March 29, 2012

I love my critters.

But they can be SO expensive.

Yesterday a trip to the vet for my 2 pups due to multiple ear infections, annual checkup, meds, treatments, cleanings, pokings & proddings. Translation: I’m officially broke. Not poor. Just broke. To the point that I have a new rule as far as my DH goes.

Under no circumstances is he allowed to pick them up from the vet. EVER. If he knew how much they cost he’d flip. And I even have insurance on them!!! Poor man tolerates my pets. But he loves me, so he puts up with them for my sake.

I’ve always had animals growing up. The standard dogs & cats. When we were 1st married and he went was sent to Germany he asked what I needed to make our house into a home. Oh, that was easy. Books, music and a cat. So, bless his heart (in a good way), when I arrived – there was Samantha. She had belonged to someone else who was shipped back home and he couldn’t take her with him. And when it was time for us to come back home, we shipped her. I wasn’t about to leave her there after we’d had her for almost 3 years. Thankfully, DH was all for it.

Since we’ve had kids we’ve had all sorts of animals. Snakes (that escaped). Ferrets (that escaped). Rats (that escaped). Hermit crabs (that I kept hoping would escape). Cats. Dogs. Dwarf hamster. I think we might have even had fish at one point. We even had exposure to bats (calm down. They are our friends. Trust me.).

We’ve had special dogs, needy cats and everything in between. But all were loved.

There was Boomer who helped save Oldest after he had had an eye injury. The treatment was drugs and isolation to prevent further injury to his eye. When he came home he was afraid to go to bed by himself. Noises scared him. He kept imagining things. Imagine a 3 yr. old with PTSD - that was him.

It was just his body/brain getting rid of all the meds. Trying to return to normal. So – as a last ditch effort – we got a rescue dog. And Boomer was exactly what Oldest needed. “Get in bed with the boy.” And he did. Every night. And they both survived the ordeal.

Youngest has a cat named Cleo that threw tantrums if he’d been away from the house too long. I’d have to call him and ask that he please return home to calm her down. She’d be tearing through the house but as soon as he walked in – she’d do her best “Why, whatever do you mean?” expression. And all he had to do was stroll in the house to help her regain her usual catly royal self.

And there was Hannah who dragged Youngest up & down the street while he was on his bike. But she got back at him by eating one of his textbooks. A fair trade-off.

She loved our kids. Neighborhood kids. Firemen that came to rescue our house (she’d drop a tennis ball at their feet and beg for someone – anyone – to toss it to her. She thought they were new friends come to entertain her. Let’s just say she wasn’t the best watch dog. She’d watch someone take stuff out of the house, but that was about it.). And she loved “her” babies. She let my Gkids crawl, poke, grab and pull on her. Not one growl. Not one curled lip. She just thumped her tail and stayed perfectly still while they had their way with her. She even helped them learn how to walk. Good dog she.

Dogs have been my kids’ running buddies. Exploring the world around them. And listened to many a story, I'm sure.

Cats stayed at home and waited until a lap was available – or if they needed fed. Whichever came 1st. They weren't as eager to go on adventures. Certainly not their role. They are much too regal for that. Why go explore when you can sulk around the house, scream for food, ignore the 2 legged creatures in the house, etc.

Proof that the old saying, "Dogs have owners. Cats have staff." If anyone questions that - just to my house any ol' time and you'll find proof.

DH keeps telling me that when this little motley group of mine is gone that we are not replacing them.

Ha! Says him.

Well, okay. We might just have to come to an "understanding" about that.

Bless his heart.