I can't begin to say how difficult it's been to lose Oscar. He was my heart and soul, my sunshine. He obviously has his own page, tho' it's little changed from when he was alive. I just haven't been able to bring myself to edit it yet. |
My first pet as an adult was my Abyssinian, Josephine, who I got in 1987. I'd been enamored of the Aby breed for a long time, and while at a cat show in the Detroit area I inquired with a breeder who just happened to have kittens at home. I arranged to go and "just meet" them. Of course, I came home with my little Aby kitty who was about 16 weeks old. She was a wild child! SO much fun and I was in love! I had a hard time picking a name but finally decided on "Josephine" after my roommate started calling her "Shithead." I was desperate and "Napoleon & Josephine" was playing on the TV. If ever an animal can be a soulmate, Josie was it for me. She loved playing in the shower water and had such a great sense of humor. I actually taught her to "sit" and "lay down" - it took forever, but she did it! We moved to Southern California in 1988 and life was great! Josie got kidney failure and had to be euthanized when she was 10 years old. It was very difficult, but it was what it was. Some day maybe I'll have another Aby... |
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In about 1991, I was invited to tour the local animal shelter at an open house. I'd been thinking of getting a second cat and that is where I spied Napoleon - or "Polo" as he became known. We were there at feeding time, but all he was interested in was my attention. Done deal! He was only about a year old and such a BOY! Very gregarious and playful. He and Josie got used to each other and got along just fine until Polo ended up with kidney failure at around 4 years of age. |
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And then there was Maude... I must luck out, because I end up with the nicest pets. Maude was between 8-10 years old when she was picked up by Animal Control. I was a volunteer and at the shelter on a Sunday when we saw this skinny Shepherd mix who was refusing food. She couldn't have been more gentle or easy-going as we all tried to get her to eat. I let her sit with me for the day as we groomed all the other animals. When it was time to go, she easily went back into the cage. I told the Vet Tech that I really wanted to find a good home for her and since we were having an adoption day that Saturday could we hold onto her? She really was not what a shelter would consider an "adoptable" dog because of her age and physical condition, but she was one of those rare cases that really got to me. When the Adoption Day came, I'd decided that I'd take her if no one else would - and of course, she then became my first dog! Maude was like a quiet shadow - perfectly leash trained and such a wonderful soul. She was quite a contradiction at times - she was already spayed and trained, gentle to a fault, but terrified of certain sights and sounds. Hard to know what her life was before, but her favorite sport was just playing ball and could self-entertain if no one would play with her. We enjoyed 5 terrific years together. |
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Jazz was my first Belgian Tervuren and a huge influence on me. She has her own special memorial page |
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