Meet The Furbabies

On  days like today when the animals are being really annoying it's good to remind myself why I love them! We don't have any kids, nor planning to in the near future (if ever) but that's a different topic for a different day. We do how ever have 3 furbabies! We took the dogs out for a walk the other day and I brought along my new (is it still new if I've had it since November but hardly used it?) camera lens and snapped a few pictures.

 

This is Butch.

 

[caption id="attachment_303" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="So ugly he's cute?"][/caption]

 

He's a mutt... his dad was shi-tzu and his mom was part miniature pinscher and part chihuahua.  He's super fierce and has quite the character. And yappy. He thinks he's a big dog. And he's pretty sure he runs the place. He's 2 1/2 years. We got him originally because I went to school during the day and Jon worked in the evenings so we never saw each other much.  This little guy was to keep me company.

 

[caption id="attachment_314" align="aligncenter" width="274" caption="When we first got him"][/caption]

 

 

Then six months later we got some company who stayed to visit for a week, when they left I had two mopey boys. Jon had been trying to talk me into getting another puppy. A large breed this time. But I wasn't budging. But after seeing the way those two moped around the house sighing because they missed the company, I decided it didn't do any harm to just look right?

Wrong. I didn't stand a chance.

 

[caption id="attachment_305" align="aligncenter" width="442" caption="Kudjo taking a break"][/caption]

Kudjo is part Great Pyrenees and part Border Collie. He is pretty sensitive and very protective. He'll be 2 next month. And a huge tease to Butch. He hates the summer weather so we have to take him to the river every day to go swimming and cool off. But in the winter he can't get enough. It's been -40c and blizzarding and he's outside sitting in the snow whining for us  to come out and play.

 

After we got our second dog I said absolutely that's it. No WAY are we getting any more animals! And that's the way it was. For a year. By then we were living in BC in my Mom's basement suite. For my brother's birthday he talked my  mom into letting him get a kitten. So I was designated to drive him  out to my dad's farm and pick one up. We saw these two little ones that looked not so well. Dad said the mother snuck them into the house one day and then abandoned them. She had this weird habit of bringing every batch she's had into the house and hiding them. This time she put them in a laundry basket that was in front of the tv in the living room. Anyways, these poor orphan kittens needed to be fed throughout the day; normally my dad's gf does it but she was gone for a few weeks in the States visiting family and my dad works all the time so he was never home and couldn't. He was hoping the mother cat or a different cat would start to take care of them but so far nothing. So the kittens were slowly dying. Sad right! One had already died that afternoon, one was really close to dying, and the other one was still a bit more alert but not doing too well.

My brother LOVED the kitten that was more alert. He had noticed it the last time we had been out and had adored it. Then they started to put the guilt trip on me. How I HAD to take the other kitten because otherwise it would be completely all alone. And it was almost dying so I really HAD to take it and save it. Let me preface this by saying I hate cats. I have nothing against people who have cats and adore them. In fact my whole life growing up I had cats on the farm. Not the same I know but still. So the last thing I wanted was a kitten. But it made me so sad to see it so sluggish and dopey. So I said yes and started building my defense of what I'd say to Jon when I got home, as he isn't a cat fan either. But one look at Lucy and I didn't have to convince him to let her stay.

 

[caption id="attachment_316" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="Lucy"][/caption]

 

She was so small when we got her that it was hard to tell what gender she was. But she looked exactly the same as my brother's kitten so we figured they were both girls. Time goes on and they start to perk up and do better. Jon's brother moves in with us and he says "guys, I think Lucy might have a few different parts than his sister" We had kind of started to wonder as they grew but thought meh. But turns out Lucy is a HE So not long after we rushed to the SPCA to get them spayed/neutered. Imagine all the laughs in the packed waiting room when they call us up "Lucy. Neutering. Wait. yes neutering". They took one look at the kittens and didn't want to do the operation. They thought we were for sure lying about how old they were. We explained how they were malnourished when they were little. Eventually they agreed to do the operations but said they'd probably die. Which they didn't.

Anyways, all that to say. We Love Lucy. Even when he constantly hides surprises in our shoes. And are totally well... almost totally cat people now. It helps that Lucy adores me and never leaves my side. Except when he's napping with Kudjo. Those two are besties. We wouldn't trade our animals for anything. But that's it. NO MORE! I mean it this time!

Just for kicks and giggles I'll end with a lot few more pictures of the dogs from the other day in the snow.

[caption id="attachment_304" align="aligncenter" width="442" caption="His ball is a foot away and he's focused on waiting for the "go" command"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_311" align="aligncenter" width="442" caption="He loves fetching tennis balls, golf balls, and pucks!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_310" align="aligncenter" width="442" caption="Butch, Buddy (by bros dog), and Jon... my favorite picture from that day"][/caption]