Several years ago, we had a cat. He was sleek, moved effortlessly, and annoyed us to no end. In fact, when we moved from a townhouse to our current suburban home, we attempted to turn him into a part-time outdoor cat. Since he was always trying to escape from our old place, this seemed like a smart move. It didn’t turn out quite as we’d anticipated. My wife and I didn’t have much experience with cats, but apparently they like to bring "presents" to their owners. These presents were typically alive, but only barely. Or they were recently deceased, which was somewhat better relatively … [Read more...]
Confession: I was a Teenage Poop-Scooping Delinquent
Consider this an early Father's Day tribute to my dad. Put it in the category of "Things I Did When I Was a Kid That My Own Kid BETTER Not Do." When I was 12, I had a manageable chore list. Nothing extensive or unreasonable, although at the time I'm sure I thought I was doing the equivalent of those orphans in the Industrial Revolution who worked in a sooty, life-endangering factory for 14 hours at a stretch. I was responsible for washing the dinner dishes. Vacuuming the living room. Cleaning my room and bathroom. Scooping dog poop from the backyard. That was the one. That was the … [Read more...]
An Old Dog and the Tricks She is Teaching Our Family
When we first realized she had lost her hearing, we were afraid that it would affect her quality of life. But rather than cower from the challenge, she owned it. ______ It is dark, and all of her world is asleep. She knows there are rules, and also that she is breaking them. It is all part of the thrill. She is stealth, and no one will ever suspect a thing. Valentine is 15 years old, according to the calendar, 105 when you factor for the canine. She was a gift to my wife on Valentine's Day that many years ago. She had been sitting alone, a small puppy in a big cage, and fit warmly in the … [Read more...]
Life Lessons for When a Family Pet Dies Young
"Tracheal collapse.” That was the veterinarian’s foreboding diagnosis of our beloved family pet Benny, a Yorkie, two years ago. He was 3 years old at the time and had been having episodes of labored breathing. Through a series of vet visits, we learned that Yorkies often suffer from the slow tightening of their tracheas. If it escalates, they actually make a honking sound. We had been able to manage Benny’s trachea until one night this past August when his honking returned with great intensity. My wife and I feared the worst as our two daughters slept. We gave Benny his meds and tried to … [Read more...]
How Our Family Dog Got His Own Soundtrack
Do you have a poster of your family dog? I was asked this unlikely question a while ago by an even more unlikely source: my children’s piano teacher. Let me explain. My two daughters have been taking piano lessons from Susan, a very kind and talented musician, for several years. During this period, Susan has become smitten with our family dog, a Yorkshire Terrier named Benny, in part because he scampers through our kitchen with glee every time she arrives. I realized Susan was love-bitten the day she earnestly implored my wife and me to consider moving to California so handsome Benny … [Read more...]