Give Thanks...That We Knew And Loved SamDean

 My son thought our four-year old rag doll cat was sleeping. When he checked a little while later and the cat had not moved, he realized something was wrong. He had passed. No warning, as far as we could tell...just there last night when we went to sleep, gone today.

We're blessed to have known him.

Not long ago, we were home to two dogs and two cats. Now, we're down to one...my son's dog. Losing a pet leaves a void, a pain in your soul that takes time to heal, if it ever can. We rescued SamDean as a weeks-old kitten. We had no idea what type of cat he was, but we took a chance. He surprised us all the way he kept growing and growing until he tipped the scales around twenty pounds. 

He had the loudest purr, and the most brilliant eyes on a cat I've ever seen.

Because our dog never grew to accept him like we did, we kept them separated, which wasn't ideal, but it allowed us to keep him under our roof.

After we discovered him this morning, I did some research. Our best guess is a heart condition took him from us. It can strike with little or no warning. 

There's no proof, of course, but I feel animals understand things. I'd like to think SamDean knew we loved him, knew we gave him a home and food and shelter, knew he lived in a safe space. I also feel that we'll be reunited in the future. The love between our pets and ourselves feels other-worldly, something beyond the temporal, bordering the eternal. Our family is blessed to have known and loved SamDean. We're thankful we could be part of his life.

R.I.P., SamDean Winchester. You'll be truly missed.

As The Cat's World Turns...

If you own pets, there will surely come times when life throws you a curve ball. The most pets we've had at the same time under our roof was four, two cats and two dogs. When we lost our little dog--our family's first pet--we didn't replace her. That was not the case when we lost one of our cats. Within a few weeks, we rescued a tiny kitten and brought him home.

A lot has happened since then. The tiny kitten grew...

And grew...

And grew. He's now close to twenty pounds--a force to be reconned with.

Last fall, a case of the sniffles visited our family (it's happened to a lot of people...). After we all recovered, something changed. The no-longer-small-ball-of-fur was causing problems. It seems we were more allergic to the cat than before.

We then were faced with a decision...we either move the cat downstairs or find a new home for him. The downstairs option didn't work out because of our older, more "bullying" cat who had already claimed the basement as his domain...not an option. A few weeks ago, our older cat passed away. We discussed putting our remaining cat downstairs, but we weren't sure. We still had some issues to resolve.

We thought about other option, the "finding him a new home" option. Since last fall, I posted about our cat on this blog--no takers. We put up flyers at our local grocery stores--no takers, until last Friday. I got a text asking if we still had our cat. We said we did. The text-er wanted to drop by Saturday to take him home and see if he could get along with their other cat.

When that text came in, we wondered again if we wanted him gone. Of course, we didn't, but we thought maybe it would be the best if we found him a new home.

Saturday came, the text-er did not. We decided to put the cat downstairs. Last night was his first night in the basement. We weren't sure how he'd do, but he weathered the change better than I thought he would. Today he did even better. None of us like change, including cats. We're hoping this works out. We sure like having him around...just not as close as before.

Maybe...I Should Create A Cat Blog

 

What is it about cats?

We have two. We'd like to have one. So, what to do with the other one?

Maybe I should make a cat blog.

Blogs...I don't think anyone writes blogs anymore. Okay, that's not true. Some of us still write blog posts--the problem isn't enough writers, but readers.

Then, there's cats. Though I have not researched the subject matter thoroughly, I hear a lot of people like to view pictures and videos of cats on the world wide web. They're very popular. 

Then, I would write silly...some would say, stupid...captions and phrases to the pictures/videos. I'm sure it would be an internet sensation.

But, will I do it? Will I start yet another blog? Even though the subject matter is definitely worth it, I don't think I'll be blogging about SamDean Winchester.

But, who knows? Maybe I will.

Time will tell.

Destroyed TV...I Blame The Cat

We all heard the crash, of course, the only one in the room at the time...

Was the cat.

I was working. The boys were in their rooms. My wife was in the front room. In our house, it's not normal to hear things crashing to the ground, so I jumped up to make sure everyone was okay. When I opened the door from my office, I spotted the TV, not atop the dresser like it should have been. No...it was laying destroyed on the bedroom floor

Maybe it still works, so I returned it to the dresser and plugged it in.

I got an ode to St. Patrick's Day.

We had to toss it...too bad, it was a good, old--yet reliable set that served us well for almost a decade. It survived a move, and several cats. It did, however, not survive our huge rag doll cat.

There were times, when it was just the cat and I, when we were watching a program--most likely, a sports program--the cat would jump up on the dresser and scratch at the action on the screen. Then, he would stretch to his full length (which is very long...) and place his paws over the top of the TV. I had only ever seen him do it when there was something on the screen.

Looks like he didn't have to have something on the screen to be interested in the TV.

We love our cat...I mean, he's a cat and even though he caused the damage, his brain didn't understand what he did. Such is the life of a cat.

Oh...we're still looking for a home for him and if you're thinking he might be the perfect cat for you, we'll even throw in a wall TV mount...for free. 

If Anyone Is Looking For An Amazing Furry Friend...We Have The Perfect Solution

 We have two cats. Turns out, it's one too many. Sometimes, when you rescue an animal things don't work out. A few years ago, the previous cat we rescued passed away and in our grief, we found a weeks-old kitten and brought him home.

What an amazing cat he's turned out to be.

This little guy, a rag doll, got big. He's not the biggest cat out there--he's not fat, just thick. We found out one day that he plays fetch. Not every day, but when he feels like it. We'd throw a hair elastic across the room and he'd go get it. We also sort of trained him to go into his pet carrier, also. We don't do either very much any more, but it was a blast getting to know that he did those things.

Since he was my daughter's cat, she named him SamDean Winchester, after a certain brother duo on a certain long-running paranormal/supernatural show.

This past summer, we found out the family became allergic to SamDean more than usual, and because of the potential respiratory issues that can show up at any time, being more allergic to a cat makes things worse. 

We are heartbroken to have to find a new home for SamDean, but we know there's someone out there who needs an amazing, loving, opinionated pet with the most incredible blue eyes. He's never been outside--always an inside cat. If you or anyone you know would love to have this cat be part of their family, please let us know. We'd love for him to find a good home.

The Cat's New Weapon...Snuggles

 Animals have, over the years, developed ways to make their lives better, at least, that's the conclusion I've reached. They do things that--I can only surmise--they find satisfaction in doing. And I've got some personal experience to back this up.

Our cat has resorted to...

Snuggling.

Now, each cat is an individual with their own personalities, their own patterns and norms. I'm sure there are many many cats our there who like to snuggle, just as there are many that don't. Our particular cat would at times come and sit on my chest as I lay on the bed and watched TV. He's done that for a long time. After a while, he gets bored and leaves in search of something...I don't know what. Such is the nature of cats.

However, the past couple of times I've taken a break, the cat has maneuvered to my side and snuggled up against me. It's an odd move for him.

I've stated before on this blog that I do not understand cats. I did not grow up with them in our house and have only recently lived among them. I am learning, but snuggling from this cat was a surprise.

Of course, the whole thing could change tomorrow. He may change his mind and kick me off my own bed because of something I may or may not have done, or something the cat may believe I may or may not have done. I suppose time will tell.

Yes...snuggles. Say one thing about cats, they'll constantly surprise you.

It's A Cat's World...We're All Just Necessary Interruptions

 The other day I walked in on our cat, hanging out in our room and a thought came to me...it's really a cat's world. We're just necessary interruptions in that world.

I grew up with dogs, not cats. My mom didn't like cats, even though we got one and it disappeared shortly after we named it. We believe it migrated to our neighbor's house--she had so many cats, I'm not sure even she knew how many. We were always mad at that neighbor, but as I've grown older, I realize the cat was the one who made the decision to leave. The neighbor just took care of her, which is her being a good neighbor.

But the cat...it was that particular cat's world after all.

A few years ago we answered a classified ad for a kitty that had been abandoned by its mother. We drove south to see if we could help. There were two kittens. When we drove home, there was only one...the other came home with us. It's been an adventure ever sense.

The cat turned into a monster--almost 20 lbs, and he entertains us daily. 

What's amazing about having a pet is that, to them--obviously--it's their world. It's all they know. We, as their caretakers, know the world is much bigger than them. We know that without us they would need to find their own food, their own shelter. Animals have been doing this for as long as there have been animals. And yes, our pets in the wild would survive, at least for a little while. We know it's not entirely their world. But, we also know the world would not be the same without them.

When You Cat Has Amazing Blue Eyes...

 We picked up a kitten almost two years ago. The mother abandoned two and we could only adopt one. Because the one who found the kittens never saw the mother cat, we had no idea what the kitten would turn into as a cat.

Turns out he got big...

And he's got the most incredible eyes.

It's my daughter and son's cat. They named him SamDean Winchester after a couple of television show characters. As a kitten he literally ripped up my arms and legs. We wondered if he would ever calm down. Turns out, he did. Now, because I work ten-hour shifts, the cat his sometimes left alone. At the end of my shift, I'll go into the room and he will rush to meet me, curl up around my feet, and sometimes, attack my toes.

He'll even jump up on the window ledge and pose.

I took out my phone and snapped a couple of pictures.

SamDean is not the most non-photogenic cat we've ever had, but he does okay. Below are a couple of the pictures I took while SamDean looked at me and wondered if I would pet him, give him more food, or allow him to try and trip me up causing me to fall.

Maybe that's what's behind those blue eyes after all.

It's A Zoo Out/In There...

Today, I went upstairs to get my lunch and I ran into, first--our dog Patch. It's fitting I ran into her first. She's our oldest pet. She's blind and deaf and barks all the time. I think I would bark, too, if I were blind and deaf. She keeps surprising us with her ability to keep going.

I entered the house and was met warmly by Bec, our second dog. He's no longer officially a "puppy." but he's still got a lot of puppy instincts. He hears the basement door open and waits by the front door for me to walk through. He's been a wonderful companion for my son, and for all of us, really. Even though he's only been with us a little over a year, I can't imagine our home without him.

I came into the bedroom and was immediately seized upon by SamDean Winchester, the newest edition of the family. This little guy's a hand and leg-full. He torments Patch and Bec, along with the rest of us. I'm sure he loves every second of is as well. He's still a kitten. He no longer attacks us (very much...) and we think he might be mellowing. Time will tell if it lasts. But he's stolen our hearts.

As I leave the house, lunch in hand, I pass Teewinot, the pet we've had the longest. He's our hunter, our rock, annoyer of neighborhood--and our--dogs, and an animal that doesn't seem to give a crap what you think--he's going to lay down in the middle of the cul-de-sac and make you drive around him. We couldn't have asked for a better cat when we picked him up from my cousin's farm all those years ago. He's slowing down a little, which is to be expected.

Four animals and only Patch and SamDean can be in the same room at the same time. We have gates and closed doors, schedules and times when all the animals are asleep. It's truly a zoo both outside and inside. It's hard to imagine life with just one or two of these little guys. It seems like it would be so simple, but I'm sure it wouldn't be. Each one has their own personalities, their own traits, habits, quirks, and mannerisms.

Yes, it's a zoo, but one that makes life interesting.

Anticipation...Even Dogs Feel It

When you have a house with two dogs and two cats, and almost none can be in the same room at the same time and your house is not very big. Well, what you have there is a houseful of trouble.

With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for "Pet."

It also rhymes with the "T" sound in kitty and puppy and doggie.

We've got one old dog and one young dog, one old cat and a kitten. Only the two dogs can be together in the same room, and that's a recent development. The old dog is most likely not long for this earth and then we'll only have three pets. Things may get easier by a factor of one.

But two of these animals we hope will become friends. The problem is, the big one could eat the little one...literally. We're waiting for the kitten to get a little bigger before he meets the poodle. Right now, the kitten stays sometimes in our bedroom and the dog knows where the kitten is. The dog spends hours sitting in front of the door and when the kitten comes close to the door, the dog really freaks out.

We're hoping the kitten can come out and play with the dog to save our sanity (and the door..). We know it'll happen. It's just a matter of time.

And patience.

I've Discovered Something...No One Thinks Our Kids/Pets Are As Cute/Special As We Do

It used to be, back in the day, we would carry pictures of our kids/pets/boat in our wallets, and when we ran into friends we hadn't seen in a while, we'd break out the pictures to show them glimpses of your life. They'd say, "Wow--they've grown so much!" or "What kind of dog is that, a poodle mix?" or "So, you bought the 30-footer. That must be a pain to pull."

You'd catch up, then go your separate ways, until the next time you meet up and you hopefully have updated pictures of kids/pets/jet skis you bought after selling the boat. 

My, how things have changed. 

Now, due to advances in technology, not only can you post pictures and videos of your kids/pets/boats/cars/selfies and everything else 24/7, but you can check out millions of other people's posts of their kids/pets/boats/cars/selfies and everything else they post. And even though, to the ones posting, the things they're sharing with the world are the cutest things imaginable, others may find them cute as well, they'll never find them as cute as you do. 

It's just the way things are.

We just got a new kitty, and he has a name, SamDean Winchester. We've been taking care of him since Monday and I can personally say, this thing is one of the cutest things on the planet. But to everyone else--those not emotionally attached to the previously-mentioned kitty--it just doesn't mean as much. There's no way it can. All those baby pictures and pet pictures and vacation pictures people post, they definitely mean the world to them, but just not the same to us.

Of course, this won't stop us from posting all this stuff. I like to think of social media as keeping a digital journal, except the days of having your journal be "private property" are all but gone. It's good to post things and be happy/proud of those memories. Just don't get upset when we don't feel the same way as you. 

Naturally, the only exception of my theory is SamDean Winchester. There's no way to argue his awesome cuteness.

*Video clip from Napoleon Dynamite used without permission