Pets of SJ.com

KG, your dogs are beautiful. The lady and I want to get a puppy so badly, but we're fresh out of college and realize that it's probably not a good idea for a few years. We want a mix of a dog that is friendly and outgoing but not yappy, and small without shedding a lot of hair. Maybe a Jack Russell Terrier mix. Plus I'm a sucker for floppy ears.

 

What? Another opportunity to post a pic of my boy?!?!?!? Wait ... I think I have a recent one I haven't posted yet ...

 

At the river ...






On a recent hike:

 

There's nothing like that first instant of recognition at the shelter...when you catch his/her eye and know that THAT'S your new pet. I remember when my future wife and I went to a shelter to get our cat in October 1997. I scanned the room for a few seconds...then I saw HIM. A tabby cat with gorgeous eyes. He caught my eye and scampered away.

"That's him!" I said and darted across the room. He kept running back and forth in the cage, trying to hide from me, but we got him.

I'm not sure I can explain what it was that made him the one. I've always loved tabby cats--my sister's best friend had one I always liked as a kid and the cat lived to be like 24. And in that split second of recognition, I saw a sensitive, loyal and playful buddy. Or maybe the gift of hindsight says I felt that. But I just knew he was a perfect pet.

The irony (that really isn't irony) is that he became my wife's cat in about three seconds. He curls up next to her every night and follows her around the house and looks like the littlest kitten when he's next to her, even though he's 11. And when we're away for a few days (or more), he'll glower at her and squawk at her for an hour or two before he forgives her and curls up, purring.

With me? We rile each other up and I can get him squawking at me almost on command. I taunt him and rub his belly as he squawks in disapproval. I've got multiple scars on my hands from him scratching me. And I can show up after being away for two weeks and he acts like I haven't left. But I know he enjoys our roughhousing, and when no one's looking, he'll rub up against me, flick that tail of his and purr to let me know I'm still his buddy. And vice versa.

Don't even get me going on our female cat, who is as much mine as the boy cat is my wife's.

 

Well c'mon. You know I didn't meet her at the track, or the shoe store, or the gym.

 

Flash, your baby is adorable! I love the last one where he's sticking his tongue out. That is so cute.

BYH, that feeling you described is exactly how it was. I walked in the room, and there she was off the the right in pen 303. The second my eyes locked on to her, I knew she was coming home with me.

 

KG, I agree that if I shaved her, her markings would show up big-time.

But, where I live, shaving her would be a really, really bad idea. She'd freeze.

 

Ooops I wasn't even thinking of climate Rosie. I'm so used to these hot southern summers that every time I see a very furry dog I wonder if it gets shaved in the summer.

 

finally, i figured out how to post photos!!!


here's logan, about to be 8 months old. he's a border collie mix i adopted from a rescue group and he's great at keeping me company when i have anxiety attacks in the middle of the night.