Animal Lessons

So you think animals don't get along? Think again....































We should get along as well,

I'm just saying,

Mittster

It’s a Dog’s Life

I can’t imagine how dull and mundane our life would be without dogs, cats and other assorted pets.




Sure, it’s great to come home to the most wonderful wife in the world, but having Taco and Gonzo (our Chihuahuas) run to the gate, tails wagging and giant smiles on their mugs is also a treat. I can also hear Pickles (our Meyers parrot) in the background calling out to me with whistles and chirps. Homecoming is beyond wonderful each and every day.




It truly is the little things that make life worth living. You can’t buy what pets give us with money; it can only be bought with love. Click on the title of this blog for a real treat. A smile will remain on your mug for the rest of the day.

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Doggy Style

Pictures do say a thousand words!

Write on,

Mittster

Goodbye, Sweet Mittsy

Mittsy was always a showoff with her long, luxurious redish blond hair, beautiful dark eyes and winning smile. In fact, I never saw her not smiling. She was also a big-time flirt. Sometimes I would even call her a floozy because she would go off with anyone who would show her the slightest bit of attention in a heartbeat.

Mittsy was a Pomeranian show dog that came to live with us when she was two years old because her owner and trainer passed away from a car accident. We signed a contract that we would never show her professionally and that Mittsy had to be spade within a short period of time. We fulfilled our part of the bargain and the only showing Mittsy ever did was to show her little heart out to anyone, anytime and anyplace. She won the best award offered to any show dog, and that was instant love from all the people she met during her short fourteen and a half years on Earth.

Mittsy gave new meaning to a lap dog. She was content to sit on anyone’s lap for the duration and the duration could mean forever. She was not always the center of attention because she had to compete with three other small dogs in the household and a Meyer’s parrot who, by the way, has always known it is all about him and not the pitiful dogs that live in his house. Mittsy stood her own ground though and was the center of attention when someone visited, even if it was a stranger.

We have had two of our beloved dogs pass within one month. I must say the heartbreak is overwhelming. My wife and I are still blessed with two Chihuahuas and Pickles the parrot. While we know that Pickles will probably outlive us, we dread the day when we have to say goodbye to our two other friends and companions. We are determined to not replace Annie and Mittsy, even though we know there are many dogs that need good homes. As we grow older, feeding and caring for two dogs and one parrot plus maintaining their health is enough for us to handle.

We will always have a dog or two because we love animals and rescuing a creature of any kind from cruelty, abuse or homelessness is part of the glue that keeps our family together. I truly pray that when we pass, our loving pets will be waiting for us with wagging tails, smiles and kisses galore.

Write on,

Mittster

Goodbye, Annie

We were forced to put down our little female Chihuahua, Annie, yesterday. I don’t have to tell animal lovers what a sad and painful day it was. After my wife and I had to put down our male Chihuahua, Elvis, four years ago, I swore I could never witness euthanasia again. The death of Elvis left me saddened for many months. The poor little fellow was racked with epilepsy and could hardly walk, but watching him pass broke my heart even though, as responsible pet owners, we knew his quality of life was painful and dismal.

Annie, on the other hand, was not crippled physically, in fact quite the opposite. She paced incessantly around the house, barking at shadows and sometimes sitting and staring at what we could only guess were ghosts. During walks, Annie was afraid of everything from diesel trucks to dust blowing in the wind. Annie was our Prozac dog, which was prescribed for her after repeated and sometimes violent attacks on our Pomeranian. Mittsy is 14 years old and hardly prepared to fight back with few teeth, poor eyesight and loss of hearing. Annie got along well with our male dogs, and if she wasn’t licking them she was licking our bed covers. The drug was effective in curtailing the attacks and Annie would sleep through the night oblivious to the world unless there was wind, rain or thunder. During these times we would have to give her extra Prozac just to keep her from climbing the walls. Annie was also a very finicky eater and during bad weather she would not eat at all.

About two months ago, Annie’s behavior became more bizarre. She started eating any food put in front of her with abandon, but she was also losing weight at an alarming rate. She started pacing the house twenty-four/seven and could not settle down or sleep and began having bowel movements and urinating in the house. When we took her to the vet yesterday she had lost over two pounds in two months and her hip bones were showing like she was being starved. Annie was never a lap dog, but now if you even came close to her, she would yelp like she was being stepped on.

During our visit with the vet yesterday, it became apparent that Annie was no longer living a normal dog life and that there was some kind of mental disorder going on. Putting her to sleep was the only option left. Drugging her with Prozac and Valium into oblivion was not an option. After the vet administered a sedative to Annie, she was handed to me and instead of resisting as usual, she cuddled in my arms and fell into the most peaceful repose. It was the first time since Annie came into our lives that she allowed anyone to hold and cuddle her. The vet said it would take perhaps ten minutes or so for her to sleep, but instead, she fell asleep the minute she reached my arms. During the time she fell asleep and the vet returned to administer the final injection, I held Annie while my wife and I cried wishing there were a magic pill that would save our precious Annie’s life.

After our little dog passed, we left the building and sat on a bench outside grieving with the intensity you would think would be reserved for human loved ones. That, of course, is the real issue; our pets become family, our children to be precise, and we love them unconditionally and unabashedly. Oh, if only they could live as long as we do. We would only have to grieve once, instead of every 14 years or so….

Write on,

Mittster

Pets R Us!

Well, the whole family is chopping at the bit in anticipation of our trip to Quartzsite, Arizona, October 23., especially Pickles, our Meyers parrot. You can tell by the look in his eye. It's either that, or he wants to kill something. You never know with him.

The white Chihuahua's name is Taco; I know, not too original, but we like it. It beats Whitey. We rescued this little guy and he has become our watch dog par excellence.

The black Chihuahua lying down next to Taco is Gonzo. We named him after the baseball star who won the World Series for us. They both are our heroe's.

The little Pomeranian sitting like a mule next to Taco and Gonzo is Mittsy. She is the oldest and will be fourteen next month. She just had five teeth pulled and the few that are left cleaned. Yes, it cost a fortune, but we want her last years to be wonderful and not filled with pain and sickness. We can only hope we will be in as good a shape when we are ninety years old!

Below is Annie sitting on top of the couch; she is our long hair Chihuahua. As our Prosac dog, she rules the roost with total abandon and insanity. She will stare at walls and growl; God help us during thunderstorms. She actually is doing better each year and for the first time in seven years, I caught her playing with Gonzo. Real dog play...I was amazed.


All our family loves Quartzsite in the winter. We take long walks in the desert with the dogs, watching them every minute to make sure coyotes don't snatch them up for a meal.

Only amimal lovers can understand the bond between people and their pets. Our animals are like children to us and we couldn't love them any less. We still mourn the loss of our pets that have departed for animal heaven, and we know in our hearts there is such a place. While our little children are in our charge, we are committed to taking the very best care of them. After all, they are helpless without us and we would be so very sad without them.

Write on,

Mittster

It's a Dog's Life

This morning I went to sign my dogs up for welfare.

At first the lady said, "Dogs are not eligible to draw welfare."

So I explained to her that my dogs are mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can't speak English and have no frigging clue who their daddies are. They expect me to feed them, provide them with housing and medical care, and feel guilty because they are dogs.

So she looked in her policy book to see what it takes to qualify.

My dogs get their first checks Friday.

Damn this is a great country!

Write on,

Mittster