Our Canine and Feline Family Members!

The new year is here and new adventures await. The canine and feline members of our family bounce along to the rhythm of us humans who live here. Sometimes I wonder how they feel about things happening around the household. 

Our youngest dog is Katie.

Katie is a "St. Weiler." Her mama was a St. Bernard and her papa was a beautiful Rottweiler with papers and everything. He was dark brown with the usual Rottweiler markings. Katie was born into a litter of 14 puppies. One of the puppies unfortunately died when mama rolled over on her while nursing the others. I had followed the puppies for about 3  months before we actually went to see Katie. Their master had placed the picture of the puppies on an online website that my friend had developed. A kind of trading post. When we went to see Katie she was 5 months old and large. She and 3 of her brothers were the last ones left from the litter. Usually the males get larger than the females. Katie weighs 115 pounds now and she is 4 years old. She was recently diagnosed with hip dysplasia. She doesn't bend her hind legs with ease. She has arthritis in her hips and so she gets deinflamatory meds everyday to help her feel better. 

She loves to sleep on her back. I don't see how that can be comfortable at all, but....

She is a lover and loves to sit on people's laps if they are on the floor, otherwise she will sit on your feet. We tell people that if she sits on your feet that means she likes you. ~ She has a large bark and will announce anyone at the door with it, but once you are inside and she sees that you are accepted by us, you are ok with her too, most of the time. There have been one or two exceptions. 

And then there's Yuka. 

Yuka is our grandpuppy. She belongs to our son N. She is showing her age a lot lately. She is 14 years old. 

She used to be black and white, but now her coat has taken on a rusty hue. She has the gorgeous ice blue eyes, and she is of course a Husky. 

Yuka and Katie playing when Katie was still a puppy! 

Yuka is a hunter and has hunted many various small animals including muskrats and porcupines and has gotten quills in her snout at least 2 times! She once was run over  and had her pelvis bones crushed. The vet fixed her up, but it took a while. During the course of rushing her to the vet, our son got his hand and forehead bitten by her because of the extreme pain she was in. 

She survived, he recovered, and they have traveled all over the U.S. and Canada camping most of the time. She has spent many months with us as N traveled in Europe, South America and in Japan. Now they live in Maine. Someday when she is no longer with him and his family, she will be sorely missed to say the least.

And then there is Zoey.

Zoey is going on 7 years old now. She is commonly known as "Fat Cat." Lovingly of course.

We adopted Zoey when she was a kitten. She and her brother Oscar were put out of their home because their owner's son seemed to be allergic to them. They lived under the shed in our backyard without much to eat. Their old master would put out dry food, but the possums and raccoons would finish most of that off. So now, and ever since then, Zoey likes to eat. I do believe she equates food with love. 

This past year Zoey has become more social than ever before. She apparently saw our old dog Cedie as a threat so she lived entirely upstairs eating in the upstairs bathroom. Now she is also a downstairs cat. She doesn't see Katie as a threat even though Katie is bigger than old Cedie. Yuka does scare her off now and then, but she returns.

The pets enjoyed Christmas and the whole family being together. Now they are enjoying the solitude of the not so busy house. 

They are a huge part of the family. What would we do without them?

Yuka and her loving master N