Asia

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Gotcha!

I see from my TimeHop that today is Ray’s Gotcha Day and truth be told, I knew it was around now but I’ve let the exact date escape my consciousness. You see, because I was there to witness his birth I would have always considered him “mine” in some way. Connected.
I don’t feel the need to celebrate the day he came to live in my house as much as I celebrate and cherish the day he came into my world and into my heart.

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So while I might not be able to cradle him in exactly the same way, you can be sure that if we are in the house together, chances are we’re near each other.

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I know that my life course has dramatically altered since my little piggy came into my life. There are things I do and think and want and feel just because of him so with that inspiration, after just one more sleep, I’ll be leaving my Gotcha boy in the very capable hands of his human sister while the hubby accompanies me on the fulfillment of a dream.

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Walk This Way

Asia has graciously offered up another post!

When Ray comes upstairs with me, he always has to reach the top first. No matter if I’m ahead of him the whole way until the last two stairs, he always pushes his big butt past me to win. I told my mom this and she said, “I’m not surprised, you are the same way.” And really, I am. Ray and I are lot alike, as well as my cat Miko is a lot like Ray and me.


Ray and I are both completely in love with our mommy, and sometimes all we want is her attention. Just being around her makes us feel happy. We will follow her around, and wait for her to get home. Ray is very calm most of the time, as am I, but we both also get so worked up sometimes that we can’t calm down. Me, while playing soccer and him while playing with his toys. I’ve found that Ray is a great opponent in soccer, and I enjoy playing with him.


When we got my cat Miko, he was just a baby and since we had two other cats he lived in my room with me for the first week or so. Everything in the house belongs to Miko, and if we get something new he is our inspector. I am very much the same way in everything is “mine, mine, mine!” Sometimes as a joke, but most of the time I am serious.

This makes me wonder, when our pets are born do they already have their own personality, or do their humans influence how they act? Do any of your pets act like you, and how so?

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G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

If you follow us on Facebook, then you’ve already seen this picture of Miss Glamour.

Beautiful girl

I was fortunate enough to escort her to Prom the Petco National Adoption Weekend.  But that wasn’t all!  Asia was able to volunteer at this event as well, so I got to spend the afternoon with two Glamour girls.

Glam squad

I actually got the option to take either Glamour or Casper and opted for our gal to help get her more exposure.  Casper has had some good interest, but so far no one has shown much intererst in Miss G. so I was hoping that we could light that spark. She is definitely a little firecracker and as the minutes ticked by I fell more and more for this little gal. 

Miss Glamour

She definitely attracted a lot of attention with her sparkling personality and super soft hair and  I was happy to get to spend a significant amount of time with her to see how she reacts away from the kennels.  This little miss wanted all the squeaky toys for herself and even darted in for the steal when her companions walked away from their toys. By the end of the event the score was Glamour 6 -Squeaky toys 0. 

We also had the pleasure of Casper’s company.  This chill guy was a fan of the obligatory adoption event bully stick and won over many fans with his shiny brindle fur and laid back friendliness.

Casper

It’s been a little while since I’ve done an event like this and I’m glad I got the opportunity to do this one and especially so since it was with Asia and Glamour. 

If you know anyone in our area who is interested in this spunky little diva, please have them visit her at the Allen County SPCA.

Also, thank you to everyone who commented on Friday.  Your stories and comments really put a smile on my face and warmed my heart.

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Asia and Ray

Last month, I received a very nice surprise in the form of two guest posts that my daughter, Asia, wrote.  I can’t decide if I’m more touched by the content or just the mere fact that she felt compelled to (figuratively) take pen to paper.  Her relationship with Ray has been varied, and I think that deep down she is really a “cat person,” but here is her second, but hopefully not last, guest installment.

What a Girl Wants
Over the years I have begged for a dog numerous times and always got the same answer.  “No,” I wouldn’t be responsible enough or have the time to give it the love and care it needed.  So imagine my excitement when my mom and dad started warming up to the idea of us getting a dog.

Mom threw around the idea of fostering elderbulls but Kevin and I weren’t  sold on being fosters.  I love all animals and although I knew we could help so many by fostering, I felt I would be heartbroken each time they left our home. 

But when mom got the call about Sparkles and Kane, and helped Sparkles deliver her puppies, she knew she wanted one of those puppies.  Now to decide which one.  I liked the silver girl with the pretty  blue eyes.  So did Mom, but she immediately had her eyes on the green-gunk-covered white and black spotted chunk and after a few visits it was decied the green pig would be our Ray-Ray. 

The Anticipation
While we waited to bring him home the excitement of our family finally getting a puppy kept building for me.  I imagined cuddling and playing with him and being the best of friends. 

The Reality
The night Mom brought him home I eagerly met them at the door and Ray wasn’t very interested in me. Of course it was a new place, but he was Mama’s Boy from the start.  Over the next week at home Ray began feeling extremely comfortable.  And he was a complete butt head!  Given I had never lived with a puppy before and I’m sure he was showing normal puppy behavior, I could not even be in the same room as him without him weaving in between my legs or trying to nibble my socks or pants.  I didn’t know how long that stage would last but it couldn’t be over quick enouth for me. 
Seeing puppy behavior first hand made me realize that I truly am a crazy cat lady and if I do have a dog it will not be a puppy. 

Small Changes
But then my mom  started to take him to puppy  classes and each day he got better .  He would still show “bad” puppy behavior some days but I began to enjoy spending time with him. He is over a year old now and it amazes me what a well behaved dog he is.  I take him outside with me a few times a day and he even plays soccer with me.   I have a nine month old daughter and though  we keep Ray’s time with her short and always  supervised, he is so gentle and loving towards her.  I know they will grow up to be best friends. 


A Bright Future
The beginning was tough with Ray but now I love him  so much and can’t imagine our home without him.  It shocks me that some people are so against Pit Bull type dogs.  Every single one I have ever met is the sweetest most gentle dog;  they are big babies and just want to be loved. 
Especially the Ray-Ray.

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Did Something Right

Whether you’re the mom of a human, walking the floor at two in the morning with a crying baby or waiting for a teen that’s out past curfew or the mom of a fur baby wondering what more training techniques you can learn to help with chewing, barking, jumping or whatnot, there is that shining moment when you realize you did something right.  You got through the sleepless nights, the baby grew happy and healthy, the teen matured, and the puppy did too. 

I received two unsolicited blog posts last week from my daughter, Asia.  Reading them made me feel so proud and sort of like I must have done something right to get such a great human for a daughter.  At times I wondered if we would survive her teen years but she has become a caring, mature, responisble individual and a great mother. 

Here is the first installment of Asia’s thoughts.

Up until a few years ago, each time I would go in a pet store I would mull over all of the cute puppies and feel so bad for them.  They are kept in tiny little glass boxes, and I wondered, “How long do they have to wait for a home?”  I assumed that when I got my own house I would head to the neatest pet store and buy a cute puppy.  I would be saving a life, I thought. 

Then my mom became involved with an animal rescue so I volunteered as well.  I learned what a puppy mill is.  I learned how cruel people can really be to animals.  I became aware of how many animals are homeless, or live in filth.  Those are the animals I want to save and give a loving home to. 

I volunteer at the local SPCA sometimes and it breaks my heart to see a dog in his concrete cell, sitting in the corner looking utterly defeated.  Lost, alone, and scared.  I can only imagine the thoughts in their mind.  “What did I do wrong”  “Why didn’t my owners love me anymore?”  “Will I ever find my forever home?”

So many animals are in rescues or shelters  and those are the ones who need us the most.  Animals in pet stores come from unspeakable places and don’t even get me started on breeders.  When I have my own home I will adopt all of my animals.  I won’t choose my animals solely on looks, I will choose based on their personality and spirit.  I will give a less adoptable animal the loving forever home they deserve.  I will make sure to give them the best life possible and make up for lost time. I wish that I could save every animal in need .  But until then I will spread the word to anyone who will listen. 

ADOPT DON’T SHOP.

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Vacation, Staycation

Hi folks.  My mama has been so busy being on vacation and getting ready for Asia’s baby shower that she hasn’t had time to tell you what I’ve been up to.  I love when she and Daddy are on vacation because that means I get to play and be with them all day long.  I was a really good boy all week, too, except for a little incident in the corner flower bed.  Oops.  Well, the mulch in there is so pretty and tasty, I can’t help myself.  Actually, I did help myself, but I think we can put that behind us and move on.  I did get to spend more time in the yard playing with my tug monkey, which I liked a lot. 

I’m not really sure what a “baby shower” is since mama calls me baby but I don’t take showers, I take baths (and hop into the tub all by myself, thank you.)  I think it means that a lot of people come to pet me and they drop a lot of food on the floor and let me help clean it up.  My Auntie Doe was cooking and she kept saying, “Oops, I dropped some chicken on the floor,” so I kept helping her.  She brought people with her and they ate a lot of fruit which I also like, so I got to have bites of banana and apple too.  
We had a lot going on over the weekend of the party. Mom says it was all done by Pinterest, but it looked like it was mommy, dad, Asia and lots of others doing the  work.  We had tooool pom poms that Asia tried to put on my head, balloons which I don’t like because they chase me and say BOOM, and something called a chocolate fountain and a belly cake.  I think that is probably something yucky, because I didn’t get to see it.  Mom says chocolate is yucky for dogs. Mommy also made tasty pink cookies with some girl’s name on them and Asia got to sit on a throne that Mommy painted and “re-polstered”  just for the shower. 
After the weekend was over, Mom and I went shopping on Monday and I got a new monkey for being such a good boy all week.  I love my new monkey because all of the sounds he makes,  even though we don’t get to play tug with it. 
Today Mommy went back to work, which is ok, because I need a break from all of this vacation stuff.
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School’s Out

Well, we wound down our last two Puppy II classes and now are on Spring Break, or Summer Vacation.  The next class offered in our series is called Real World and at this point, I don’t think Ray is really ready for that and our instructor agreed.  We’ve learned a lot in the past couple of months and honestly have not practiced all of it and much of that which we did practice needs more work.  We’ve had some great outings lately but have also had some “blips” which I want to work on.  Being that Ray is celebrating 21 weeks of life this week, he is young enough that we would benefit from more at home and at-large practice before enrolling in the next level class.
In Puppy II, there were only Ray and Caymus in two of the classes and actually last week Ray was the sole attendee.  Since we knew it would be a Ray-focused class, Asia came with me and we learned and worked on some great training tips for her to use in her interactions with Ray.  I think it was exactly what the two of them needed as he gets to be too much “puppy” for her sometimes and then her frustration mounts.  With Asia expecting, we want to make sure she is comfortable being with Ray and handling him even when he gets rowdy and giving her the tools for success.
Happy to greet you from right here.

Now go away so I can catch a cat…I mean cat nap.

We will definitely miss seeing everyone from the teachers to the other student(s) to the folks who were in Puppy I with us and we occasionally got to see after class.  Last week after his great solo class, Ray was about to settle into the back seat when we saw Juno’s moms.  It turned out that they stopped by to say Juno (who Ray adores) wouldn’t be in class that evening, so we were bummed that we didn’t get to see her.  They hadn’t seen Ray for several weeks either and M always swears that he is on steroids because one week he looked like a puppy and the next he was ripped.  Ray was happy to see them both as well, but the little prince preferred to greet his subjects friends from the comfort and dare I write, relative safety of his back seat. 

I think the self imposed assignment going forward will be to select specific things to work on each week and continue to incorporate them into our every day lives as well as more frequent and varied walks.  We also have the safety net of knowing Marjorie or Jodi could come do individual sessions if needed so we feel pretty confident going forward with the continued support.
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Play Date

As is probably obvious by yesterday’s teaser pic, Ray-Ray had a playdate this weekend.  One of Asia’s friends has a  six month old chocolate lab puppy and we’ve been talking about having them over to for a play date for a few weeks now.  Most of Ray’s playtime experience is from class where they get to play for a few minutes at the end of class, or as was the case sometimes with a wound up Pit puppy, at the beginning to help work the devil out.  That and a fairly unsuccessful playtime experience with the neighbor’s pup have not made for a lot of good socialization.  Oh, yeah, there was one other time too, now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak.  Not only did we transport three other dogs for spay, we picked them up the night before so we got to foster-for-the- night Ray’s sister, Kimmel, his mama Sparkles and sweet little Hope.  Kimmel and Ray got to play for a little while before bedtime, unfortunately no pictures exist.

This weekend, however, Colt in all of his handsome chocolaty goodness came to play and the boys had a rollicking, frolicking good time.  Colt is taller and faster than Ray and the two of them looked like ungainly billy goats rearing up and hopping at each other.  By the time I even remembered to get pics the boys were winding down and seeking water.  I’d have to say, though, that one of the best parts of the play date was that Ray was able to settle and take breaks.  Sometimes during class he was “all go, no stop Harry Stamper,” which doesn’t always go over too well with the others in the room so I was just astounded very pleased at how much he seems to have matured within the past couple of weeks.  I was even remarking to Asia and Kevin that I seem to be more shocked lately when he is being a little naughty rather than when he is being good because that seems to be the regular standard.

I know Ray was pretty well wiped out from all of the excitement of the weekend with the nice walk, the beautiful weather and the play date, he was pretty much ready for bed early and down for the count even before Colt arrived.  See, Ray is very good in his crate.  He goes in well and sits and usually whenever he hears me coming he gets up and sits at the front.  This time, I had to wake his cute little self up:

A sleepy dog is a happy dog.



Couldn’t you just eat his little pink and white piggy-ness up with a spoon?

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Feline Friday-Asia and Miko

For quite a few years Asia has been asking for a dog or a puppy. I always treated it like a request for the newest clothing or fad item: with a grain of salt.  Asia has never exhibited the behaviors of a “dog person.”  Asia has always been a “cat person.”  She’s always been so much of a cat person that I’ve joked that she is a kitty cat herself.

When Asia’s cat, ET, passed and when to the bridge, Jae seemed sad.  He seemed to be looking for his sister in the usual places that she was known to nap.  He checked under her favorite pieces of furniture and like the sometimes creepy, “I see dead people” cat that he is, often just stared as if he really did see her.

We decided to adopt a cat for Jae.  Boo Kitty was too old and disinclined to play with him so we figured a younger cat would do well in the household.   This would be a first for us since all of our other cats were “homegrown.”  I started checking out the local animal care and control website and found the cutest little tuxedo cat that I wanted to meet.  He was just adorable, and so off Kevin and I went to meet the little guy.  Upon arrival we were taken into the kitten room to check out the inhabitants, of which there must have been well over a dozen.  Kevin sat on a low stool and I grabbed a prime spot on the floor to check out the prospects.  The little tuxedo kitty, whose name in my mind at least was Oreo, was indeed a cutie but neither Kevin nor I made a connection. 

While I was looking at Kevin and talking to him I became aware that a silky haired purr machine was on my lap with his front paws on my chest and he was sniffing my nose while I was absentmindedly petting him.  He was so friendly and curious.  Another great feature was that he was more of a juvenile, one of the older kittens being nearly six months old.  He jumped right on Kevin’s lap when called and apparently the three of us had made a mutual choice.  We wanted Captain Paws.  The volunteer went to look for his paperwork and found none.  Either he was that new to the facility or he was spoken for was the first assumption.  I started crying.  She looked again and found the paperwork so that we were on our way to giving a home to our first officially adopted cat:  Miko.
The first few days at home, Miko and Asia spent the majority of the time in Asia’s room watching cartoons and letting the other cats smell the new inhabitant through the door.  Because of this, Miko began to act as if he and Asia were both the new cats in the house, having been adopted on the same day and acclimating in the same room. To this day, I think he still believes that.