4 posts tagged “dogs”
Show us the one thing that unfailingly makes you smile, no matter what.
Submitted by Sourire.
My favorite thing he's done lately has been his rolling. Sometimes i'll be watching a movie or working at the computer, and i glance over to see Chester right next to wherever i'm sitting, rolling around on his back. He'll do it for several minutes, just happily rolling around on the floor and stretching, and it's absolutely freaking adorable.
With all the stress of things going on lately, i've been very on edge, and the dogs have actually been getting on my nerves. Ein usually sleeps on my bed with me, but the first few nights this week he took up so damn much of the bed that i woke up with a sore back two mornings in a row. Wednesday night he was banished back to his doggy bed, and the way he acted about it, you'd think i sent him to lay on a bed of nails. The barking drives me up the wall more than usual too, or maybe its just because there's been more of it with me being so in and out of the house this week...
But, Chester has been very cool. It's almost like he understands that mom is stressed out and anxious, as he's been extra sweet this week. Kinda hope this trend sticks, i like having a nice cat.
What are some charitable causes that you support or would like to support?
Last winter, during my last trip to Chicago (iwantgobacknowplease), i "adopted" a lion from Lincoln Park Zoo. i renewed it this year, and it will be something i do every year, i'm thinking. i love that zoo, it's my favorite that i've been to and one of my favorite places in the city. Admission is free and everyone who works there is always friendly and wonderful, so i'll happily donate to show my appreciation.
On more than one occasion i've donated to specific cases i've seen on TV or online of some poor dog being abused by some demented asshole. Some poor unsuspecting dog wandered onto some sick asshole's property once, only to be severely burned. i sent some money along to help out with the poor guy's extensive vet bills, and thankfully he ended up being ok because so many people did whatever they could to help.
Most of the causes i support or donate to, i'd say 9 out of 10, are animal-related, and most of those are dog-related. My two dogs sometimes cause headaches and frustration, but there's nothing on earth that could get between me and my furry babies, so if i can help out another animal, maybe even help it find a loving home, i will.
All of this gets me thinking more about moving, because once i'm settled in, i do intend to adopt another dog. i know i'm going to get a lot of opposition to this because a few important people in my life seem to feel i have "enough pets", but it's something i feel very strongly about doing - especially since i intend to adopt a pit bull. There's no other animal that i can think of that gets such an undeserved negative reputation, and while i can't save all of them who've been abused or tortured or abandoned, i can sure as hell save at least one and give them a loving home. The people against it can, and will have to, get over it eventually.
How many pets have you owned in your lifetime? Tell us about them.
Submitted by jennajellopy.vox.com.
Oh jesus... This is going to take quite a while.
The first was Puppy. Yes, i was a creative 3 year old. She was a schnauzer/terrier mix dog, really kind of odd-looking now that i think of it. Very small. She lived for about 15-16 years.
When i was six, i brought a stray cat into the house, and she wound up living with us. Once again creativity reigns - i named her Blackie. She was with us from when i was 6 until she passed away when i was about 19 or 20.
When i was in high school, someone found an adorable black and white kitten on the side of the road after some prick threw him out of a car on the interstate. "Want a kitten?" they ask. "Sure," and i take him home. His name was Nigel, and he was completely wacked out both physically and mentally. He was really small when i got him, probably around 6 weeks old, and i had for only a year or two before he was so sick we had to put him to sleep. :(
When Nigel had to be put to sleep, i was 19, and hoping to fill the void somehow i went to the humane society and adopted Priss and Regal, two gray tiger kitties. Regal had to be put to sleep earlier this year due to kidney failure, but Priss is still alive and very much kickin'. She was also nuts for quite awhile, but she's pretty mellow now. And very demanding.
Also around the same time, i brought home a ball python, appropriately named Adolf. i'd wanted a snake for YEARS, and was thrilled to finally have one... But... Ball pythons are finnicky. He was MEAN as shit (hence the name), and no matter what we did, he refused to eat. i had him for about a year before i finally gave him away to someone i thought could take better care of him.
Right around Christmas in 1999, we decided we needed another dog. We hadn't had one in the house in ages. i told my parents i was going to go the humane society and pick out a puppy... And brought home Thorn. When he was 8 weeks old he was already pretty big, so they were surprised at the size of this "puppy". Size be damned, everyone loves him and wants to clone him. He's big, he's dumb, he's ridiculously friendly and sweet... And even though he's about 7 now, he still acts like a puppy. Which i love.
In July of 2001, my boyfriend at the time and i decided we wanted to adopt a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. We'd caught the Cowboy Bebop bug. After a bit of searching, we found Ein through a breeder in Ocala. He had been adopted out already, but the people who adopted him didn't pay for him and didn't take care of him. So, he came to live with us, and has been trying to herd/rule the house since day 1. He is my little stinky baby.
Summer 2003! i decide since it's been years since the Adolf disaster, that it's time to get another snake. i do some research, and decide to get a Columbian boa. i bought him from a breeder and he was shipped overnight from New York state. He was literally the size of a pencil, and had a thing for nesting in my hair. i named him Badger, just because. Unfortunately, Badger was a sick little guy - damn that breeder - and died within a month. i was so upset, my dad gave me sedatives that night, and buried the teeny little guy in the backyard. Just thinking about it still makes me sad.
January 2004! After staring at the empty tank Badger lived in for months, i decide - fuck it, i can do this! - and get another snake. Regardless of the prior attempt, i brought home another ball python. i didn't name him for awhile, trying to not get too attached, but he wound up doing really well and i named him Milhouse. He eats like a pig, he's extraordinarily friendly, and he's doing great even now. In fact, today is feeding day for The House.
Oh but we're not done yet. Last but definitely not least...
In December of 2004, Kristina's insane fucking cat had a litter of kittens. i had no intentions of bringing any of them home, but damn were they cute. i actually named one of them Porkchop, because its an awesome name for a kitten. i forget the entire circumstances behind why, other than his cuteness overload, but i ended up bringing Chester home in February the next year when he was 8 weeks old. He was so teeny and orange and terrified of the dogs, at first. Within a few days, he and Thorn were best pals. He grew up with the dogs, so he's pretty uncatlike. He and the other cats HATED each other for a long time, but now he and Priss get along alright. He still hates everyone but me, though..
And i still want/intend to adopt another dog sometime soon. i'm actually seriously considering fostering/adopting a specific dog, but i'm going to wait until things are a little more... i dunno, stable here. i'd also love to bring home either a Jenday conure or a Sun conure, which are the most unbirdlike birds ever. Very cute and cuddly, from the ones i've met...
i'm almost finished with this book, and i just started it a couple of days ago. Admittedly it's a short book, but i usually have a lot of trouble concentrating on any sort of printed words... Anyhoo. i use the book jacket flaps to mark my place when i read, and yesterday i picked up the book and realized that i'd already torn through about 3/4 of it. Woot. i'll probably finish it tonight or tomorrow.
Basically it's a lot of repetition of what he says on his show. Calm-assertive energy... Exercise, discipline, affection - in that order... The importance of establishing your role as pack-leader... If someone isn't a fan of the show (or dogs, but thats a given) they likely won't "get" or enjoy the book, but for people who are, it's an interesting read.
i suppose next there's always that Darth Vader book i started but never finished...
