Twisty, aka Truffles

Alot of times, the stories behind our animals are as interesting as the animals themselves. If you look carefully at the top picture of Truffles, you will see that her left hind leg seems to stick out a bit. Her original name was Twisty, but we hated the name (you'll find out later), so we renamed her Truffles. Twisty was in a cage at Animal Care and Control with a big laminated sign on her cage that said, " Twisty"- and then it told her story. It seems that the kitten got caught on the twisted part of a barbed wire fence by her back left leg. She was seen hanging there for three days before someone decided to see if she was still alive. She was. So they took her off the fence, and treated her for her very severe wounds and her near death dehydration. Julianna wanted a tiny kitten, but I talked her into getting this cat instead. I knew that she would be a very special soul. And she is. She craves attention, loves to sit on your lap, and gets along with all the pets here, especially the birds. Since she is an indoor kitty, that is important. She walks a bit oddly and when she eats, that back left leg always splays out in back of her. I am so glad we have her.

Growing old gracefully

I realize that almost everything I write is some kind of comparison between humans and animals or some allegorical connection between God and animals and how that relates to us, but you know what? I have found that God uses my animals to make me much more aware of how to live. REALLY. My oldest dogs, Pharaoh and Ra are prime examples of this. Pharaoh is 11 and Ra is 10. That's pretty old for Italian Greyhounds. Both of these dogs have the most amazing temperaments. Pharaoh is the ultimate Southern gentleman. He is strong, yet soft spoken and his presence is apparent to all without being overbearing. He is forgiving, affectionate, and polite to everyone- all the time. Ra is a different dog and has a completely different personality but has so much dignity as well. Ra is a "pleaser"- he wants everyone to love him and shows his deference to others by licking the other dogs all the time- he grooms the other dogs constantly- and they love this. He is very insecure when Pharaoh is not present and whines and looks for him when they are seperated. He tends to get picked on by the younger dogs, who want to play all the time, and he often comes to me for protection.

Both of these dogs are beginning to experience the symptoms of old age. Pharaoh is going blind and he is overweight (which is MY fault, make no mistake). Ra is having bouts of incontinence and drinking lots of water. Both of these dogs are so AMAZING about these inconveniences and have not lost their amazing dignity. Ra, when he has had an accident overnight in his crate, lets you know by politely stopping before going in his crate and looking at you, as if to say, " I'll go in there, but I would appreciate it if you could change my bedding first." No refusal, no barking, no whining, just a quiet, " Could you help me, please?" Pharaoh spends most of his days sleeping on the couch and when he cannot see where to jump up on the bed (when it's dark, he can't see), gives a quiet bark at our bedside in order to tell us, " I need some help up." We reach over and pick him up and he settles right down. When he doesn't recognize one of the other dogs, he gently moves his nose close to the other dog and sniffs the air until he knows who it is and then ALWAYS wags his tail. When the younger dogs are wanting to play and are being very annoying, he gives them one short growl and that is all that is needed. The younger one goes and finds someone else to bother. WOW, how humbling. I hope that when I am old, blind, incontinent and tired that I can be the model of grace that these two gentlemen are. I hope that I can muster a gentle growl instead of baring my teeth and that I am able to make my requests known without being rude. I pray that I might endure the annoying behavior of younger and more engergetic people without snapping at them. I hope that I will serve as an example to my children for how to endure aging gracefully and gratefully, just like these two beautiful animals.

Who's new at the zoo?

At the risk of being reported to AA (that's Animals Anonymous), I am going to tell you who lives at our zoo. No, we do not actually have a zoo- but it does come close to resembling one. Some of my family members don't even know some of this ( I am very good at hiding my addiction.), so please don't report me. We have (all in good health and very loved, by the way),

11 Italian Greyounds and 1 pomeranian corgi mix (they have their own room, don't ask, it's a whole other post)

5 cats
2 parrots
2 parakeets
2 hamsters
some hermit crabs (ok, cut me some slack, I don't know how many, there have been deaths and I didn't keep track)


Oh heck, I just counted and realized we have more than I previously thought and my blog description is off. Oh well, the numbers will change anyway.

Now, I know what you are thinking- 12 dogs??????????? I can't reassure you enough- no, my house is not dirty, no the dogs are not neglected, yes, they all have heartworm medicine once a month and are flea free and very well adjusted. Most of my dogs are better behaved than the average 2 year old, so I can brag. God has gifted me with one of least known gifts in the Bible (ok, so it's not one of the gifts in the Bible, give me some time, I'll find something to justify it), being able to care for animals well. I love caring for these critters and the love and peace they give me is indescribable. The birds are not peace giving at all- they are strictly the kids' and Jon's, make no mistake. I will introduce the members of the family at a later time- I have to close the zoo for the night and the zookeeper needs to get some sleep.