypsy and Spike (can you tell I didn't name the last one?).
We have a turtle named Chomper and a parakeet named Melody.
If I had a pet rock, I'd name it Stone. Or anything inspired by the Flinstones!
LOL, Joan! Snakes are actually loads of fun as pets for boys. They're fascinating when they shed their skin, heck when they eat!
But when Slash got out and slithered around looking for a warm place to hunker up against, yep, when for the girls all every time!
I think I had utter moments of madness as a young mother!
HAPPY HAPPY B.Day, Joanie!
I'm another of those rabid dog lovers (Sorry, Fo's punning must be rubbing off)! I don't think I could make it through the day without my 2 girls (the Pug-Wa-Wa and the Yorkie Unholy Terrier), who were both rescues. Actually it's debatable who rescued whom. ;-)
I like Deb's idea of a rabbit. They are soft and cuddly (unlike a pet rock) and I've heard they are very easy to litter box train.
As my BFF and I like to say, pets are the only TRUE LOVE money can buy!
AC
Hey, Joan! Right now we're petless but we're thinking about getting a dog. My kids want to name him Apollo but I think that's what my niece named her puppy so we'll see :-)
Hugs on all the stress!!
Joanie, we don't have any pets but if we did, it would be a pet rock! It's easy to take care of since I kill plants -- LOL!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR JOANIE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!
And many more....
XOXO
I am familiar with the fad of pet rocks, but I have never had one. Our dog is definitely relaxing to be around. He gets one's mind off of the troubles that might be bothering us. He is an outside dog, but doesn't bother a thing when terrible weather has us let him spend the night inside. Never have seen a flea.
Ohhhhh how I laughed.
Now, p.....
Stress free birthday? Well, when you consider that it's 8 pm and I'm already in my jammies....
A snail? Really? Is it like SpongeBob's Gary? LOL.
Wow Dr. Dolittle Tawny! Quite a collection.....
Stone? How about Barney or Fred?
Mine was the original "Rock"
:-)
Hi AC!!!
Now a pet rock COULD be soft and cuddly..if covered in moss :-)
Your girls sound sweet.....
Apollo is a good name Beth....
I was considring "Spanky"...because of the silly way my brother said it....
But it didn't FLOW off the tongue.
Here Spanky, Spank, Spank
Awww Thanks Andrea!
It's been a great birthday. Sadly, no presents that wiggled or purred or squeaked or (Thank God) slithered...
Gladys,
Good to know about the fleas.....I'm itching just thinking about it!
If I had a fence, where I could let it out more...maybe...
Hey, Helen, he must have liked the Tim Tams!
JT, happy birthday! I hope you have a great day. What a gorgeous post. I'm in kinda the same dilemma - my big problems are I don't drive (vet, pet food, litter, etc.) and I'm away a lot. It's a pity - I'd love a cat to keep my company while I torture my heroes. Hmm, I think a cat would like that aspect of my work! I must admit I treat the bearded dragons who live in the garden a bit like pets. Well, at least I talk to them. They can feed themselves and I really don't care where they go to squat. Do bearded dragons squat? The mind boggles!
Hi, Joan,
I purposely left the brand name
out of my previous note because
I didn't know if that would be
consider an "ad." I didn't want
to cause any problems. I will say
that the name begins with a "W."
Pat Cochran
Dragons as pet.
Anna, you win the prize today!
Happy Birthday, Joanie !!
Helen, you have everyone's favorite portable pet today. Good luck!
I have had every kind of pet imaginable. Everything from tarantulas, to tortoises, to six foot lizards, to 13 foot snakes, to horses, to ferrets, to hedgehogs, to a Russian blue fox, to raccoons(Only for three months. They were orphans and I only had to raise them until they were ready to survive at a wild refuge on their own. This was AFTER they dismantled my kitchen cabinets. It wasn't pretty!)A wolf hybrid, dogs (one born blind, several born deaf and one with only three legs) cats, birds from finches (quiet, easy, low maintenance, come in a wide variety of colors and don't require a huge cage unless you just want them to have one.) to a blue and gold macaw who cussed like a sailor and enticed my old Rottweiler over to her cage just so she could bite him.
So, yes, I have shared my life with many animals over the years and I wouldn't change a thing. I would be in a clock tower somewhere with a rifle if it weren't for my dogs and cats.
Thanks Louisa!
Wow...you win for variety alone!
You're welcome, Joanie! Hope it was a great one. Check out Lady Gould finches. They are gorgeous and very low maintenance and their little peeps are so quite an soothing. Perfect pets and low maintenance.
Joan. I'm blaming you. And there is much blame to lay indeed.
You see... Mrs. P226 and I had the house to ourselves for about three hours while the kid was off doing kid stuff. The house to ourselves. In the afternoon. Did I mention we had the house to ourselves?
And... as the kinds of activities that might occur with the house to ourselves begin to occur, we hear the clicking and clacking of our screen door opening and closing twice.
The next scene is me pieing off the corner into my living room with a .45. And JUST a .45.
I found an empty living room. The spazz pulled a Houdini on us. She opened the door and was *gone*. The pursuit involved eight neighbors, a 300 horsepower car, one minor dog skirmish, and at some point, a clearly an epic roll and wallow on a long dead .... something.
I just got out of the tub, having given the hyperspaz a bath. I blame you for all this Joan, for blogging on pets today. ;)
I'm coming in late, but wanted to add in our pet, Rocky. Or as I call him, Rocky the wonder dog. My shadow, nap pal and writing partner! Also assistant babysitter.
Happy Birthday, Joanie!!
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