Feeling fortunate to have our fur-babies

[MissMillie]

3 American Rat Terriers (Peanut, Billy and Audry)
1 Siamese cat (Cuddles or "Butt-Butt" )

As I sit here and type, Peanut is curled up next to me. All of the dogs wanted to sit w/ me, but Peanut got here first. With the dogs, it's especially nice for me because they were all here and completely devoted to Al (before I moved in)--but over the years they have not only warmed up to me, but they genuinely love me--and they show it every day.

And w/ Butt-Butt... well, let's just say that she appears to be determined to remain a kitten (despite being more than 2 years old) and she gives us hours of free entertainment.

I'm missing Cookie (another rat terrier) and Happy (our orange cat) who have both passed in the last 6 months. I know I'm not supposed to have favorites when it comes to the "kids" but Cookie was my favorite out of the dogs and Happy was my favorite of the two cats.

But I am keenly aware of how lucky we are to have ALL of them. They bring much joy.

[niyad]

1. Give those precious babies a hug for me. We are indeed lucky to have our furries.

[dixiechiken1]

2. So sweet... ❤❤❤

We had a scare with our Rottie ( Motley Lüe or "Punkin" ) about a month or two ago. He's 10-1/2 yrs old and out of the blue, he started limping pretty badly. We found a big lump on his hindquarter and took him in for multiple tests - x-rays, ultrasound, blood tests - trying to figure out what was going on. Couldn't get a definitive answer on anything. Oddly, THANKFULLY, the lump started going down on its own and is now almost gone. His gait is pretty much back to normal. Still not sure what any of that was but we are leaning towards pulled muscle. Very strange.

It was a good reminder to us, though, to cherish every moment we have with him. I get up every morning and tell him out loud how thankful I am for another day together and how much I love him. And then I spend every moment I can trying to prove myself worthy of his love.

Our fur babies are truly gifts we don't deserve. Thanks for the lovely and gentle reminder of how precious they are. ❤

[brewens]

3. I've been up for a couple hours, and my cat Silver has been over here giving me some

love with the paw massage three times. She's no lap kitty, but she gets right up on my chest in the recliner to do that. No matter what I'm doing, I always stop and let her do that and get pets for as long as she wants. Usually not long, then she lays down next to me.

She was a holy terror for the first two years, and I loved it. It took that long for her to sit still in my lap to get brushed. Now she's nine and still gets all riled up and makes me laugh. Every day is better because she is here.

[modrepub]

4. Favorites

We always remember the special ones. I'm reminded of the ending of Charlotte's Web,

“Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”

-E.B White