Animal Lovers

I was going through some old photos the other day, lots of photos from our trip to Texas in 2007. I was noticing how animals are in the majority of pictures...and came to the conclusion that my life and that of my family's life has revolved around animals as long as I can remember. Sometimes I think I'm encouraging my children to want to have animals when they get older and move out and then I hear my son get mad at one of the animals and announce he will NEVER have animals when he moves out....this would break my heart but the next day he's cuddling with one of the cats or dogs and claiming he'd like a dog someday but maybe not as big as our lionesses...and when I hear that I breathe out in relief.

I think everyone should have an animal in their lives and I don't really understand people who don't have animals. I know some can say they have allergies or not enough time, but I would be poppin' allergy pills and finding animals who required less attention just so I could have something to cuddle with when I did have time...I just can't imagine my life without animals. I wish I could handle blood because I think it would have been great to be a vet...of course you have to be really smart for that and so even if I could have handled blood I might have struggled with that one, but I've also thought how fun it would have been to work in a zoo, be a safari guide, work in a shelter, be a dog groomer, as one of those animal cops on Animal Planet...anything working with animals. However, none of the job ideas have ever worked out for one reason or another but my life is still animal fixated...I've had dogs as long as I can remember...American Cocker, Bichon Frise and Bichon Havanais, Dachs, Schnauzer, Labrador, mixes, and now the Leonbergers. We've had multiple cats over the years, Rats, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Budgie Birds, Horses and Hamsters. When I worked in a pet store on Averøy I think I spent all of my paychecks on stuff for the animals. I stood there all day long looking at animal products and thinking, hey, they might need this, they might need that....and if I didn't have an animal that required something we sold, I'd acquire that animal. Stig never knew what I'd bring home with me. I think he was slightly happy when the store closed and I couldn't work there anymore. I was devastated, loved that job.

Our animals are also funny, I've never had an animal without a sense of humour....OH wait a second, Skipper...Skipper was an orange cat who hated us...and I never understood why? He loved our white cat, Stuart, but hated us, he would follow Stuart into the house by way of running under the couches and then jumping up onto the counter where the food for the cats was and then once done eating, he'd jump down, under the couch and wait for a door to open so he could escape. We did everything we could to make him like us, the best treats a cat could wish for, everything, but he wouldn't have it. He unfortunately had long hair and since he wouldn't let us touch him very often his hair would mat terribly and we would be forced to CATCH him and hold him in a towel and try to cut the mats out and it was horrible for us and him. After those episodes he would be gone for several days. When we moved down here we looked for him for a long time...he was scared when boxes started taking over our house and there were people going in and out all the time. The day came to move and we had loaded up all the animals who were home, who were everyone but Skipper. We called and called, we looked everywhere but he never showed up. Stig was going up again a couple months later and would look again but to no avail. Some of our old neighbours say they had seen him a few times but no one could get close too him. I told them if they could catch him, do so and we'd come up and get him...but no one could. It made me sick to leave him like that but I didn't have a lot of choice with him. That was the saddest animal we have ever had and I hope we never meet another one like him. It was really hard when you wanted to love him so much and no matter what you did it was never enough for him.

But thankfully the majority of our animals have been hillarious and adored staying with us....once I was getting a rabbit sterilized and while I was there a little old lady came in with a gorgeous looking black and white cat who she was going to have to put down...she was moving into a home and couldn't have her cat with her...I was like NO WAY....you can't put this gorgeous cat down...we'll take her...and that was how Suzie came to live with us...she had a great life with us until she was tragically killed by a car. She was getting so old and I think her sight was failing her and I think that is how she didn't manage to avoid the car that fatal time...my neighbour told me some friends had told them the cat had been hit, they weren't sure if it was my cat or not...I had so many animals they said they couldn't keep track of all of them.

Generally our animals have all gotten along too...my beautiful male leonberger, Ben, use to let rabbit babies crawl all over him and kittens...he'd just lay there and enjoy...but one time he chased a black rabbit of ours all over the yard and out onto the road....I caught up with them in the ditch and Ben was licking the heck out of what looked like a dead rabbit...I picked up the rabbit who was limp in my arms and took him back to the house apologizing to the kids the whole time and with Ben on my heels licking the under side of the rabbit I was carrying...I put the rabbit in his cage in order to find a place to bury him and as soon as I put the lid down on the cage the rabbit jumped up and came to life...safe and secure in his cage....Ben was happy and I was happy and the kids were happy....and Mr. Bunny never came out of his cage again when Benny was around.

My parents love animals too....at the moment, even with my mother's illness they have a zoo...two inside dogs, two outside dogs, four cats, 25+ miniature horses and two older rescue horses and three donkeys. I think for my dad it's too many but he won't sell one of them because they mean so much to my mom. I think when she is gone he won't have as many but time will tell. The one big horse my dad has was rescued from an abusive home and got cancer in his eye after my dad had him....the choice was to put the horse down or remove the eye...my dad chose to remove the eye...so the horse walks around with one eye...it's weird to look at but he is managing just fine and still the boss over the other big horse who looks like Pippi Longstockings horse....

In the future I think about how it could be fun to have some chickens....but I couldn't let them out when the dogs are out...Isabella is a hunter...and I think she would kill anything that moved and she could get hold of...we've been to the pet store with her and she can stare for hours at the rabbits behind the glass....she doesn't move...just stares at them in hunter position.. So I would have to figure out a way to make that one work before I brought chickens here...oh and I'd have to figure out a way to build a chicken coop or have Stig do it, even though he is totally against chickens....hmmm.....I've also thought about a pot bellied pig...wouldn't that be cute?? I've heard you can train them like a dog...I can see it now...walking the lionesses with a pig in tote...When we lived on Averøy we use to take five dogs for a walk three lions and two labradors and Stuart, the white cat, would follow us....I would laugh so hard, I told Stig we must look like a circus to the few neighbours we have...Oh well, one must take pride in being different when one has so many animals...you basically are different then other people who see one dog and one cat as PLENTY. Another animal I have thought about is a goose or two....and a couple sheep...I keep telling Stig we could just keep them until the fall and then butcher them...and he laughs...."YOU butcher a pet???? NEVER!" and I must humbly admit he has a point....but I thought it would be easier to get them in the house if he THOUGHT that was my plan.....ugh..he's so smart....

We have a grass roof now and several people have suggested I get a goat to put up there to keep the grass cut down...I love those people....just wish Stig would agree with them....but noooooooo.....when Stig left this past week I immediately sent a letter to a woman who was selling a beautiful little Shetland Sheepdog female and asked about her...she had another family looking at her so I would find out in a few days if she could be something for us...I haven't heard back from the breeder and assume that she is sold...but when Stig came home I had to tell him what I did, in case I heard from the breeder....and then yesterday at the dog show we were looking at Shelties and I was like isn't that one cute..isn't that one cute and he looked at Sarah and said yeah, the moment I leave your mom starts looking for new animals....what am I going to do with her???? Yes my love....whatever will you do with me????