They are big parts of our family.
4 cats and a guinea pig
My closest pal is Colton. He follows me everywhere, has a different meow for different wants (like a baby). He was rescued at only 4 weeks, so covered
with fleas there wasn't a scabless patch of skin on his little body. I spent three weeks soaking him in warm water and picking fleas off one by one.
Hand fed him and carried him in my pocket everywhere I had to go. He is the only one of the kittens (6 total) who survived. His brother died 6 years
ago of liver failure. Colton comes with me to do laundry, he's an indoor only boy for the past 7 years so that's his roaming time
When my daughter was in the fourth grade her teacher asked me one day when her "brother" would be starting school. I was totally confused until he
mentioned the cat's name...it was pretty funny. She still refers to him as her baby brother and he tucks her in every night with me
(yes I still
tuck my 17 year old in at night LOL)
He knows so many words...comes when called and has learned sit, stay, sit pretty and uppies. He loves being carried around slung over my shoulder.
He's a Main Coon X and his father was the size of a cocker spaniel!!!
He's driven wedges between a couple of boyfriends LOL...my kid and my cats are a package deal!!
Josie is another rescue. Some guy had her in a little room above a restaurant - she was supposed to be a mouser. The only human contact she ever had
was when staff would go up and feed her table scraps and pet her while she ate. Needless to say she had a food=love issue and the first two years with
us were tough.
She's our nursemaid cat - she insists on sitting beside us if we're feeling under the weather. I tend to her as she can't tend to herself - she's
still obese, and at this age of her life, I figure we'll just let her be. She still gets diet food and lots of excercise, but I do sneak her
goodies
She's lost a lot of weight from her original size and has so much dangly flesh it interferes with her washing of her nether regions - I
have baby wipes and I'm not afraid to use 'em.
The oldest kitty is Cleo - 24 I kid you not. Deaf, blind and terribly senile, a bit of arthritis in her hind legs but man this cat still goes and
goes...plays like a kitten, beats on the other cats and shreds my stuff. She was to be PTS and I just couldn't see why? There's nothing wrong with
her - so she was added to the mix.
Lastly was Marmella Dove. A favour for my friend's son...yadda yadda...26 LB cat - now 11-10 LBS. I had to make her a water fountain or she would
refuse to drink from the dish and would make us nuts scratching to get into the bathtub (to drink from the faucet). She likes having showers, and is
learning to be a good sport with the other cats.
I am deathly allergic to my pig. I adore my pig!!! I pop antihistamines, wear a long sleeved shirt and thin gloves just to pick him up (i break out in
hives!!!) he's a cool pig and knows his name, he's potty trained so he is allowed roam around my kitchen (tile floors just in case of accidents) and
the cats back down from him. He's got real attitude. He also loves bathtime!
No more pets for me though...it's a full house but a happy one. I rescued an Iguana once from a daycare - too much for me so it's living at a
reptile refuge in Langley BC now. He was sooooo sick. They fed him during the day. He ws malnurished and mineral deficient and close to death. I
talked them into letting me take him to the refuge. Iguana's are highly sensitive little creatures
I've also had ratties which I adored but was allergic to. They needed far more handling than the pigs and thus I had to stop fostering rodents
Had three degu girlies too - they were fun.
Pets have been in our family forever...I couldn't imagine not having them - I'm gushing - sorry