Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Of the eight cats I have “Cool Hand Luke” is the only one who comes to me.  She also sleeps nearby.  I brought her into the family when I married my wife over nine years ago.  Some of the other cats tolerate me and others even go into the opposite direction when I approach them so I appreciate her. (Yes, she is a female.)  “Cool Hand Luke” is completely black as were the dog and other cat I brought into the marriage–now both dead.  You never really own a cat.  In fact, they own you.  The dog I owned “Daisy” was really special to me.  It was the first dog I raised from a pup and also the first dog I trained although she was an adult when I did that.  When I was in the living room, she never took her eyes off of me and was one mighty stubborn dog.  Now I have a special relationship with “Tilla” one of my four dogs.  I never thought anyone would replace Daisy but he has.

Tags: black cat, cats, cats own you, Cool Hand Luke, Daisy, dogs, eight cats, first dog I trained, four dogs, pets, Tilla
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Love your pets while you still have them.  We put to sleep Slinky, one of our cats.  It was really hard.  She was this timid, really affectionate black cat I had since a kitty.

I woke up this morning and she was no longer there.  She was in heaven.  I would do any thing to see her again.  At least, she was no longer suffering.

Lynelle and I gently stroked her body as she lay on the table as the vet administered the drug that put her to sleep.

She was this innocent gentle cat that loved to hang out in the bathroom window and never got enough of our strokes.  I had taken her for granted.

I wish I had appreciated her more when she was on this earth.  I have now seven cats and four dogs.  I no longer want to take any of my pets for granted.  They are only on loan to us.  As every thing else.

Tags: affectionate, animals, bathroom window, black cat, cat, dogs, eight cats, everything is on loan to us, four dogs, God, Heaven, kitty cat, love your pets, no longer suffering, on this earth, pets, pets are on loan to us, put to sleep, seven cats, Slinky, take for granted, veterinarian
Posted in animals, beauty, death, God, health, life, local, love, pets, relationships, time, wisdom | 4 Comments »

I feel bad for our cat Slinky:  she is dying from a tumor.  I am not sure we can do anything about it.  She is a black female cat, somewhat timid but very affectionate, over eight years old.

We have a total of eight cats and four dogs.  That still does not make it any easier.  We could give her a cat scan, which might indicate whether the tumor is treatable but it is very expensive.

I am torn.  She was sitting on my lap just a few days ago and I realized how much I loved her.  It is so hard to let go.  I imagine some of my other pets dying.  I know they will but my mind is balking at the thought of any of them dying.

I love each pet.  Each pet is different and has a distinct personality.  And I have a special relationship with each.

I believe God has put pets in our lives to teach us to let go and love again.  We usually outlive them.  It is so hard to see any of them die.

Tags: 12 pets, affectionate cat, black cat, CAT scan, cats, death, dogs, dying from a tumor, each animal has a personality, eight cats, four dogs, God, love, love your pets, outlive our pets, pets, Slinky, special relationship with pets, teach us to let go and love again, timid cat
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Thank God for my pets.  Somehow I believe it is no accident my second wife also loves animals.  I never had pets growing up.  I love all of my pets.  All eight cats and all four dogs.  It is a menagerie.  And it is true I can’t go on vacation so easily but that is a small price to pay.

There is Tilla one of the pups we kept of our golden retriever (we kept two) who is a paradox extremely aggressive but timid at the same time.  For example, if you throw four scraps to our four dogs, he usually will get three if you don’t stop him.

He actually let my daughter pet him the last time she was over (that was a first).  He still runs in the other direction when my son approaches him.  And he is good with pets.

Coco is the other pup of Sweetie and extremely affectionate although she can be pretty insistent when she wants to go out.  She will sit at our feet front legs crossed sometimes–a real lady.  She gets along with everyone.

My eight cats are all different (the one unfixed female, now fixed) had two litters–one and three.  Pumpkin the only surviving cat from the first litter is one quiet, laid back cat who seems to get along with all the other seven.

The other three from the second litter of Jasmine’s are Cheyenne, China, and other whose name temporarily escapes me.  Both Cheyenne and China are long haired.  The mother is shorted (???) haired, small and dainty but able to take well care of herself.

Cheyenne is one beautiful although somewhat wild cat.  He usually does not let me pet him.  If I get too close, he gives me the eye as if to ask me “how dare you approach me?”

China is one exotically black and white colored cat who is one cool character.  He is extremely laid back and nothing seems to faze him.  I always have trouble remembering the sexes of our cats.

Cool Hand Luke a black female cat I brought into this marriage who hangs out in our bedroom and is appropriately named.  I have another completely black cat “Slinky”.

It is hard to tell the two apart although if you pet them you can tell the difference immediately.  “Slinky” is somewhat timid and extremely affectionate.

Tiger is the third cat from the second litter of Jasmine also appropriately named who sorts (???) blends in with every one.

Buttons is the other tiger looking cat who decided to adopt our family.  He showed up at our doorsteps and my wife started feeding him and when he got his shots, she let him come in.

He knew a good thing when he came in:  he did not go out for months again.  He is the newest member of our menagerie.  He does, at times, terrorize the other cats.

He also terrorized the vet and her staff during his exam:  It took them ten minutes to catch him in the exam room when he squirmed out of the grasp of the vet and three people were chasing him around the room (the vet called for backup).

He scratched the hell out of the vet in the process.  He is still a (???) somewhat wild although he has calmed somewhat after he got fixed.  That pretty much takes care of our cats.

Pax, the father of the pups, is the only pet of ours not mentioned by name.  He is the biggest and oldest dog close to an hundred pounds, an Rottweiler mix.

He suffered from bad ear infections and only at the vet where they put a muzzle on him would he allow anyone to go near to clean them.  It took me awhile before I lost my fear of him.  The veterinary helper called him a “baby.”  He is one dog I never want to get out he is one scary looking dog.

There is also Sweetie our golden retriever who is aptly named.  She will stand there forever letting you pet her.  She is one happy-go-lucky dog who always likes to have something in her mouth.  She was traumatized by her original owner who would lock her up for hours.  That is how we got her and that is the last of our menagerie.

Tags: Add new tag, big dog, Buttons, cats, Cheyenne, China, Coco, Cool Hand Luke, dogs, ear infection, eight cats, four dogs, God, golden retriever, happy-go-lucky dog, Jasmine, menagerie, my daughter, my son, my wife, Pax, pets, Pumpkin, quiet laid back cat, rottweiler mix, Slinky, Sweetie, thank God, Tiger, Tilla, veterinarian
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My one pup (he is at least two now) “Atilla” is a “funny” dog.  When he wants attention or thinks he is not getting enough, he locks himself in either the bathroom or our office.  And waits until we get him.  We usually hear the door quietly close.

Sometimes when he is in the office with us he will close the door behind us to make sure no other animal will come in to compete for his attention.  We have four dogs and eight cats.  At least this is our guess.  You never know for sure what is in a dog’s mind.

Tags: a dog's mind, animals, Atilla, bathroom, cats, close the door, dogs, eight cats, four dogs, funny dog, get attention, our office, pets
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I was doing something this morning I was not looking forward to:  Replacing the urine stained newspaper and then getting rid of the poop in the dining room.  I simply did not want to this morning.  One of my dogs (we have four) still uses this room as a bathroom.

A little voice told me to thank God for doing that.  Most of my life I did not have pets.  I always wanted them although growing up my mother was simply too fastidious to even consider having them so I do not remember even asking her permission to have a pet.

The last twenty-two years I have had pets.  My two wives both loved dogs and cats.  So I decided to thank God for the task of picking up poop and handling soiled newspaper.

That is a small price to pay for the joy of having four dogs and eight cats.  Each pet has a different personality and are a joy to have.  All that is only by grace.  And cleaning up the dining room reminded me it is a privilege to have pets.  So thank you God for that!

Tags: cats, dogs, each pet has different personality, eight cats, everything-is-by-grace, four dogs, God, joy, joy to have pets, my mother, pets, poop, privilege to have pets, thank God, urine
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Coco is a darling.  She is a mid-sized female mongrel, almost completely black with a small splash of white under her neck.  Her spirit is lovely:  she is gentle and loving.  She likes her privacy.  She will often spend hours outside by herself.  She is one of four dogs we own.

She is bowlegged and is “mouthy”:  she will grab you by her teeth although she does not bite.  She has never bitten anyone.  She is quiet and can be quite insistent when she wants to go out.

She is confident, will not beg for attention but of course likes it.  Once in awhile she will roll on her back to get a belly rub but only once in a while.

Her brother the infamous “Tilla” or “Atilla the Hun” as he is originally named, will want a belly hug almost every time he is approached but “Coco” will only ask for it once in awhile.

I love “Coco”.  Don’t tell me dogs don’t have spirits and personalities.  They all do.  Every pet I have ever had had a distinct personality.  Coco is one lovely affectionate dog.  She is just not as demanding as her brother.  I have fallen in love with Coco.

I love all my pets:  all eight cats and four dogs.  Yes, we have a menagerie.  As time goes on, I will write about the other pets, too.

Tags: affection, belly hug, belly-rub, cats, Coco, dogs, dogs' personality, eight cats, every pet has distinct personality, four dogs, gentle and lovely, lovely spirit, menagerie, pets, privacy, Tilla
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There are many characters in our house.  I will mention a few.  We have a menagerie here:  eight cats and four dogs.  And each pet has a distinct personality.  Let us start off with one of the dogs, the oldest–“Pax”.

“Pax” is a rottweiler/boxer mix.  He is one intimidating dog–almost an hundred pounds–scary as all hell.  He is really a pussy cat–all bark and no bite.  He will run out into the yard and situate himself in the furthest right hand corner and bark at his neighbor who had the audacity to walk out into his yard which is directly across the street.

“Pax” is a scaredy cat.  We have to bring him to the vet when his ears need to be cleaned out; for they muzzle him there.  He is a baby as big as he is.  It is difficult giving him antibiotics to clear up his ear infection.  We have to fool him.  Give him something he likes like bread, put a pill in one slice and then keep coming with the slices so he has to swallow one before he can eat the next.

When we were down to one dog, “Sweetie”, a female golden retriever, entered our lives.  “Pax” wanted nothing to do with her (did I mention “Pax” is a he).  It was hilarious.  No matter how many times he growled at her, she threw herself on him over and over.  Sweetie is one happy go lucky dog.

We planned to get her fixed as soon as possible; but the worst possible scenario happened and you guessed it “Pax” impregnated “Sweetie”.

The day we were supposed to be at my sister’s house in Plymouth, Sweetie had seven pups on our bed no less.  One died and we sold four and I did not have the heart to separate the last two.  So “Atilla the Hun” (“Tilla” for short) and Coco entered our lives.

I have to say “Atilla The Hun” is not vicious by by (???) means but is aggressive:  If you throw four scraps of food at the feet of our four dogs, he will get three.  I call him “Atilla The Hun” because others laugh at that name.  He is really a sweet dog although he does not realize he is all of sixty-six pounds for he will sometimes try to snuggle on our laps.

There will be more about theses two pups and you will see why “Tilla” was originally named “Atilla The Hun”. In fact he may warrant an entire blog or more to relate his antics. (to be continued)

Tags: cats, Coco, dog loves bread, dog on our laps, dogs, each pet has a distinct personality, ear cleaning, eight cats, four dogs, God, golden retriever, happy-go-lucky dog, menagerie, my sister, Pax, pets, Plymouth, rottweiler mix, seven pups, Sweetie, Tilla, veterinarian
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I get so absorbed in the beginning of the day I simply do not notice the birds coming to my feeders.  In the first few hours I am waking up.  I really do not know what happens to me the first hours of the morning.

I am very focused in the beginning and can’t relax.  I make my daily trip to the post office, spray their fern, check my box.  There are always the pets I have to take care of:  we have a menagerie–eight cats and four dogs.  The dogs are always eager to go out and do their thing in the yard and they are none too shy about telling me.

At some point, my concentration switches.  I have done the most pressing tasks and can relax a bit.

I did notice some others things earlier:  I forgot that in the middle of the woods someone once planted a clump of daffodils.  I noticed that they were white and also a larger variety unlike the others in our yard.

I also noted that the blackberry and raspberry bushes had new growth (I can not tell them apart this time of the year).  I was thrilled to notice that.  In June and July I will be picking raspberries and blackberries respectively.  I can’t wait.  The only downside, I attract ticks picking berries and they gross me out when I discover one on me.  I just want to get rid of them as quickly as possible.  My wife always wants to gently release them in our yard.

I still remember once last summer discovering seven ticks on me after one berry picking expedition and frantically shook them off of me.  This year I plan to put repellent on me and expose as little skin as I can when I pick the berries.

My wife made several pies last year and I can’t wait to taste another one.  I absolutely love blackberry and raspberry pies.  Last year at the end of the season I accidentally discovered a gigantic patch of blackberries I did not know was there.  I was trying to reach some berries and had gone further into the woods than I had ever gone and there it was.  I will have to fight my way through a wall of briers but I will have more blackberries than I can ever pick.  This time I will freeze some and give away more pies.  Of course my wife will have to bake them.

To get back to the birds, who I do not see right away when I get up, sometimes I am not really here and I am in some different place and at some different time.  It might take a few hours to settle down in the present and do nothing for awhile.  Then I will notice the birds who come in a steady stream all day.  I just have to slow down.  And do nothing.  For awhile.

Tags: berry bushes, bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, blackberries, blackberry pie, cats, daffodils, deer-tick, dogs, eight cats, flowers, four dogs, my wife, pets, pies, plants, post office, raspberries, raspberry pie, ticks, woods
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